The online shooter Destiny 2 seems to be undergoing a change in tone. Taking inspiration from the acclaimed science fiction series “Firefly.” It was canceled 15 years ago with little fanfare: the ratings were too poor.
Bungie actually had no idea where to take Destiny. Players noticed this at the latest when they were told, “We don’t even have the time to explain why we don’t have time for explanations.”
The original story for Destiny was developed by Halo writer Joe Staten. However, the “higher powers” did not find his concept for the story convincing. A “reboot of Destiny” was ordered. The story was then taken, chopped up, put in a blender, rearranged, and out came the Destiny we all know. At least that’s how the story goes.
Destiny therefore had a story that somehow floated around. It was about ascension, hope, a new age of humanity, about the light. It was about downfall, an unknowable threat from the stars, about the downfall of civilization, the darkness.
With the first DLCs came the symbol for all this sorrow: Eris Morn. With a third eye on her forehead, she moaned and suffered melodramatically.
The story of Destiny was for a year the main and largest criticism in every conversation about the shooter, whose gunplay was praised by all.
With The Taken King came the turning point
With “The Taken King,” Cayde-6 then came to the forefront. Until then, he was just a side character, the Hunter leader.
However, Cayde-6 had now risen to the main character and served in Destiny as a kind of representative for the player. Cayde-6 didn’t care about Eris Morn’s gloomy talk, said “Keep your stone off my map,” reloaded his weapons, and let it rip. Fans loved it.
Later, Luke Smith, the creative director of “The Taken King,” said happily: There, we’ve found our voice.
The trailer for Destiny is full of Cayde-6, full of Firefly
The voice is now getting louder.
In the two trailers for Destiny 2, it becomes clear how central Cayde-6 will be for Destiny 2 and how much the tone will change compared to the first part.
Cayde-6 is voiced by Nathan Fillion. Fillion reprises his role as Captain Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds from the failed TV series “Firefly.”
And it’s no coincidence that during Cayde-6’s biggest appearance in the trailer for Destiny 2, Ikora Rey is now standing by his side and getting a speaking role.
Ikora Rey is voiced in Destiny 2 by actress Gina Torres. She previously played Fillion’s right hand, Zoë Washburne, in the TV series Firefly. Coincidence? No.
Bungie chose the two main characters from a failed science fiction series to lead their million-dollar project Destiny 2 15 years later. But that’s not all: they borrowed the tone and some other elements from Firefly.
What is Firefly?
Firefly was actually planned as the next “cult series” on American television. Series creator Joss Whedon made a name for himself with successful years as the head of “Buffy” and “Angel.” Many were sure that the new series would become a cult.
Firefly premiered in September 2002.
Firefly is a kind of space western. Humanity has left Earth, set out to new worlds and colonized them. But a rebellion against the state power, the Alliance, broke out. This rebellion was suppressed.
The heroes of the series are members of this failed rebellion. They are veterans who fought for a lost cause.
The universe is gritty and dirty in Firefly. The series has a lot of the feel of a western. The outer worlds of the universe are lawless, civilization is far away. People are on their own here.
There’s a rough, yet comradeship tone among the crew of the “Serenity,” where most of the action takes place. They are not real heroes, but flesh-and-blood people. The captain is a shady rogue, always looking out for himself. He is a pragmatist and braggart, stubborn and hot-headed, but with his heart in the right place. Now, who does that sound like?
Cayde-6 is, by the way, also a fan of “Firefly”:
Parallels to Destiny 2
The parallels to Destiny 2 are obvious. Here, too, the Guardians are fighting for a lost cause, have become homeless vagabonds who must set out to new worlds. The enemy is powerful, monstrous, faceless, and well-armed.
In the trailer, some parallels to Firefly can be seen. Cayde-6 and Captain Reynolds are not only voiced by the same actor. Cayde-6 also resembles the Captain strongly. Cayde-6 fires a revolver from the hip, greets his comrades with “You scum,” and is partial to alcohol. In him, the pragmatic rogue, a gunslinger, and tough guy becomes a representative of the players again.
It is clear: The Guardians in Destiny are no longer heroes, no longer figures fighting for “nebulous goals” like in Destiny 1. Instead, it’s about survival, loot, camaraderie, and the current threat posed by the Cabal.
And that threat is damn real.
What became of Firefly?
Firefly was canceled after only one season, much to the surprise of many fans – due to poor ratings. Only after its end did success come from DVD sales. Thus, the series “Firefly” received the film “Serenity” as a worthy conclusion.
Even today, many cannot believe that the “golden age of Firefly,” which was so firmly expected, never arrived. It was supposed to begin on September 20, 2002. Who would have thought it would really start on September 8, 2017?
The game director who brought Cayde-6 to the forefront of Destiny 1 two years ago is again at the helm for Destiny 2:
Destiny 2: He’s back – Get ready to throw money at the monitor
