In the final mission of theDestinyexpansionThe Taken King, players find themselves on a desperate mission to take down Oryx once and for all. However, to get to theleader of the Taken, Guardians need to take down two fearsome henchmen; Baxx and Ta’aun.
This formidable pair are referred to as the Hands of Oryx, and both appear in earlier missions inThe Taken Kingbefore being corrupted by the big bad — Baxx was a Hive Ogre, while Ta’aun was a Cabal Colossus. Now,Destiny 2project lead Mark Noseworthy has revealed an unexpected source of inspiration for these two boss characters.
During the development ofDestiny, Baxx and Ta’aun were apparently referred to by designers as Bebop and Rocksteady. For anyone out there who isn’t a connoisseur of 90s cartoons, those names belong to two of Shredder’s henchmen fromTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who recently made an appearance in the most recent big-screen adaptation of the franchise,Out of the Shadows.
It’s easy to make the connection between Bebop and Rocksteady, and Baxx and Ta’aun. Both duos are subjected to a dramatic transformation by their master, and both serve as formidable opponents to the heroes as they battle their way to the ultimate villain.
Bungie took on a host of different influences during the production ofDestiny. In the past, the studio has cited series likeFar Cry,Borderlands, and even aspecific mission fromCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfareas having inspired various aspects of the experience.
Of course, over the last few yearsDestinyhas become so engrained in the gaming sphere that it’s now a huge influence on other titles — and not just FPS games, either. EA is currently putting the finishing touches onNBA Live 18, after the series skipped last year, and the gameresembles Bungie’s space shooterin more ways than players might expect.
Destinyis available now for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
