Destiny: Rising first impressions – “An alternate destiny begins…”

Destiny: Rising first impressions - "An alternate destiny begins…"

  • It’s the first fully mobile Destiny entry
  • The MMORPG contains a lot but still fits
  • Control layouts can feel awkward in combat

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I have witnessed the evolution of gaming from the humble beginnings of Pong to the intricate worlds of today’s MMORPGs. When Bungie, the mastermind behind Halo and Destiny, announced a mobile entry for their beloved Destiny series, I must admit, I was skeptical. But, as they say, never judge a game by its screen size.


When Bungie chose to create something other than Halo, many of us felt either excited or intrigued. This decision eventually gave rise to the popular and internet-reliant series Destiny, which has now been further developed by Netease into Destiny: Rising. This new installment is venturing the universe into mobile platforms, presenting a significant challenge. It needs to accommodate all that third-person sci-fi MMORPG shooting action on a screen as small as an elaborate name tag. There’s a multitude of visual elements and gameplay mechanics to manage efficiently… so, it will be interesting to follow their development process.

What is Destiny: Rising?

Destiny: Rising first impressions - "An alternate destiny begins…"

In the realm of RPGs (and sci-fi narratives too), it’s common to overlook or even invent new timelines while crafting tales. Destiny, with its expansive universe, is no exception. However, Destiny: Rising intends to carve out a unique narrative within this cosmos. This story revolves around the Traveler, an enormous, enigmatic orb (whatever you find fascinating), which descended upon Earth, bestowing its radiant energy and enabling humanity to leap beyond their capabilities, ushering in an era of tranquility.

However, all good things must come to an end and Earth was attacked, the Traveler was damaged, and much of the planet was destroyed. Still, our favourite white orb still had enough light to protect the last remnants of humanity and give birth to the Ghosts, who could revive people with the potential to wield the light against darkness. So grab your powers, your guns, and armor, because it’s your destiny to fight for Earth.
Returning to the character front, the shift away from extensive customisation has made room for this entry to explore another popular model: The hero model. While the story focuses on a main character called Wolf, you don’t have to be fully locked into their shoes, albeit the futuristic wolf-shaped space helmet looks cool. The design implies that more characters will be added to the team who you can switch between for different gameplay styles and weapons. For now, Wolf is a solid introduction to this part of the Destiny story, with effective shooting mechanics and flashy abilities to unleash in the multitude of firefights.
It already has plenty of pre-made missions to play on your own or with a squad for the usual loot, but the experience on its own can be quite exciting. As the enemies keep coming, you find yourself in the thick of it, unleashing everything you have and hoping you always have a safe spot for the prickly moments. There’s already a sizable community building and this being a mobile game, there are a lot of opportunities to create weekly or even daily events to take on.

To put it simply, we’ve run into a major and detrimental obstacle: The user interface or controls. Although the game may include controller support, the convenience of playing it on your mobile device is that you don’t need additional equipment. The designers have tried to minimize the controls while keeping the essentials, but unfortunately, the on-screen interface seems cluttered.

In this game, you’ll find that either side of the screen will be packed with onscreen buttons, giving it a clean layout, but this may hinder your visual flow during gameplay, particularly when aiming and looking around. While movement, jumping, and fighting work smoothly, aiming and looking can feel slow and clumsy due to the button congestion and limited space for adjustments.

Fate Falling, Destiny: Rising

Destiny: Rising first impressions - "An alternate destiny begins…"

Destiny: Rising represents the newest addition to the Destiny series, transitioning the third-person MMORPG shooter experience onto mobile devices. The development team has skillfully adapted much of the game’s atmosphere and visual appeal for these platforms without overtaxing resources. The game runs smoothly and boasts a polished appearance that easily competes with similar titles. Moreover, its existing active and supportive online community will further bolster its growth.

Instead of ironing out remaining issues, it could be beneficial to introduce additional touchscreen control designs at this stage, ensuring a smooth gameplay experience moving forward. Ultimately, whether or not you choose to keep tabs on its evolution is a personal decision.

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2024-11-25 21:18