It Is Your DESTINY!

Destiny is set seven hundred years into the future in a post-apocalyptic setting following a prosperous period of exploration, peace, and technological advancement known as the Golden Age. In a universe where humans have spread out and colonized planets in the Solar System, an event known as “the Collapse” saw the mysterious dissolution of these colonies, the end of the Golden Age, and mankind teetering on the brink of extinction.

Upon mankind’s first attempt to repopulate and reconstruct after the Collapse, it is discovered that hostile alien races have occupied mankind’s former colonies and civilizations and are now encroaching upon the City. The player takes on the role of one such Guardian, and is tasked with reviving the Traveler while investigating and destroying the alien threats before humanity is completely wiped out.

There are several notable game releases this month, such as Disney Infinity 2.0 and Hyrule Warriors, but none have received more buzz than Bungie’s massively multiplayer first-person shooter, Destiny. Activision, the game’s publisher, has spared no expense when it comes to marketing Destiny — a stroll through Times Square might be the most prominent evidence of this. Now Destiny is taking a page from Google Maps for a unique experiment that will allow fans to explore the worlds of Destiny before it launches.

Destiny Planet View is “the first time a video game world has been mapped using Google technologies.” When you open up Planet View, you’ll be greeted by a voice-over introduction and three separate locations to which you can travel: the Moon, Mars and Venus. Each of these destinations will be featured in Destiny, but this is the first time players will be able to explore the surfaces of Mars and Venus.

While traveling along the unfamiliar paths, you’ll find interactive elements to click on, including 3D models of weapons, gameplay videos and actual information about the planet. If Destiny is on your most-anticipated list for the fall, it’s worth taking the journey to get a feel for the unexplored planets before the game launches.

If not, at least watch this video:

Destiny will launch for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on September 9th.