It’s a glorious time to be a Guardian, my friends! The Taken King is here and he is a little upset. He brought a ton of his friends, the massive Dreadnaught, and this sweet, sweet Collector’s Edition that we’re looking at today.
Yes, we all know I could sit here for hours and talk about Destiny and why it’s so great, but for today I’m focusing on this awesome limited edition that I picked up when the game released a few weeks ago (sorry, I’ve been playing it!). This was a GameStop exclusive CE that I actually went to a midnight launch for!
I know! That’s like way past my bedtime but I had to. I was hoping for sweet giveaways and getting a hold of the game as soon as possible so I could unbox and play a bit in the morning. My store is awesome and had a raffle and I wound up winning a sweet little pin! I’ve been collecting pins lately so it’s a great addition to my little collection.
I was lucky enough to get the Ghost Edition last year and did not regret it for a second. I knew with how happy I was with the purchase, and how much I enjoyed the game itself, I just had to pick up the collector’s edition of The Taken King. If you could tell from the unboxing above, there’s a good amount of stuff in this small package. So let’s check it out and take a closer look:
The main box is nicely detailed with the Destiny symbol on it. It’s well made and feels like a box you’d want to keep around to store stuff in.
Well. At least I would. It’s sitting on my shelf right now because why freaking not!
Opening up from the side, you’ll see the contents – the steelbook and Cayde-6’s copy of Treasure Island – along with a nice little quote.
Somewhere in the rubble of our former glory, lies the key to our survival. Or perhaps it lies within. No matter. It is yours by right. Claim it.
Looking at the steelbook, you’ll see the differences between it and last year’s steelbook. Much more detail, also, the Taken King’s symbol on the back.
I also noticed the designs on the back of each steelbook line up. Not perfectly, but some. I’m sure it’s totally nothing, but it’s nice to to imagine it’s on purpose.
Moving on, the book itself is sweet!
At first you would think it’s just a holder for the main piece we’re going to get to in a bit, but it’s about 18 or so pages of awesomely written notes and sketches by Cayde-6.
Spend some time with an Exo who’s been through it like we have and you’ll see all the tells. We got issues.
If you’re not familiar with Cayde-6, he’s a major component in The Taken King story line. Voiced by Nathan Fillion, Cayde is easily the most story driven, most cared about character in Destiny. Ever. Haha, seriously, everything they’ve done in the past with the vanilla game and the expansions doesn’t come close to Cayde and what he delivers. Likeable and entertaining, you could tell a lot of Fillion came through and it’s awesome.
I’ll get into that more when I review the game, but for now, let’s get back to the book. Cayde is telling a story. It gets pretty deep as far as back stories go. I mean, book spoiler………….. he dances around it, but he basically details how Exo used to be humans. Also talks about a love interest, things he’s done, it’s really great to sit and soak it all in. Especially if you’re a fan of the game and you’re wanting and craving more story…………… I don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to get so in depth with a character from Destiny before, and it’s awesome.
..But other voices wait. At your center, safe and untouched, sits the original you. Just a little box tucked at the back of a closet, filled with trinkets and odd notions kept for no obvious reason..
I could get into the book and how much it reveals of Cayde and his backstory it teases, but I’ll stop. Keeping on! Everything from the illustrations to the hidden codes you’ll be able to decipher (somehow) are great to look at.
All the scribbles and notes provided by Cayde-6 give him and edge over the rest of the characters in the game. Whatever you read here along with his role in the story will easily make him the star of the show.
Moving on, there’s the schematic for the exotic heavy fusion rifle named Sleeper Stimulant.
It’s a sweet looking schematic and having this as such a main focus in the CE reaffirms how much emphasis they’re putting on weapons this time around. And for good reason. The number and differences in weapons in the game make it a great focus, helping you stay engaged in the content.
The poster itself is awesome and hangable. It’s made of the same material from the star chart last year. On top of that, there’s a code on the back!
Of course, it needs to be deciphered. And that’s where the fun is! Unfortunately I haven’t had time to sit with it, but there’s obviously something there.
In the envelope, you’ll find a collection of Relics and Artifacts – a Tex Mechanica patch (manufacturer of The Last Word & The Chaperone), an Earth sticker which is going on my laptop, a picture or drawing of Saturn, and some of Cayde-6’s playing cards that he uses to categorize his stashes of loot. In case you haven’t found his secret room in one of his early missions, here’s a clip I took of where he explains how he uses the cards. There’s also a letter to you from Cayde-6 detailing how special you are for finding the book, the first breadcrumb in a path he wants you to follow. Reading it is pretty good primer for the story since he’s guiding you so much through it.
Lastly, the main draw of the Collector’s Edition, a replica Strange Coin.
The size wasn’t too surpassing, but the weight? It has some heft to it! It makes it feel really premium.
The details in the carvings are notable as well. Overall, it’s a sweet piece to have, especially if you spent hours trying to acquire enough to bargain for some exotics from Xûr.
It’s a great, memorable piece that was an awesome choice to lead you into year 2.
And that’s The Taken King Collector’s Edition! Lots of cool stuff for the Destiny fan. And honestly, as a fan, it all really is cool stuff. I don’t know if anyone knows this, but I’m a huge fan of the game! I know, hard to tell, right? But it’s true, I love it. And just like I didn’t regret the Ghost Edition, I don’t regret this one. Which is a huge deal because aside from Destiny, I’ve done nothing but regret Collector’s Editions for years. It’s just more fun Destiny goodies to appreciate and display on the shelf, and that’s awesome to have if you’re a fan.
