In Destiny the first new exotic weapon of the “Taken King” expansion has been introduced: The Sleeper Simulant will be a heavy fusion rifle.
This is the idea behind the new heavy fusion rifle in Destiny
As the first new exotic weapon, Destiny presents the Sleeper Simulant to the US magazine Game Informer and thus to the public. This is the gun, which fans have already seen in a picture of the Collector’s Edition: But it is not a sniper rifle, as one would think, but a heavy fusion rifle.
“Heavy fusion rifle” – what does that mean? It is a fusion rifle (actually a special weapon) in an XXL version, which is used in the slot for heavy weapons. In the article, the weapon is described as a portable rail gun. It has a lot of punch, as it is supposed to compete with rocket launchers and machine guns in Destiny.
Using the Sleeper Simulant, Bungie explains how to design exotic weapons. One wonders: Which of the rules that usually apply should this weapon break?
The Sleeper Simulant is supposed to feel heavy and powerful. The heavy fusion rifle will fire laser beams that bounce off walls and take out multiple enemies.
How to get the Sleeper Simulant
To obtain the weapon in the game, Guardians must find relics of the Golden Age and bring them to the gunsmith. These relics remind him of a long-lost exotic weapon: the Sleeper Simulant. The Guardians begin their journey to assemble the weapon. Bungie has not revealed the individual parts of this questline yet, as it should remain exciting.
In terms of aesthetics, Bungie wanted to represent incredibly advanced technology that is still in its early stages, a first prototype of the future, so to speak. For this, they drew inspiration from earthly examples of such technology: the Mars Rover or the first stealth fighters. These are examples of incredibly impressive technology that is simple, almost primitively designed – without frills and polish.
The Sleeper Simulant in Destiny is designed to fire a shot and then observe how the beam flies through enemies, ricocheting and causing chaos. When the weapon was first tested in the game, it was noticed that players wanted to use it like a “normal” weapon: aiming at enemies and hitting them. It felt heavy and slow. Players quickly backed away from it. Therefore, some fine-tuning needed to be done: especially with the sights. But such a process is something every weapon goes through.
This Youtube video contains 40 seconds of footage of the Sleeper Simulant. The gameplay is from Game Informer, who tried a test run with a yet-to-be-upgraded version of the Sleeper Simulant:
The features of the Sleeper Simulant with Taken King in Destiny
The Sleeper Simulant will also evolve over time and become stronger in the hands of the Guardians. With one perk, the weapon starts off with four more being unlockable over time.
1. Like every Exotic with Taken King, the Sleeper Simulant starts with a property that is immediately available: This is the penetration and ricochet effect of the projectiles. These can also deal precision hits.
2. The barrel can be upgraded in one of three ways:
- With CQB Ballistics – stability bonus
- Linear Compensator – range and impact bonus, straighter recoil, reduced stability
- Accurized Ballistics – range and impact bonus, better target acquisition, reduced stability
3. Auxiliary perk: “Just a Scratch” – Reduces target distraction from incoming shots while the Guardian aims with the Sleeper Simulant. It is designed to help the Guardian “stay on target” during the long charge time.
4. Stats upgrades:
- Speed Reload – faster reload time
- Perfect Balance – increases stability
- Single Point Sling – brings the weapon to readiness faster, increases handling speed while aiming
5. Exotic perk: Increases the number of ricochets to 5
Do you want to know more about “Taken King”; the new expansion for Destiny? That’s good, we just had an article with more details yesterday: Vault will be relieved, much more quests and improvements
