This week in video games, August 1, 2017: What was learned from the Destiny 2 beta

    1 of 4 2 of 4

      This week, Splatoon 2 is another reason to love the Switch and Acer's uncompromising display arrives in Canada. But first, the Destiny 2 beta happened last week, and it taught me a few things.

      Eight things I learned from the Destiny 2 beta last week

      Destiny 2 is just over a month away (September 6 on PS4 and Xbox One), but last week a bunch of people got to take the game out for a spin.

      The Windows edition of the game, by the way, is getting released on October 24. A Windows beta has been scheduled for August 29 through August 31.

      I spent a couple of hours playing and came out with these impressions:

      1. I am just as bad at Crucible as ever. The competitive multiplayer mode of Destiny 2 chewed me up and spit me out. I embarassed myself out there.

      2. The beta actually started with "Homecoming", the first story mission of Destiny 2, in which humanity's very existence is threatened. Again.

      3. You start the game with all of the power, which is a great way for people who have never played Destiny to get a sense of the promise of the game. After the preface, however, you find yourself stripped of all that power. Then you've got to build yourself back up again.

      4. The weapon, ammunition, and gear systems have been simplified. Veteran players will need a bit of time to acclimatize themselves, but you'll soon prefer it.

      5. With Destiny, I was content to run a Hunter, but the new subclasses in Destiny 2 are making me think I'll need to at least try a Titan and a Warlock.

      6. The graphics in this sequel are a step up. Which is saying something.

      6. I'll still probably spend most of my time playing the Hunter.

      7. The story feels a bit more present here. I hope that promise holds.

      8. I still want to be able to move my spaceship during the loading screen.

      Acer's new gaming monitor is the one you want on your desk

      If you prefer gaming on your Windows computer, you really need to make sure that you've got a display that can deliver.

      The new Acer Predator Z35P is a 35-inch curved monitor that does the job nicely, thank you very much. It uses Nvidia's G-Sync technology and supports refresh rates up to 100 Hz. I'm not a fan of curved displays in my living room, but if you're sitting close to your computer, the curved screen does make for a more immersive experience.

      It's not cheap, priced at $1,500, but it is among the best displays you can get right now.

      Splatoon 2 superfun on Nintendo Switch

      We're loving the Nintendo Switch in our household, especially now that we've got a couple more games to play. The Wii U has been left behind now that we can play Mario Kart 8 on the Switch, and just over a week ago, Splatoon 2 arrived.

      You may have missed the first game if you don't have a Wii U, but this sequel captures what made the original so much fun. It's a shooter game at its core, but players embody cute little creatures that can morph between two-legged humanoid and ink-swimming squid forms. They are called inklings, and the various weapons they use are armed with, you guessed it, ink.

      The objective is to cover as much of the competitive area in your colour of ink while the other team tries to do the same. At the end of time, the team covering the majority of the area wins. Aiming at the other players slows them down and if you cover them with enough ink, they explode, reforming a few seconds later at a spawn point. You have to manage your levels of ink, too. Use too much at once and you'll be defenseless and unable to cover any area at all.

      This is, as you'd expect, made for online multiplayer, and Splatoon 2 builds on the riotous fun the first game established.

      What's new in multiplayer is a cooperative mode called Salmon Run, which puts four players against waves of monsters. This is primarily a local couch co-op experience, although Nintendo plans on running online special Salmon Run events in the future.

      There is a story mode here, with the levels short and satisfying. Although you are free to complete the levels in any order you want, you should play them in order to make sure you've got the experience and the gear you need for the later levels.

      With varied, urban-themed maps and the cute factor ratcheted way up, Splatoon 2 is perfect family-friendly fun for the summertime.

      Games recently released

      • What Remains of Edith Finch? is now playable on Xbox One
      • The Elder Scrolls: Legends, a free-to-play strategy card game, is now available on Android and iOS

      Comments