Destiny's beta hits Xbox One and Xbox 360 on 23rd July, at 10am PDT, 6pm UK time and 3am Sydney time. Are you read for lift-off, Guardian? Because if you're not, here's a little round-up of need-to-know Destiny beta details. I'll add more info as it arrives.
How do I access the Destiny Xbox beta?
Right now, the only way is to pre-order Destiny from participating retailers, but we suspect Bungie will give a few codes away through other channels - you may wish to follow the developer onTwitter and like the Facebook page, if you haven't already. Each 9-digit Destiny beta code includes three download keys, so by all means share the love. Additionally, you can pre-order the game up to four times (once per supported console) in order to nab a grand total of 12 download keys. An Xbox Gold subscription is required to play on Xbox platforms.
If you pre-ordered on 1st October 2013 or later, the code should have been either printed on the receipt, printed on a flyer you should have received when you splonked the dosh, or emailed to you by the retailer. Your choice of beta platform doesn't have to be the same as that for which you've pre-ordered, so if you've put money down on an Xbox One Destiny bundle, you can try the game out on Xbox 360.
I've got a code. Where do I redeem it?
Jammy devil. Redeem your code here.
How much hard drive space do I need for the Destiny Xbox beta?
It's alleged to fill about 12.63GB on Xbox One - we're still waiting for an announcement about the Xbox 360 version, though Bungie has confirmed that the Destiny beta won't run on an Xbox 360 Arcade console, Xbox 360 4GB console or Xbox 360 Core System, due to storage limitations. USB flash drives and external hard drives also aren't supported by the Destiny beta.
So, how much content does the Destiny Xbox beta include?
Where the alpha bumped new players to level four in order to showcase certain advanced options, the beta starts you off at the beginning of the game, at level zero, and includes more of the final game's narrative (reportedly, around four chapters). A level cap has yet to be announced. You'll be able to customise your appearance, class, race and gender. The classes are the Titan (powerful, tough soldiers), Hunter (stealth and reconnaissance) and Warlock (space wizards, basically). The races are the Exo (ancient robots), Awoken (ethereal elf-type aliens) and human (self-important hairless apes).
Going by teaser screenshots (above), players will be able to explore Old Russia area on Earth, parts of Mars and parts of Venus. You'll also get to visit the Tower, a hub zone in Earth's last city where you'll accept missions from NPCs, socialise with Xbox Live acquaintances and buy, upgrade or unlock weapons, gear and accessories.
What about Destiny's multiplayer?
The beta includes co-op Strike missions for fireteams of up to three players, and a number of modes from the Crucible competitive multiplayer component. Screens of the Companion app (see below) suggest that the head-to-head offerings include Salvage and Skirmish for teams of up to three players a side, Combined Arms, Clash and Control for teams of six players a side, and Rumble, a free-for-all mode, for fireteams of up to three. Player loadouts and progression will transfer between these solo, co-op and competitive play, as in the final game. While exploring, you may also uncover secret loot, perform stunts aboard your Sparrow landspeeder or participate in spontaneous open world firefights. Enemies slated to appear include the Fallen (space pirates) and Hive (giant insects).
Will the Destiny Xbox One beta run at 1080p?
Not according to Bungie's community manager David Dague, but the developer has promised that it'll be 1080p at launch, running at 30 frames a second.
Will my progress carry over to the final game?
Play the Destiny beta from 8pm PDT on 26th July to unlock an exclusive player emblem for the retail version of the game. Beyond that, Bungie is still thrashing out how much of your progress will carry over. "It's something that we are trying to figure out," says community boss David Dague.
Should I bother with the Destiny companion app?
Yes. It's free, for one thing, and it allows you to customise a character's inventory, track currently available quests and activities, and brood over Crucible and story stats. Any changes you make to a character will be displayed on a fully 3D, fully rotatable model - just the thing for dazzling fellow commuters on the London underground. The app is available for iOS and Android phones.
Any advice on how to play the Destiny beta?
I don't have any to share myself, but I know somebody who does. Aoife's penned a set of Destiny Xbox beta tips based on hands-on time at E3 in June. The most important one is probably "play as a team".
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