E3 2014: Destiny PS4 beta begins July 17th

Bungie announced during E3 2014 that Destiny will enter its beta testing phase on July 17th. This only applies to PS3 and PS4 consoles, but the company says Xbox 360 and Xbox One will follow shortly. Pre-ordering the game now will give you beta access regardless of what console you’re using according to Amazon. While the beta is still more than a month away, PS4 owners will be able to play Destiny starting this Thursday. Bungie says the first look alpha testing phase will begin on June 12th and will last through the weekend. The company also announced a special white PS4 bundle that comes complete with a copy of Destiny and a month-long PlayStation Network subscription. The bundle will become available on September 9th, the same day Destiny will be released.

In addition to all these announcements, a new gameplay trailer for Destiny was also presented at E3 2014. Entitled New Beginnings, this new trailer reveals some important story details and explains your role within the game. You will play as a Guardian, and are tasked with eliminating the aliens that pose a threat to humanity. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the human race has been all but wiped out. The Guardians are the only ones who can make sure we survive this grim predicament and obviously everybody is counting on you “so you know, no pressure.” As revealed by the trailer, you “carry the light of the Traveller” and have the power to fight off the darkness.

In related news, Destiny lead designer Lars Bakken revealed earlier this month some very interesting details regarding the PS4 version of the game. “We’re taking advantage of the cool things Sony’s doing with the [PS4] platform,” Bakken said. “The Share feature’s great – I love that thing. We’re also doing some cool lightbar stuff that’s extremely subtle. If you didn’t look for it you wouldn’t see it: when your health’s low it’s pulsing red, when your super’s ready it’s flashing yellow, when you go into Hive areas it’s pale green. A lot of people aren’t going to notice it but it makes the experience richer, and when the fans notice that stuff we love it.”

Destiny will be released on September 9th and will be available for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and the PS4. You can sign-up for the upcoming beta here. Stay tuned for more news and E3 2014 coverage.