Destiny’s Shield Brothers Strike
After a bit of a connection snafu, the Destiny Dreadnaught Strike stream was back online. Once it was back on, fans in attendance and watching via Twitch stream were treated to the introduction of The Taken King‘s new strike.
The Shield Brothers strike sends players into the heart of the Dreadnaught, where they must infiltrate a Cabal attack ship in order to take out its two commanders. Things are mixed up this time around by offering varied encounters every time you enter this Destiny strike mission. Large numbers of enemies, brand new threats, and new Taken enemies that are absolutely frightening will all test a player skill.
Another great addition is that bosses aren’t just re-skinned versions of enemies you’ve already encountered. The two Cabal commanders you face in Shield Brothers are truly unique. The battle features new weapon types to avoid, such as a lightning mortar, and much quicker encounters. Battles are about skill not bullet sponges. Having to fight them one at a time, and then together, adds some interesting dynamics to the boss fight, showing that The Taken King has definitely picked up a few new tricks.
It is a much more flowing strike than those players may be used to. The team wanted to provide less static experiences with the strike activities, and so much more movement and variety is thrown into gameplay. Also, bosses in the strike will have unique drops that you won’t be able to get anywhere else, adding an extra reward level that was sorely needed in Destiny.
A Look at the New Subclasses
While everyone already knew the general gist of the upcoming Destiny: The Taken King subclasses, many wondered how they would truly change the game. Over the past few weeks, Bungie has been showing elements and mechanics from the upcoming expansion that reshape the gameplay of Destiny at its very core. Naturally, the new classes would have to play an integral part of this restructuring, or everything would fall back into the same song and dance.
What was revealed during today’s stream was evidence that each class was designed with team cooperation in mind. The Sunbreaker, Nightstalker, and Stormcaller actually feel like pieces of a major puzzle, with each of them having the freedom to be played solo, but contributing to a much more cohesive strategy.
The Titan is a true tank, able to get up close and personal with even the toughest enemies, and has the ability to weaken bosses with its burning ability. The Hunter is equipped with trapping abilities that help its teammates ravage enemies with ease. It is perfect for pinning down forces and defending specific locations, as well as slowing down bosses. The Warlock is built to disrupt with its chaining abilities and increased speed while in the Stormtrance.
Having clearly defined roles that you can switch to on the drop of a dime is pretty impressive and is sure to make the PvE components of Destiny: The Taken King all the more enjoyable.
A More Rewarding Experience
One thing that has plagued Destiny since the very first day is the fact that most activities didn’t exactly feel very rewarding. Hours would be spent in Strike Playlists, or doing raids, but players often times had nothing to show for it. With Destiny: The Taken King that is all going out the window.
Rewards are a much more common occurrence, and the devs have even thrown in some unique rewards for all bosses. Raids have always contained specific rewards that couldn’t be obtained anywhere else, but now bosses in strikes and other activities will be able to give you unique pieces of gear and weapons. This adds a bit more incentive to playlists, and activities in general.
Add this into the way bounties now provide more tangible rewards and you have a seriously rewarding Destiny experience, and you no longer have to feel so down about your 500 hours spent patrolling its universe.
There is one more major stream coming from the folks over at Bungie next Wednesday, and if it is anything like this week’s and the last one, then the future being ushered in by Destiny: The Taken King is a truly bright one.
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