Destiny: Rising – Five things we want to see in NetEase’s upcoming mobile shooter

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  • Destiny is coming to mobile as Destiny: Rising and we have a wishlist
  • NetEase has an opportunity to make a mark on the Destiny franchise
  • We’re hoping the expensive expansions far away – back on consoles

As a lifelong Destiny enthusiast who has spent countless hours exploring its rich universe and engaging in epic gunfights, I can’t contain my excitement about Destiny: Rising coming to mobile. With over a decade of experience playing this game, I’ve seen it all – from the original release to the latest expansions on consoles.

As a gaming enthusiast, I can hardly contain my excitement about the rumors swirling around NetEase Games working on Destiny: Rising, the next installment in Bungie’s space-faring shooter series (not referring to the other one!). My thoughts are racing with what I genuinely hope this game will embody. After much deliberation, I’ve narrowed it down to five essential elements that I truly wish to see, or in some cases, eradicate completely.

A proper Destiny experience

Let’s start with the big thing; we want the total Destiny experience, nothing watered down. The fun of Destiny is the hectic gunfights and epic bosses where you need to keep moving, shooting, and whipping out massive skills. Right now all we know is that this mobile version will be an RPG shooter, but that is a wide net.

Digital Extremes has demonstrated that it is possible to create a fast-paced shooter game with expansive worlds and non-stop action in the Warframe mobile version, and NetEase’s collection of games suggests they have the ability to accomplish this. What we truly need for mobile platforms is a full-fledged Destiny experience, not a watered-down version.

New classes

In the ten years that we have had the Destiny IP, we have had the same three classes; Hunter, Titan, and Warlock. They each have six subclasses and they are undoubtedly fun – I adore my Arcstrider Hunter no end – but after ten years they are starting to get a little stale. It might be time to add to the roster.

Simplifying things, we’re considering a setup that includes a container, a spellcaster, and a thief – essentially speaking. We don’t intend to cover every classic role, nor do we want an oversized team, but a fresh take could be intriguing. Perhaps introducing a specialized support character or even a pure melee fighter might spice things up. It may contradict the fundamental gameplay, but the idea of swiftly darting across the battlefield as a destructive vortex sounds exciting.

Maintain the quality of the narrative

Besides the combat, what really stands out in Destiny is its narrative and characters. It might be a sin to say, but I prefer the storytelling Bungie did in this series way more than their other work, including Halo. It has deep, interesting lore, a gripping story, and far more memorable characters.

In Destiny: Rising, while Bungie maintains the license, it appears that NetEase holds significant control as both publisher and creator. They should take on the responsibility to uphold the franchise’s prestige, ensuring it’s not just a Destiny-themed shooter. Instead, they should aim for a faithful adaptation of the lore, enriched with captivating new elements to keep fans engaged.

Make their own massive impact on the Destiny lore

With Destiny: Rising taking place in an alternate universe, NetEase has been given a blank cheque to do whatever they want, in effect. They have this established world to build from, but that is the key phase – build from. Very few developers have the opportunity to work this freely with a guaranteed home run, so they need to make it their own.

It seems they’ve picked an exceptional moment, right after the Collapse. Witnessing humanity at the precipice, just before the City and the Guardians, could make for a captivating tale. NetEase now has the chance to surpass Bungie’s “Destiny,” and that’s what Rising could represent. They can take the Dark Age and leave their unique imprint; this is their turn, Bungie. This universe is theirs to mold, and I hope they create something original with the existing elements instead of relying too much on the past.

Don’t continue the aggressive monetization

We have looked at what we want, but there is one thing I am begging not to have, and that is Destiny’s expansion and season racket. Let’s look at Destiny 2, first released in 2017 as a paid game before switching to free-to-play a few years later. Since then there has been nearly one full-priced expansion per year, on top of four seasons that you need to pay for to get the most out of what you have already paid for.

It’s frustrating that these expansions expire, meaning you could have spent the money for an entire game with The Witch Queen, and now can’t access its content. This is what caused me to quit Destiny 2, I truly hope it doesn’t happen here as well. While it’s okay to sell cosmetics or even a few weapons, please don’t overdo it again.

NetEase has taken on a position with significant obligations and potential pitfalls. Yet, with titles like Lost Light and Once Human under their belt, there’s a sense of reassurance that Destiny is in capable hands. While we might have additional desires, ultimately, we yearn for Destiny: Rising to be the core fantasy game on mobile, similar to Warframe, demonstrating it can be done.

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2024-10-14 19:48