Gameplay
Graphics
Sound/music
Controls
Replay value

With the release of the Taken King expansion, Destiny has received some much-needed work and changes to give players a reason to come back for more, while the price of the expansion was a huge talking point and the frequently asked question being “Is it really worth £40?” I’m still in two minds on that verdict, but I have certainly enjoyed jumping back in.

After a year of striking, raiding and sending death threats to the Cryptarch, Destiny had grown stale for me, I simply lost interest due to the numerous issues that plagued the game from launch; for the most part, Destiny felt like an incomplete game. However, with the arrival of The Taken King expansion, I can happily say that it has breathed new life into Destiny, thanks to the new content and the pages of changes and amendments that Bungie has made.

The Taken King does come with quite a bit of content, as follows: four new strikes (One exclusive to PlayStation), a new raid, eight crucible maps, a dozen story missions, a brand-new area to explore called ‘The Dreadnaught’, a fresh class set up for each guardian, lots of new weapons and armour and revisions to the core gameplay. It feels sufficient, and that’s without mentioning the up-and-coming events in the coming months. After spending well over 30 hours blasting things to bits in a space of a few days, it has certainly done enough to get me back into Destiny!

Mighty Thor swings his hammer!

There are some changes I am especially fond of, such as bosses actually dropping loot when they are defeated, weapons are easier to upgrade thanks to motes of light and Xur sells a new item called ‘Three of Coins that increases the chance of an Ultra dropping an exotic engram! There’s also a brand-new feature where armour and weapons can be infused, so for example, say you have some armour that you really like but then find something that has a higher value. You can infuse it to your favorite piece of gear increasing its offensive or defensive value. This will save you constantly swapping gear repeatedly.

Story wise Destiny never really delivered anything worth remembering. Characters were dull. The missions were dull and well. It was pretty damn dull overall. However, with The Taken King, there is actually something here, there are interesting characters. An attempt at humour and missions has a little more variety. The introduction mission on Phobos felt like a set piece from Halo, things were actually happening around you, and later when you discover a massive ship called the Dreadnaught, which is the new play space to try out your brand-new super powers; it’s absolutely huge and home to a variety of enemies and secrets to discover. You find that the Kabal has gone on a suicide mission to take it out the mighty vessel themselves. Without a doubt more thought has gone into the mission structure and story as a whole, it’s not perfect by all means and the story can be beaten in around four hours, but it’s far better than what we have seen Destiny do before.

Stunning skyboxes are a populer thing in Destiny.

The three new character classes also add some excitement; the Warlock pretty much becomes a Sith-Lord blasting lighting from his hands. Titan gets a fiery hammer to smite his foes with, and Hunter gets a Void-bow than can tether enemies and deliver increased damage to those affected. They’re unique and interesting classes that will give your guardian a choice between Arc, Solar and Void damage.

There’s a whole bunch of other changes that ultimately make playing Destiny a more rewarding and fun experience for old players and new players alike. In fact, if you’re a Destiny noob and picked up the Guardian edition, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck, but the pricing will most likely make or break your purchase. While I did get the standalone expansion which cost £40, the fact you can buy the Legendary Edition which includes Destiny, 2 expansions and The Taken King for £42 seems like a slap in the face to early purchasers of the game. It seems a little bazaar and cheeky as to why The Taken king is priced the same as a brand-new game or just £2 cheaper than its legendary counterpart, but the complete package is certainly enticing to new players. When it comes to price it’s down to you, if you play Destiny religiously it’s a no brainer, I just feel that long time players are being abused somewhat for their loyalty. If you don’t upgrade to the Taken King, some features are simply inaccessible such as nightfall strikes, crucible modes and high level strikes. Basically, what used to be end game content is no longer accessible. Without Taken King, Destiny on its own feels a little naked.

destiny the taken stunning unlimited power

It´s time to release the power!

The Taken King expansion is better than I expected, I was quite vocal about the pricing of this expansion, instantly dismissing it, but after trying it out for myself and joining friends in strikes and raids, I found myself enjoying it immensely. It’s a must buy for any Destiny fan, and the legendary edition is certainly worth picking up if you never played Destiny before. There’s plenty of fun to be had with this expansion, thanks to its variety of fresh content. Destiny finally feels like a polished experience and it should keep Guardians new and old, going until whatever Bungie release next for their Sci-fi shooter.

Pros:
+ Improved Story
+ New Classes are fun
+ Variety of new content

Cons:
– Story is short
– Legendary Edition is a bargain, Base DLC is overpriced.

tgg grade 4.5 out of 5

Verdict: 4.5/5
The Taken King expansion although costly fixes a game that was struggling to keep it’s head above water, the improvements and variety of content will keep Guardians new and old busy for a while.

Title: Destiny: The Taken King
Developer: Bungie
Format: PS4 & Xbox One
Genre: FPS/Shared world shooter
Resolution: 1080p
Release date: 2015-15-09
Difficulty: Varies on level
Spent time: 40 hours
Average grade internationally: 89.25% Gamerankings.com
PEGI age rating: 16
Price: £40 for base DLC, £42 for Legendary Edition (Game + All DLC)