Ana De Armas On ‘Destiny 2’ And ‘Blade Runner 2049’
This fall, there are two sci-fi sequels film fans and gamers alike can look forward to: Destiny 2 and Blade Runner 2049. The popular video game and visionary film each have their distinct take on the future of Earth, but both explore what it means to be human. Their pop culture worlds collided a bit at the Destiny 2 gameplay world premiere event when actress Ana de Armas, who has a role in the upcoming Blade Runner sequel, became one of the first people to play the game.
“This game is really spectacular,” Ana de Armas said after her hands-on experience with Destiny 2. “I’m a new player to Destiny 2. I mean, I didn’t even [play] Destiny, the first one, but I was very excited to play this.”
Relatable to many first-time players, de Armas has fond memories of playing video games in her childhood but wasn’t a “gamer” in her youth. She grew up in Cuba during the early ’90s, when video games had yet to evolve into the cinematic experiences of today.
“I didn’t get to play many video games when I was growing up,” she recalled. “I think I had Super Mario and Tetris around, and that’s it. So much has changed and grown.”
As such, playing Destiny 2 had a bit of a learning curve.
“I died a lot. Many times. I couldn’t figure out, at the beginning, the controls. The guys next to me were like, ‘Look at him. Shoot him.’ And I’m like, ‘Where? I can’t see it.’ Because I was looking at everything.”
Getting lost in the expansive environments is perhaps understandable, as Destiny 2 features some of the largest game worlds Bungie has ever created for the series. The revamped European Dead Zone is notably about double the size of the worlds seen in the original game. Players are also going to have the opportunity to visit Saturn’s moon Titan as well as Jupiter’s moon Io during their adventures.
“I was really impressed by everything. The whole look of it, and playing it, felt really real. Everything on the screen was really well done,” de Armas said, speaking to the immersive qualities of the game. “It does sometimes feel like you’re there.”
It certainly was not the first time Ana de Armas felt transported to a future Earth. When asked about her experience filming Blade Runner 2049, the film’s sets left a lasting impression.
“Being there on those amazing sets that they’ve built — they’re real. Like, functioning,” she recalled. “It felt really amazing. It was very cool for us, as actors, to get to be in that world that was really there.”
“The first Blade Runner is a cool movie. It’s a classic. Just to be part of the sequel was such an honor and a beautiful learning experience.”
The Blade Runner sequel is set 30 years after the original, but it still takes place in Los Angeles. Fans got their first glimpse of what the city looks like after the time jump when the trailer dropped earlier this month.
When asked if she could go into further detail about her character or the film, de Armas couldn’t say much more.
“About Blade Runner, I can’t tell you too much. Not yet. You have to wait. We’re going to keep the mystery alive a little longer.”
Blade Runner 2049 is coming to U.S. theaters on October 6, while Destiny 2 arrives on consoles worldwide a month prior on September 8. Will Anna de Armas be joining the Destiny 2 community as a new player when it debuts this fall? She said she’s eager to dive in.
“Absolutely. I have a couple friends that are jealous I got to play [Destiny 2] today, so I think I’m gonna go back to this and try again. I’ll get better.”
[Featured Image by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images]
