Bungie has confirmed what it's been working on since splitting with Microsoft after Halo: Reach: a console shooter for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with MMO-like features and a brand new sci-fi universe. Polygon reports that Bungie is calling the game a "shared-world shooter," which combines aspects from multiple genres; Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg tells Polygon that Destiny will be part first-person shooter (like Halo), part open-world sandbox (like EVE Online), and part persistent universe (like any online MMO).
Today's reveal mostly includes details about the concept behind the game. Destiny will take place in our solar system, following an unexplained cataclysmic event that nearly ends the human species. As Polygon reports, players will act as "Guardians" of Earth's last remaining city: battling alien species, exploring the solar system, and meeting other players for "shared, social experiences." Players will be able to advance in the game in familiar ways, including the ability to customize their characters with armor, clothing, weapons, vehicles, spacecraft, and other gear.
Players will act as Guardians of Earth's last remaining city
Polygon reports that Destiny will include both competitive and cooperative single-player and multiplayer modes, and that the game's modes are designed to "seamlessly merge" together; the game won't feature traditional multiplayer matchmaking like you might see in Call of Duty or Halo. No gameplay for Destiny has been shown off yet, and other details about how the game will actually function haven't been released.
Destiny has no price or release date yet, but Bungie says there are "no plans" to charge the kind of subscription fee that traditionally accompanies MMOs.
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