After playing two matches of

I didn't get a chance to play as a Hunter, but was the victim of the Nightstalker subclass' Void bow super, which was particularly frustrating, although not very harmful in the wrong hands. You don't have much time to aim--as soon as you use it, your Hunter pulls back and shoots the arrow. If it connects with an enemy, it's an instantaneous kill. Otherwise, it creates an area-of-effect field that slows and blinds enemies within it. It'll be great for Destiny's strikes and raids, but it didn't work that well in the hectic environment of Mayhem.

This match took place on the Venetian map, Crossroads, another great addition to Destiny. As soon as I spawned into the game, I was reminded of Halo games of yore, because man-cannons and teleporters are finally in Destiny. Flinging yourself across a chasm never felt so good, and these catapults will put you directly into the main chokepoints. Long sight lines also add room for sniper gameplay, something lacking in most of Destiny's maps.

As my final Mayhem game came to a close, I thought about the new additions to the core Destiny formula. The upcoming subclasses provide some much needed variety to the gameplay loop. I felt more powerful and had more fun than ever with the new super moves.

Bungie seems to be working hard to revitalize Destiny, so I’m optimistic about The Taken King. Keep an eye on GameSpot in the coming months for more about the expansion.