We are just over a week away from Destiny: The Taken King's release, and the hype train has showed no signs of slowing down. Bungie has revealed a great deal about the gameplay changes and new additions to PvP included in the DLC, but has favored a slow burn approach as to where Destiny's story might go once The Taken King launches. The interstellar FPS/RPG hybrid has faced some criticism regarding its narrative decisions since launch, and gamers who are looking for a more layered and complex approach to the Guardians' struggle against the Darkness are eagerly awaiting signs of an increased focused on Destiny's story.

After all, Bungie has stated that they believe Destiny will be around for at least a decade, and creating a world that keeps players engaged and wanting more is paramount to making that a reality. The trailers released earlier for The Taken King have gone a long way in tantalizing a more involved story, and the most recent video released today suggests that Bungie hasn't forgotten about past iconic characters in Destiny's relatively short lifespan so far.

Destiny's official YouTube channel published a new (for those who didn't catch the Court of Oryx reveal live) cinematic trailer earlier today, focusing on Mara Sov, Queen of the Awoken, and Oryx, the titular Taken King of the new expansion DLC. In it, players are treated to a view of just how dire the circumstances are beginning to look for the Guardians and the Awoken of the Reef, as they begin to come to grips with who they have trifled with by slaying Crota earlier. Beyond the usual doom and gloom that characterizes the introduction of a new overwhelming threat, the cinematic also shows Oryx displaying his power over death, with Eris Morn remarking that whatever Guardians kill, Oryx can replace.

That last statement, combined with the fact that Oryx appears to be pulling a soul out of Crota's old sword and absorbing it within himself, seems to hint strongly that Guardians who thought they had defeated the son of Oryx for good might be mistaken. Crota's raid was arguably one of the more popular and successful PvE designs within Destiny's Year One, and it makes sense that Bungie wouldn't be so quick to let go of an iconic villain.

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The new cinematic trailer's brief focus upon what might be Crota's sword has players wondering exactly how important melee weapons might be to Year Two, as well as fueling the prediction that Guardians might be able to build their own version of the infamous weapon through objectives included in The Taken King's new raid. Whatever the case may be, the trailer clearly shows Bungie's heightened awareness of the importance of story in its new franchise, and fans of both gameplay and narrative alike should be eagerly anticipating what looks to be a massive improvement on both fronts.

Were you one of the people turned off by Destiny's approach to story in Year One? Would you rather developers ignored story if it means better gameplay? Sound off in the comments.

Destiny: The Taken King releases for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 15, 2015.

Source: YouTube