I play a bit too much Destiny. Since landing on September 9, 2014, I have spent a large swath of life immersed in its universe. Though not certain, I am confident I have logged more than 500 hours into the game. At this writing, I have leveled up the 3 characters (hunter, titan, and warlock) to 650 light on multiple platforms (PS4, XBOX, PC). I don’t even question the time spent. I see this infatuation aligned with other pleasurable life pursuits: making good food, photographs, drawing, writing, and reading. There is a similar frustration and happiness found in navigating the nefarious terrain and attempting to solve the increasingly complex raid puzzles. These exercises remind me of the importance of play as being on par with other aesthetic pursuit. We learn this as children, but often this curiosity fades as we age and find focus in seemingly ‘adult’ pastimes.
When Destiny first dropped, I was just returning to gaming as a serious interest after more than 20-odd years of intermittent play. Ignorant, I jumped into the various modes (Crucible, Raids, and Strikes) woefully under-leveled. I still recall my initial foray in the Crucible. I dropped into the Rusted Lands map on Earth and was quickly headshot then tea bagged by what was possibly a 12-year old kid sitting comfortably in his bedroom surrounded by Adventure Time posters in southern Arkansas, chuckling. Gaming had changed and left me behind. Nevertheless, I was hooked.
When I consider aesthetics as an important element of life I do so through comparing it to the time in which it was created. This is not to say that it needs to be simply a mirror. I am also drawn to nuance and metaphor as experienced through fantasy. Catapulting me to another place and time is invigorating. Some of the most important artworks for me rest in comics and science fiction. I consider Philip K. Dick’s writings on par with any seminal prose predecessor. And, as far as comics go, that is a moot point these days. One can only look at the theaters (though rarely art) or our fashion sensibility (e.g., superman tee-shirts) to understand the impact this artform is having on the present. From this stance, I easily identify elements of Destiny as a game with artistry at a level that requires noting. There are intriguing narrative strategies, subtle minutia eluding to present day dilemmas, innovation in computer programming and technology, and most importantly, there is visceral engagement achieved.
There is irony and subversion in the broad community of players. There are artistic strategies seen in the narratives, precision, and repetition. There are quests and characters that give rise for further inspection. There is personal experience and impulse that draws me back for reflection. These items make clear that video gaming is an artform that defines, in part, my life experience in the ‘now’. Early on I identified the relevance of balancing conceptual and visual elements. I’ve rarely been successful in finding this, however all noted are present in Destiny.
In the autumn of last year I joined a clan, The Stone Roses, on the XBOX platform upon an invitation from one of the clan administrators. I tend to be weary of these requests for I have received only a handful. Firstly, I’m generally shit when it comes to serious gameplay. I just do not have the skills nor time to remedy the situation due to other obligations. Therefore, I rarely receive such requests. There is also the time commitment. But, most important to my aversion is the uncertainty. Who was this? What did they want? What ulterior motives inspired this request? What I found was a couple based in Leeds, England, looking for someone to share their experience and love for the game. Eventually, along with other clan members they shepherd me through the Last Wish raid, pointing out the lore and loot boxes without hesitation. There was ongoing instructive direction, yet no over zealous game banter. Our online relationship evolved to where we discussed our lives, quotidian daily events, and even our political viewpoints without the vitriol seen commonly today. This was due to Destiny and the ability to communicate with distant entities. This was magical.
At present I am in the midst of a midlife evaluation of my artistic efforts. I have been producing art for roughly 30 years. There is evaluation and a sense of need for refreshing the palette. Being static is not in my genes. In the worlds that is Destiny, I find the playful experience, though however oppressive, to be refreshing terrain. The experience of discovery is essential for artists. And, the creators at Bungie have made me feel like that child sitting in that 19th century farm house on Edgewood Avenue in Indianapolis, Indiana’s south side running the electronic gambit again. This memory alone is worthy of aesthetic notation, for me. Thank you.
Production Team
Developer – Bungie
Publisher – Activision (2014-2018) and Bungie (2019-present)
Director – Jason Jones
Producer – Jonty Barnes
Designers – Lars Bakken, Del Chafe III, Liz M.E. Chung, Tyson Green, Ken Malcolm, Sage Merrill, Christopher Opdahl, Alex Pfeiffer, Luke Smith, and James Tsai
Programmers – Chris Butcher, Ben Wallace, and Zach Russell
Artists – Christopher Barrett and David Dunn
Writers – Clay Carmouche, Seth Dickinson, Jonathan Goff, Robt McLees, Dave Mongan, Joshua Rubin, Lily Yu, Lucy Precible, and Feliz Gilman
Composers – Paul McCartney, Michael Salvatori, C Paul Johnson, and Martin O’Donnell
Additional information on Destiny can be found:
Destiny – https://www.destinythegame.com/
Writing by Chester Alamo-Costello
