Hey Destiny fans! Have you been looking for that perfect conversation piece to display on your coffee table to bait your friends into endless discussions about your favorite game? Then you might be interested in Destiny: The Exotic Collection Volume One. Book reviews are always a bit of an issue for me, especially art-focused books of this type that are definitely more subjective than other content. Obviously, you’ll want to be a Destiny fan, perhaps even of the hardcore status, one that likes to buy peripheral merchandise to support and showoff their fandom, or maybe you have friends and/or family that know of your Destiny obsession and will get this for you as a gift – it really does make a great gift…for the right person.
I consider myself a casual Destiny fan, so this nice piece of reference material was a fun trip down memory lane, as I flipped through 180 pages of weapons art and informative text, but I came away from the experience thinking of this book as more of a trophy piece than a book you would use while playing the game. Covering all the weapons between The Red War and Season of the Lost, this first Volume features a quality design with thick hardcover, poster-like page thickness, nice text and font choices, and some colorful “artwork”. For those buying this book in hopes of some cool original art, be warned, the weapon images used in this book are simply the same 3D renders you see in the game. The only potentially original art might be the few select facing pages at the start of each chapter.
Each weapon is given similar treatment with a few paragraphs of text (maybe a whole page if you’re lucky, along with a few pics, usually a side view and something from an angle. The more exotic weapons such as the Trinity Ghoul even get their own centerfold spread. The actual lore in the text portions of the book is entertaining and informative and a great way to learn about the weapons outside of the game. The 3D renders are nice enough, but the way they are simply placed on a white page make them feel very flat and lifeless. Even a simple drop shadow would have made the images pop off the page more. All the images are of the full weapon at various angles, no details or close-up component shots.
It’s also worth noting that this book weighs around two pounds, and the extra-wide format puts a lot of stress on the spine unless you are reading this book while it’s flat on a table or on your lap. The design definitely gives this book a unique look while making it nearly impossible to put on a bookshelf, so find a place to proudly display.
If you are reading this, then you are in one of three groups of people. One group is going to buy this book out of blind devotion to the Destiny franchise and that is perfectly fine. Another group is never going to buy this, and the third group is on the fence waiting for me to tip the scales. If you are one of those undecideds, then you probably have something better to spend $30 on. The weapons assortment and customization are a huge part; perhaps the best part of Destiny, and I really wanted a book that might give me that extra edge in combat, but outside of some expanded lore, an exclusive emblem download, and some static art of weapons you can already rotate in 3D within the game, Destiny: The Exotic Collection Volume One is a tough recommendation to all but the most diehard fans of the franchise.
You can find Destiny: The Exotic Collection Volume One currently available on Amazon.
