14 DAY TRIAL // After a pretty stellar alpha stage exclusive to the PS4, Destiny is once again in the hands of fans from around the world, in the form of its beta test phase.
Right now, the trial is available on PS4 and PS3, although Bungie will allow Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners to join in on the multiplayer shooter fun next week.
This is the last true test of the game ahead of its release in September, and Bungie has rolled out quite a lot of new things to entertain players and to make them fall in love with the online experience.
Does the Destiny beta succeed in confirming the hype around the new shooter or should Bungie make more changes? Let's have a quick look at its test phase on the PS4.
When examined clinically, Destiny is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter experience with role-playing game elements. As such, it's not actually breaking any mold when it comes to core mechanics.
However, when played, Destiny is much more and becomes a multi-faceted experience.
First up, there's the regular story mode, in which you can immerse yourself into the various quests offered by the beta, from the introductory one seen in the alpha, to new missions that still take place on Earth but provide a much bigger picture of the game's story. These are quite impressive and succeed in allowing players freedom to roam around but also plenty of great encounters against AI-controlled enemies.
However, the seamless multiplayer, through which other people can also be present in your world, manages to consolidate the idea that you're not alone in Destiny and that you can easily abandon your objective and just go on an adventure with a friend or a stranger throughout the environment.
Those who don't really want to follow a story can just go in the explore mode and roam around the huge Old Russia map, completing various objectives and just slaughtering the many AI-controlled enemies. Bear in mind, however, that the map is filled with over-leveled foes, especially in some areas, so you might want to stick to the new zones at least in the beginning.
Another great facet to the Destiny experience is the cooperative mode, in which a fireteam of up to three players can go on different Strike missions and work together to defeat AI-controlled enemies. The matchmaking system is pretty good, but bear in mind that a PlayStation Plus membership is required on the PS4 even in the beta.
Of course, for those who want to really test their mettle, there's the Crucible competitive multiplayer mode. Here you can go up against other humans in different game types. The beta has the Control one, which tasks two teams of up to six players with occupying different points on a map and keeping them under their control for as long as possible.
The beta also offers details about the many other competitive game types, such as Skirmish, Clash, Rumble, or Combined Arms, and much more. However, they're all locked away, just like the teaser Moon mission.
In terms of actual shooter gameplay, the Destiny beta feels really good, with the controls being quite responsive. The aiming is still a bit erratic and some of the melee attacks feel a bit hit and miss, especially in terms of damage applied to enemies.
The three different classes still feel quite powerful and it ultimately depends on what cool abilities you want to use, from the Titan's Striker ground stomp attack to the Hunter's flaming Gunslinger pistol or the Warlock's Voidwalker explosion.
Overall, the Destiny beta is a pretty successful test of the game. Sure, PS4 alpha participants won't find that many new things here, but it's still great to see the full start of the story and to explore the stunning environments in Old Russia. Some tweaks have been made, especially when it comes to the Ghost dialog provided by Hollywood actor Peter Dinklage, but there aren't any other major perks.