#GamingNews Destiny: The Taken King's New Mayhem Mode is Totally Bonkers

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After playing two matches of Destiny’s new Mayhem mode coming in the Taken King expansion in September, I can sum up my experience with one sentence: Don’t bring a gun to a super fight.
Mayhem is, as the namer suggests, absolutely out of control. General shooter rules need not apply; Gameplay generally comes down to hiding for the few seconds until your super recharges, then sprinting after enemies to blow them away.

Five-second grenade recharge timers mean that near-constant explosions accompany every encounter between players. Quicker melee recharge rates lead to every punch causing instant death. A much, much faster super move charge means that running around in a match is always perilous, and at any instant you can be utterly pulverised.
It’s such a thrill. It's a treble-whisky shot of Destiny. I’ve rarely had so much fun in a game, and the nature of Destiny’s super moves means that it still requires some precision and strategy. Mayhem brings a much-needed light-heartedness to Destiny’s competitive multiplayer, an over-the-top alternative to the other modes.


Since Mayhem is a part of the Taken King expansion, I played with the new subclasses. Just like the subclasses in the base game, these new ones all have their own unique feel. Different grenades, skills, and supers define these new subclasses and give Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans different ways to approach the game.
A look at Sunbreaker in PvE.In my first game, I chose to use a Warlock with the Stormcaller subclass. When I used my super move, my Guardian became a floating, glowing, intimidating spellcaster with lightning crackling all around it. I pressed the trigger and my Warlock shot lightning bolts out of its hands, as if Emperor Palpatine had been added to destiny. The powerful electricity snaked away from me towards the enemy, striking it and decimating its health. The electrocution took a few seconds, but soon my foe was dead and I floated off in search of a new enemy.
But I noticed soon after that it’s actually a little challenging to get kills with this Stormtrance super. It’s more methodical, and it requires patience. Whereas the Warlock’s Nova Bomb instantaneously vaporizes enemies upon impact, Stormtrance forces you to keep firing at your enemy for several seconds. You're also exposed during this time. It's much like using one of Destiny's machine guns: it's powerful, but it takes a bit of time to kill an enemy and you'll be vulnerable to flanking fire while using it.
After finishing the first match, I switched to a Titan with the Sunbreaker subclass. Not knowing what to expect, I ran toward some enemies and executed my super move, Hammer of Sol. My Titan suddenly caught fire and glowed with unbelievable intensity, and a hammer materialised in my character’s hand. Getting an enemy in my crosshairs, I attacked and watched as my Titan threw the massive hammer right into the torso of the opposing player. The foe was incinerated as I watched, a satisfying insta-kill in the midst of the battle. Then, with the sound of a gong, my hammer flew back into my hand and was ready to be thrown again. For about ten seconds, I could throw my hammer as many times as I wanted. My super got me a couple triple-kills during this match.
I didn't get a chance to play as a Hunter, but was the victim of the Nightstalker subclass' Void bow super, which was particularly frustrating, although not very harmful in the wrong hands. You don't have much time to aim--as soon as you use it, your Hunter pulls back and shoots the arrow. If it connects with an enemy, it's an instantaneous kill. Otherwise, it creates an area-of-effect field that slows and blinds enemies within it. It'll be great for Destiny's strikes and raids, but it didn't work that well in the hectic environment of Mayhem.
This match took place on the Venetian map, Crossroads, another great addition to Destiny. As soon as I spawned into the game, I was reminded of Halo games of yore, because man-cannons and teleporters are finally in Destiny. Flinging yourself across a chasm never felt so good, and these catapults will put you directly into the main chokepoints. Long sight lines also add room for sniper gameplay, something lacking in most of Destiny's maps.
As my final Mayhem game came to a close, I thought about the new additions to the core Destiny formula. The upcoming subclasses provide some much needed variety to the gameplay loop. I felt more powerful and had more fun than ever with the new super moves.
Bungie seems to be working hard to revitalize Destiny, so I’m optimistic about The Taken King. Keep an eye on GameSpot in the coming months for more about the expansion.



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