The Destiny beta is done, dusted, and now there's a void that can only be filled with expansive Bungie FPS gunplay and the mechanical tones of Peter Dinklage. I don't know about you, but I've found myself growing listless, fidgety, unable to focus or concentrate on anything in particular without tearing off my shirt and screaming DESTINY!! in the manner of some sort of game-obsessed, caramel William Wallace (caraMEL Gibson?).
I may have a serious problem.
Beta withdrawal is most definitely a thing. How dare these developers dangle their outstanding wares in front of our faces, only to take them away for further "polishing" and "optimisation". I need my fix, man. I'm starting to see Dreg crawling around the ceiling.
Thankfully, we have the answer to anyone experiencing similar symptoms. Fret not, weary friend of the Traveller, we've got some great ideas for how to while away the days until Destiny's release in no particular order.
Relive the halcyon days of the Destiny beta by watching all of our videos
Well this one's obvious. Not only do we have a complete playthrough of the story missions from the beta, but there's the Devil's Lair Strike mission in there for good measure, and a bunch of PvP too.
Make Danger Dancing a thing
We found that one way to amuse yourself once you've hit the level cap is to go out and find the most precarious, hazardous location you can find, and dance in it. While we all wait for the opportunity to do that once more in Destiny, why not take Danger Dancing out into the real world. Dubious ledges, cliff tops, nationalist rallies -- the more dangerous, the better.
Play Borderlands
Found the Destiny beta a little too straight-laced and serious? Well, you really ought to check out Borderlands for some wonderful tongue-in-cheek humour and lashings of loot. We described Destiny as Halo-meets-Borderlands, so the latter is good for feeding that hunger for an open-world FPS. I'd posit that Borderlands 2 is the better shout, it handles better, offers more to solo adventurers while still retaining the excellent co-operative experience, and gives us a glorious villain in the form of Handsome Jack.
Let us know your thoughts on the Destiny Beta
I've already dropped a list of things that I loved and loathed about the Destiny beta, but we want to hear from you. Get stuck into the debate and let us know how you found the action.
Play any of the Bungie-made Halo games
If you simply can't be without the superlative gunplay that Bungie bring to the table, sink some hours into Master Chief's first three games. We'd also recommend checking out Reach, dealing as it does in larger areas and stunning vistas, not to mention that game's outstanding multiplayer.
Play PlanetSide 2
Got a taste for interstellar combat that needs to be sated? Well, we recommend PlanetSide 2 for that. Like Destiny, Planetside 2 is a persistent, open-world shooter with a bunch of RPG-lite elements and a smorgasbord of customisation options. Unlike Destiny, PS2's public areas are absolutely packed to the gills, with hundreds of players engaging in territorial real-time battles. It's a very different game -- not least because you're essentially playing as a front-line grunt rather than a special Guardian -- but it's pretty fantastic, there's a huge player base on PC, and it's free.
Make sure your alibi for September is air-tight
Let's be honest here -- you're probably not going into work on September 9th. Or the 10th for that matter. But have you booked leave yet? If you've used up all of your leave, do you have an excuse prepared? Is that imitation of your doctor's handwriting really as good as it can be?
Join the Dealspwn Destiny clan
You're going to want trustworthy comrades alongside you when taking on spider tanks and flying wizard types. Make sure you've joined the Dealspwn Destiny clan for fun, frolics, fraternising, and forums.
Try your hand at Extreme Sitting in real-life
We had planking a few years back, but Destiny is all about Extreme Sitting -- that is, finding the most ridiculous spots atop which to perch. Flagpoles have been a visible favourite, and many of the locations you might use for Danger Dancing can be applied to this one too, but we'd encourage you to look upwards. The higher your perch, the better.
Catch up on the best games of 2014 so far
One of the best things about this time of the year is that it allows for a little period of reflection, not to mention time to rectify missing out on cracking games earlier in the year/decade. Uncertain about what to play while you wait for Destiny to return? Well, we've handily come up with a list of the best games of 2014 thus far already for you.
