GR Pick: Nicolas Cage Explains ‘Destiny’

Destiny faced almost impossible expectations when it launched last September. It’s the first new IP from Bungie in over ten years, and leading up to its release the company pushed the title’s next-gen bona fides, promising unique multiplayer and a universe that would “take on a life of its own.” Destiny cost Activision around $500 million to develop and promote, making it the most expensive video game of all time.

That’s more hype than any one game deserves, and it’s not surprising that Destiny’s initial reviews were tainted by a subtle sense of disappointment. Still, while Destiny’s middling Metacritic scores might cost Bungie, they haven’t kept players away. The game made back its budget in the first day of sales, and – thanks in part to the release of Destiny’s first expansion, The Dark Below – is still one of the most-talked about titles of the year.

And yet, as hard as it is to believe, there are still some gamers who haven’t tried Destiny. While those people could boot up Destiny’s trial version, thanks to #mashed there’s a now better option: just let Nic Cage explain what all the fuss is about.

“Game in 60 Seconds: Destiny” is a minute-long overview of Destiny’s gameplay, as described by an animated, hyperactive version of the Oscar-winner. It starts promisingly enough, with a look at Destiny’s three classes, three races, and “way too few hairstyles.” Eleven seconds in, however, and Cage’s suddenly talking about his custom-made fourth class, “Nouveu Shaman,” and its awesome always-charged finisher, the “Nic Cage Stare.” By the time Gary Busey abandons his teammates to eat baby back ribs, the whole thing’s gone entirely off the rails.

The video’s more of an excuse to trot out a decent impression than an attempt to really educate new players, but the #mashed team manages to sneak some pointed criticisms of Destiny into the video as well. Cage makes fun of the disappointingly-easy “Vault of Glass” raid, as well as The Dark Below’s sparse content. These aren’t new complaints, of course, but they’re a lot more interesting when Nic Cage is voicing them.

Most notably, the #mashed video is the third major piece of unofficial Destiny media content to premiere in the past week, following a Penny Arcade-produced comic and the trailer for GoBroPro’s comedic take on the title. Destiny might not have dazzled critics, but it’s clearly struck a chord with fans, and Bungie’s moody sci-fi shooter looks like it’ll be populating memes and YouTube channels for years and years to come.

Source: #mashed

GR Pick: Nicolas Cage Explains ‘Destiny’