The Original Story Idea For Destiny Deemed “Too Linear And Campy”

While Destiny may be a major hit, the process of making it that was not easy, as a detailed report via Kotaku reveals, a majority of the games original story was scrapped by Bungie, fearing it was “too linear”.

Apparently, according to the report, “Bungie ditched everything” that had been written by former cinematic director Joe Staten and his team. That meant everything needed to be reworked, as Bungie “scrapped plot threads, overhauled characters, and rewrote most of the dialogue” for the game.

The game’s original story, and plot, was condensed into a “super cut,” which was then shown to Bungie leadership once completed. In this version, the plot focused on the Alien Hive kidnapping Rasputin and taking him to their Dreadnaught spaceship. This plot and its setting was moved to The Taken King, which is out now, over a year after the original game was released.

“Originally, this Hive ship would have been part of the main story,” the report states, saying the last third of the game took place entirely on the Dreadnaught. A vast departure from where Destiny ends now.

The studio leaders at Bungie believed and felt the story was “too campy and linear,” and scrapped it, starting again from scratch. This required numerous assets being retooled to fit the new story, as well as shifting several part of the game around.