With the much-hyped release just around the corner, my anticipation for Destiny is building to a fever pitch. So, the new online application, Destiny Planet View, arrived just in time to meet my pre-Destiny release demand. Designed by Google Technologies, Destiny Planet View is a fun planet hop around the solar system. Players will soon explore the same planets when Destiny is released next week. It provides some new, fun voice-over narrations, more depth and background on the world and characters, and what appear like hints for hidden items and secrets on the various other planets.
So far, from what I have seen and played out of Destiny, I have most enjoyed the general atmosphere and environments. The universe of Destiny comes off as extremely elegant, ethereal and awe-inspiring. The Destiny Planet View features definitely build on these ideas. When visiting Mars, I enjoy getting to see the remnants of Freehold, the old human city before it was broken down by a mysterious antagonist, known only as the Darkness. It gives a sense of what has been lost in years past. The Mars visit also provides a good deal of background for the Cabal aliens, the vehicles, technology and even a potential food source. The Venus visit gives more background on the robot aliens, the Vex, and alien ruins that predate humanity’s Golden Age (the time right after the Traveler arrived).
The Planet View feature works even better for me on the iPhone than on a regular computer. On the iPhone, it provides more of a second-screen style. Each planet or moon has a certain number of points and secrets to discover. The set-up of the progression of the trip is set up much like the level-up system for the game that was present in the Beta version. Finding all the location points yields a free emblem code that can be redeemed for the game, so checking out every single one is worth doing. It does not take long to finish at all.
What I like the most about the Planet View is the ability to explore any area with a full 360 degree, panoramic view. The exploration gives a strong sense of how much thought the developers put into world-building. All the structures and buildings have names. Even Venusian plants have their own names. The strong sense of world building is prevalent throughout Destiny and Planet View, even more than the actual story.
Bungie’s Destiny PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on September 9.
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