As many gamers out there know, after completing their work on Halo: Reach in 2010, Bungie left to work on a new project. After four years of hype and anticipation, Bungie’s new series, Destiny, was released in 2014. However, for fans of previous Bungie series like Halo or Marathon and for gamers excited for something new and different, Destiny had a bit of a rough landing.
When Destiny was released, gamers were met with a very confusing and repetitive experience. Much of the content that had been advertised to the public was absent from the initial launch, such as further storylines including the Awoken Queen’s brother. What content was present was fun to play, but wasn’t explained well. Most of the story ended up being told in out-of-game Grimoire Cards that players would unlock through certain actions in the game and have to read on Bungie’s website. Thus the in-game story was very muddled and often times gamers had no idea why they were doing what they were doing. By the end of the main story, your Ghost asks you if you’re ready to “kill a god” and I know personally all I could think was “is that what I’m doing? Huh….” Even then none of the characters or story were all that particularly memorable beyond the “that wizard came from the moon” line from the beta that turned into a meme.
There wasn’t much of a post-game either. In order to level up beyond level 20, players initially needed to grind the same quests over and over again in order to get the loot necessary for them to level up. Not only was this loot very rare, it barely did anything to boost your level. When I finally beat the initial game and started grinding, beyond continuing to wonder why I’m doing any of it I would just be bored and want to play something else.
All this being said, Bungie really turned the first game around. I wasn’t present for the Dark Below and House of Wolves expansions since I didn’t buy the season pass and had no intention of continuing to play the game initially. However, a friend of mine convinced me to buy the Taken King edition of the game and I was shocked to find how different the game was. There was a greater emphasis on telling the story in the game, Cayde-6 became one of my favorite characters in any game, certain mechanics were changed to allow for easier and more rewarding grinding and loot-based level ups, etc. Year 2 of Destiny was a truly a different beast altogether.
Taken King was a huge addition to the series but Bungie didn’t stop there. They continued to add community events and extra content for free. This made up for a lack of smaller expansions like Dark Below and House of Wolves in Year 2. Each of these events was incredibly fun and consistently kept me playing the game. From there, Rise of Iron came out and, while not as big as Taken King, it continued to improve the Destiny experience for Year 3. It added plenty of new lore and characters and further polished the mechanics that Taken King brought to the table while adding some of its own new features.
Bungie has clearly taken all the feedback it’s gotten to heart and done its best to continue to support the game far more than most developers do for their games nowadays. Destiny has only gotten better with age and while I enjoy it, it still isn’t perfect. Despite its flaws, it managed to keep a good amount of its fan base invested in the game and even brought back a few naysayers like myself. With the promises that Bungie has been making about Destiny 2 and taking into consideration what a labor of love the original game was for the studio, I have no doubt in my mind that this new game will be much better than the first at launch. Destiny 2 stands in a position to be a truly amazing game by taking what worked in the flawed yet fun original Destiny and adding its own new flare to it.
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Gaming
Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount
There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.
As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.
The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, have been in discussions about teaming up for a joint bid to acquire Paramount, people familiar with the situation said Thursday. https://t.co/qN86H4y7Va
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 18, 2024
The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.
What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.
There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.
Factory Striders have made a resurgence on the Automaton front. These imposing, massive support dreadnoughts now threaten freedom and democracy throughout the galactic rim. pic.twitter.com/XRTPU7k71s
— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) April 16, 2024
Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.
The recent release of Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout has ignited a renewed interest in the series and brought attention to the captivating alternate history that forms its foundation. Fans have expressed concern that the TV show’s events might be at odds with the plot of the Obsidian Entertainment video game New Vegas. Warning: Spoilers ahead for New Vegas and Amazon’s show!
Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard and Fallout TV executive producer Jonathan Nolan recently sat down with IGN to discuss the timeline. Howard was taken aback when showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet presented him with the surprising concept of obliterating Shady Sands, the bustling capital of the New California Republic, in the aftermath of the events in New Vegas. Howard eventually warmed up to the idea: “After discussing it, we realized that this could be a significant story moment that many things hinge upon.”
It seems that they had to make some tough decisions to ensure everything fell into place, but Howard emphasizes the importance of preserving the integrity of the Fallout timeline: “We take great care with the timeline. There seems to be some confusion in certain areas. However, all the events from the previous games, including New Vegas, did occur. We take great caution in that matter. We’re really pushing the limits here, but the explosions occur right after the events of New Vegas.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it up to par? Even though it may not have a significant impact on the overall quality of the games or show, it is comforting to know that those in charge are paying attention. We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.
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