Destiny 10th Commemoration: PlayStation Studios developers reflect on their day as Guardians

Can you think it’s been ten times since Destiny initially appeared on the PS3 and PS4? 10 times since people first chose Hunter, Titan, or Warlock and jumped into Bungie’s wide sci-fi earth to build up their budding Guardian. Those are the memories I can have of my second encounter with a terrifying Fallen Walker in the Cosmodrome during Destiny Alpha. To honor the line ‘ ten-year work, we asked PlayStation Studios developers to share their favorite games from the past and their designer perspectives on what makes the game so addictive and satisfying.

With no further ado, content 10th celebration, Destiny!
When Destiny second launched, and after I played a while, I really reached out to my old high school friends who live in another city to persuade them to purchase a PS4 and meet me right away. Our fortnightly game night that has been taking place since 2014 was officially kicked off with such a great time. Essentially, we reconnected and developed perhaps better friendships thanks to Destiny.
I usually ca n’t play a game without analyzing the animations. I’ve often been impressed with Destiny’s cinematics and army graphics. Each party has always felt very specific and special from the other, and their movements have brought in a variety of personalities. Bungie’s employ of jvm, full-body IK rigs has always been wonderful as well”.
– Bruno Velazquez, Game Director, Santa Monica Studio

” Deny was a birthday present for myself, and it gave me but some joyous events over the course of the past ten years, and it also gave me a fireteam of lifelong friends,” I said.
The Shadowkeep expansion’s starting mission is the one thing I will never forget, though. One of my friends made it out of the Hive’s caves second and said: ‘ Oh my god, you men gotta get up these, now.’ I may still recall the shock and horror of turning around in the moon’s caves, seeing a massive arch embedded in the solar stone, and understanding what it meant. One of the best reveals I’ve ever seen.
Destiny serves as a great inspiration for me as a lighting artist, with its stunning skyboxes, superb use of color, silhouette, and interest-creating focal points that lead the player through fanciful spaces. Working on a sport with such freedom of colour and atmosphere is a dream of mine!
– Jen Carlin, Lighting Artist, Insomniac Games
” Destiny is a sport I’ve been playing intermittently since September 2014,” said one player. I pleaded with my uncle to give it to me as an early Christmas present because I already knew this activity was unique from the first trucks. Through high school, college, and my profession at PlayStation, it’s always been there.
When I enter the Tower, no matter how much of a break it’s been, it feels like coming house. Which, of course, made the loss of the first one both more destructive and heartbreaking when it was discovered once more in the Pale Heart. Due to the hard work of both the developers and the community, which allows them to form this powerful psychological bond, Destiny has managed to achieve an incredible coexistence.
As a Narrative and Mission artist, I have had a deep impact on the durability of the tale, the depth of the world-building, and the memorability of both the principal campaigns and the annual stories, which makes me yearn to go through it all over again and hope to follow in the future of my career.
– Sam Jordan, Designer, Insomniac Games
Relic Iron loops on Mars were my earliest memories of Destiny, but my favorite would have to have been my attack staff beating Nezarac in battle mode after we had to wipe during the last remain, all thanks to one sister’s insistence on using Osteo Striga.
I’m frequently interested in Destiny because of the player expression that can be found in buildcrafting, particularly the in-depth analysis of how a build does vary from person to person. I love fine-tuning my aid builds to support my friends, whether that’s printing lights on Arc Hunter, locking down the field on Stasis Warlock, or creating secure paradises on Void Titan. Happy 10th anniversary Destiny, you’ve definitely become legend”!
– Matthew Makuch, Senior Technical Designer, Bend Studio

If you complete the raid in the first week, you can purchase a physical jacket for that raid. My favorite is my first, the Crown of Sorrow jacket. A chalice and my gamer tag are included in the jacket. I did n’t have a clan, but that was worth trying LFG. At minimum Power, the difficulty got ridiculous. I would be shot from death the most times. Eventually, the group kicked me, and I went to bed dispirited and disappointed.
I joined another LFG for one more shot an hour before reset the day before. Fast’s speedrunners who had set the world record two weeks later were included in the group. I did n’t realize until they crossed the jumping puzzle when they flew across.
Two players had to melee the crystals that appeared at the final boss. I frequently missed the spawn because I was so focused on surviving, so I could hear the phrase” Foster you!” Hurry up!” With ten minutes before reset, we wiped on an enrage]an attack that’s unleashed if players take too long ] just before we killed the boss. But with only a few minutes left, we rallied and won the kill. In less than 24 hours, I had gone from the lowest to the highest point in my Destiny journey”.
– Jeffrey Lininger, Senior Game Designer, Guerrilla
” Denison is one of my favorite things to watch all the way through,” says one reviewer. Guiding a group of my friends through Vault of Glass, their first raid, was a brilliant experience!
When I discover anything cool, my first reaction is to let someone know. So it was a lot of fun to be able to share one of my all-time favorite experiences, watch them through each encounter, and then, well, die over and over, but also get excited as they figure out how to solve each problem and eventually succeed.
At the same time, it’s a world that’s so fascinating to explore and delve into. Reading through the Books of Sorrow and the incredible writing team’s work is just as powerful for me as exploring the Pale Heart or finally defeating Skolas when we choose to do so foolishly ( or bravely )? tried that week, and Lightswitch served as the modifier. Good times. Telesto is also the Besto”.
– Luke Gillard, Senior Functional Tester, Guerrilla / PlayStation QA

The Witch Queen expansion’s entrance, which you cannonball (quite literally ) through an endless list of stunning locations that left me speechless, is the most memorable moment for me.
Destiny 2 exhibits outstanding visual and graphical craftsmanship, rich in narrative design, and, most importantly, the lighting, which is a masterpiece. Since Destiny’s conception of lighting was first created, the lighting techniques I employ now have had such a significant impact. The artistic talent of the team truly sets one of the highest standards for our industry and they continue to demonstrate that with each new expansion. From the use of color, compositions, implementation, and gameplay.
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– Daniel Sewell, Senior Lighting Artist, Haven
What are your earliest and fondest memories from Destiny’s past 10 years?