**Destiny: The Taken King** is an expansion for the first-person shooter game Destiny, developed by Bungie and published by Activision. It was released for the PlayStation 4 and other platforms. Here are the key details about the expansion:
### Overview
- **Release Date:** September 15, 2015
- **Genre:** First-person shooter, action role-playing
- **Mode:** Single-player, multiplayer, co-op
- **Developer:** Bungie
- **Publisher:** Activision
### Gameplay
- **Story:** The Taken King expansion introduces a new storyline centered around Oryx, the titular Taken King, who seeks revenge for the death of his son, Crota. Oryx commands a dark army known as the Taken, corrupted versions of existing enemy races.
- **New Subclasses:** Each Guardian class (Hunter, Titan, Warlock) receives a new subclass with unique abilities:
  - **Hunter:** Nightstalker, with void abilities.
  - **Titan:** Sunbreaker, with solar abilities.
  - **Warlock:** Stormcaller, with arc abilities.
- **New Locations:** The expansion adds new areas to explore, including the Dreadnaught, Oryx's massive fortress ship in the rings of Saturn.
- **New Strikes and Raids:** Players can engage in new cooperative multiplayer activities, including new strikes and the "King's Fall" raid.
- **Quests and Bounties:** A more structured quest system is introduced, giving players clear objectives and rewards. Bounties are also revamped for better tracking and rewards.
### Key Features
- **The Taken Enemies:** A new enemy faction, the Taken, consists of twisted and enhanced versions of existing enemies with new abilities and behaviors.
- **New Gear and Weapons:** The expansion introduces a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear, including exotic items that offer unique abilities and perks.
- **Quality of Life Improvements:** Numerous improvements are made to the game's user interface, progression systems, and overall quality of life, based on player feedback.
- **Increased Level Cap:** The level cap is raised, allowing players to progress further and unlock new abilities and gear.
### Reception
- **Critics' Reviews:** Destiny: The Taken King received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised its improved storytelling, new content, and quality of life enhancements. It was considered a significant improvement over the base game and previous expansions.
- **Player Feedback:** Players appreciated the expanded content, new subclasses, and more structured quest system. The Taken King is often regarded as a turning point for Destiny, addressing many of the criticisms of the original game.
### Additional Content
- **Legendary Edition:** Destiny: The Taken King was also released as part of the Destiny: The Taken King Legendary Edition, which includes the base game and all previous expansions (The Dark Below and House of Wolves).
### Legacy
Destiny: The Taken King set a new standard for future Destiny expansions and was instrumental in revitalizing the game's community and addressing many of the issues that players had with the original release. Its impact continued to be felt in subsequent expansions and in the sequel, Destiny 2.