How to get the most out of Destiny: The Taken King

Be honest. Did you fail to get on the Destiny hype train? Did Bungie's genre-changing multiplayer-shooter-time-killer pass you by in a blur of raids and loading screens?

Then perhaps you should pay attention to The Taken King - the huge new download that adds a grand dimensions to the core game. 

Rather than attempting to deconstruct this monster expansion ourselves, we've teamed up with seasoned Destiny YouTuber Alex Noon of Arekkz Gaming to take you through everything you’ll want to know about The Taken King.

Destiny: The Taken King paired with the recently released Update 2.0 introduce some of the biggest changes we have ever seen since Destiny first launched on September 9th, 2014. The game has continually evolved since that date and the game we play today is completely different to that which we played 12 months ago.

With all that new content at your fingertips, you're probably wondering what to do first or how to get the most out of your experience and time with the game and that's where I come in…

Level 40

The way in which you level your character in Destiny has now changed and the new system is much more fluid, more accessible and ultimately allows you to get to that end goal without the previous confusions.

Level 40 is your new cap, this can be achieved simply by playing the game, completing missions, Strikes, Crucible matches, you name it - any activities that award you XP will get you one step closer to that all important new level cap. So with that being said, the first thing you should do, is simply play the game.

ENJOY & EXPLORE

Destiny: The Taken King introduces a vast array of new story missions, complete with jaw dropping cut-scenes that will tell Destiny's story. On your way to level 40, you will encounter these but make sure you work your way through all of them. Not only are they a great way to naturally progress through the game but along the way you'll obtain weapons, armour and some other special items that'll help you towards your end goal.

Whilst completing these missions, you'll be introduced to the Dreadnaught, the new explorable area in Destiny: The Taken King. It's a huge Hive ship, bigger than anything you've seen thus far and it holds many hidden secrets. This is a location you'll explore throughout the game and it will also play host to your end game content. There are mysteries to solve, chests to find, bosses to fight and come Friday 18th September 2015 a raid to complete.

Gear Up

Hitting that level 40 cap is only half the journey: once you hit the top, it's time to gear up. The new levelling system in Destiny introduced in Update 2.0 means the concept of 'Light' is no longer tied to your level but instead represents an average of your attack and defence from all your gear combined - in other words, it represents your power. To take on some of the more challenging end game content, you're going to need to be more powerful and in order to be more powerful, you need better armour and stronger weapons.

These can be found in a number of different ways: If you've played through the story missions, you'll likely have a few pieces already - you might even have a fancy new sword to wave around - but beyond the story, the new Strike playlists offer a great way to obtain items. In fact, Strike playlists now come with a buff that'll reward you with better items the longer you play, so now the time and effort you put in, genuinely does impact what you'll get out. On top of this you can pledge your allegiance to one of the Tower's factions, rank them up and then buy what they have to sell. If you're strong enough, you can even take part in the weekly Nightfall - a much harder Strike, with more epic rewards. In summary, there's no shortage of ways to obtain items - everything you do in Destiny will now reward you in some form, so play lots and (finally) reap the rewards.

THE CRUCIBLE

When you're finished saving the galaxy and gearing up to make yourself as powerful as you possibly can, jump into the Crucible, Destiny's Player vs Player mode for some competitive matches. Destiny: The Taken King introduces a range of new modes to change the way you play and a vast array of new maps to give you new places to do battle. Crucible matches will also now be more rewarding, so if you're still trying to gear up, then why not continue that journey while having some fun?

The new Mayhem Clash Crucible mode introduces a hectic new way to play - your Supers, grenades and melee attacks recharge at a much faster rate meaning everyone you face is a potential ticking time bomb - think of it like Destiny's party mode. Alternatively, if you want to get a little more competitive, there’s Rift. This is the new mode that will have you collecting an item known as the Spark and running it into the enemy’s goal, known as the Rift. It's a point scoring mode that rewards stylish scores, team play and communication.

Raid

And finally, this Friday 18 September 2015, Destiny: The Taken King will open its doors to the new raid. If you've never raided in Destiny, then it's probably one of the hardest challenges you'll ever face as a gamer - there are puzzles to solve, bosses to defeat, areas to explore and loot to find. It might take you a long time to complete but when you finally do, there's no better feeling. What's more exciting, is that nobody knows anything about it - Raids are always Bungie's best kept secrets, part of the enjoyment is going in blind, so short of a brief 30 second trailer, we have no idea what it’ll involve. Explosions, probably.

Destiny: The Taken King is now available on all major platforms. Find out more information at www.destinythegame.com