Destiny vs The Division: The Battle for Supremacy

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Destiny has had extensive coverage on Gamer Headlines since the early news of its creation. Stories have flooded in and thankfully the wait is almost over for everyone to get their hands on the full game on 9/9/14. Now, who could possibly be considered in the same realm or at least considered a major competition for Destiny? Although there are other games out there, for now the answer is simple and might create a little division <pun +1> with gamers.

Tom Clancy’s ‘The Division’, developed by Ubisoft, is set to release in 2015. The Division is a more modern game with a virus/disease that has spread and caused The United States to collapse in a week’s time. In this game, you’re a part of a unique team who is attempting to salvage the city. The game has been showed off in a devastated and enemy enriched New York environment. In contrast, as many are aware, Activision’s ‘Destiny’, developed by Bungie, is set in a more fantasy future played throughout plants in the solar system with a plethora of alien races to battle against.

Obviously, these games are considerably different from one another. To start, The Division is considered to be a third-person shooter with more realistic urban tactics and gear than its competitor. Destiny, is primarily in a first person mode, with an imaginary concept of special abilities and very inventive/future gear and weapons. So what can we compare?

The debate around the internet between these games comes from the MMO and RPG elements. The concept of seamless integration of random players or friends into a shooter is something both Bungie and Ubisoft are putting a lot of energy into. To take a world and make it more living is a huge tasking for developers. How do you capture the sense of community in a shooter? The answer since the 1990’s-early 2000’s (Counter-Strike/Half-Life/Halo…etc.) has been building community by PvP primarily. These games did create the sense of semi-teamwork and glory by smashing your opponent (Still an awesome concept). Presently, we find ourselves on the crossroads with the idea of a community coming together in a shooter with the objective primarily focused on PvE. *Random guy in the room* – “Wait! Are you dissing PvP!?!”…Simply put, NO…. I’m not even hinting at that. [Clarification: PvP is still highly regarded by both Developers. Stay with me for a moment, we’re discussing the innovations of these games!

In regards to the MMO/Shooter concept, who will make this idea a better reality? Destiny showcased their product in July 14 to the public. The process seemed very smooth for a Beta. In Destiny, a newer player can run across a more seasoned player while they’re in an activity unknown to the newer player. For instance, Luke Smith, Destiny designer, hinted at the random encounters further. Smith mentioned while gamers are on Venus attempting to gain access into the ‘Vault of Glass’, which is only accessible normally by high ranked Guardians, a novice player could assist the high ranked six-man raid team in opening the doors. Smith even stated the novice player could go into the vault once it was open. This is only one example of seamless random encounters found in Destiny. The Division showcased the ability of player interaction in PvE at the E3 presentations in 2013 and 2014. The full capabilities are still fairly unknown but it is clear your interaction will primarily be with a fire team. It is unknown if random player encounters will be like Destiny, as far as friendly players are concerned. To elaborate on this further, The Division does have a seamless PvP which runs parallel to its PvE. For example, you and your team are clearing enemies from a building and out of nowhere, another group of players come to the same building. In this moment the PvE turns into a PvP match and you need to hold your ground. This seems like an aspect Destiny lacks when compared. Destiny’s PvP is separated from the PvE, although your character is maintained through both modes. The Division might have an advantage if they can pull this concept off. As you can tell, both developers are taking a different twist on this MMO concept, but who will have a better product is yet to be seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84OIuVdurUQ&feature=youtu.be

The RPG element seems to be very high on Bungie’s list of concepts for Destiny. This is where The Division might have the biggest challenge to overcome. Although you do upgrade your character in Ubisoft’s game, it is still unclear to what extent of customization is available to the player. Thus far we know the player will be able to change their abilities and load outs in The Division. This compared to Destiny, which the entire reward system is based around customization and pride of your character. Abilities and load outs are also available in Bungie’s game, but are limited to the choice of character type the player selects. As far as the RPG portion is concerned, The Division might need to have a very rich story with many available side-missions and tasks to compete with Destiny. Destiny seems to be shaping up nicely with its engaging story and the overall customization.

Both games are surely going to be hits with the public, the clear winner of the MMO/RPG/Shooter is unclear. Who will renew or at least put new energy into the shooter world? Both games look beautiful in their own unique way. The overall presentation and fluidness might decide the winner in this debate. This discussion will obviously only be fully concluded once The Division is finalized.

Destiny vs The Division, What do you think? Both games have their differences, but for what the games have in common, who do you think will provide the gamer with a better or more enjoyable experience? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.

Until next time, keep gaming!