When the creators of the Xbox’s biggest franchise team up with the publisher of the top-selling shooters of all time, it’s almost an understatement to say expectations are high. With a decade of creating a quartet of critically-acclaimed Halo games under their belt, Bungie had to know their next original work had to be even more ambitious than the series that legitimized the Xbox, popularized console first-person shooters, and shot Xbox Live into the stratosphere. Likewise, with chart-topping properties like Call of Duty and Skylanders currently raking in cash, Activision knows when they’ve got a hit on their hands. Somehow, though, their first collaboration, Destiny, has their collective sights set even higher than either outfit has shot before.

Bigger than Call of Duty? More epic than Halo? This is no hyperbole. Destiny does away with the linear campaigns of those games with what the creators call the world’s first “shared-world shooter,” a game that mixes elements of persistent-world titles (think MMOs), sandbox games, and, of course, first-person shooters. It’s a game where your customized character will visit distant planets filled with alien enemies and, whether you choose to take on the adventure solo or with friends, you’ll never be far from someone new.

While it may be an all-new IP, Bungie’s pedigree was apparent in Destiny when the developers first showed us their work. In Destiny, you are one of the “Guardians,” the protectors of Earth’s final safe city. In a world ravaged by intergalactic war, a giant sphere known as “The Traveler” that once protected humanity from alien forces now sits above your home, keeping your home from harm. As a Guardian, you and many others have powers that The Traveler once wielded and must use them to seek out and conquer your enemies throughout the universe, reclaiming your world while finding new weapons and items to increase your abilities. In a way, Destiny seems to be a bit thin in terms of narrative, especially when compared to universe-spanning epics like Halo and Mass Effect (though we know far less about Destiny’s story at this point, to be fair), but Bungie’s Joseph Staten made it clear that the stories you personally create in your time with the game are just as important as the overarching tale being told to the collective user base of Destiny.

To illustrate his point (and to showcase the many unique new gameplay aspects Destiny brings to the table), Staten told the story of a recent excursion he had in the game with fellow Bungie staffers while playing at his desk. Staten begins by taking his Guardian (a supernaturally-powered Warlock soldier who wields a power similar to “hitting someone in the face with a piece of the sun”) out into the Overwatch District, an area in the safe haven where Guardians meet and socialize (gambling and buying gear, amongst other activities) before embarking on their mission. Staten’s Warlock meets with his friend Jason’s Titan, a bigger breed of Guardian wearing tough Vanguard armor (fans of Halo will appreciate this class’ resemblance to Spartans). The duo then heads out to their respective transports. Jason’s carrier is a sleek scout-class ship he earned through winnings raked in via competitive multiplayer, while Staten has a modest ship bestowed upon him by collecting bounties for the Queen of the Reef.

Our Destiny experience continues on the next page!