Hotly-anticipated video game Destiny soared at launch on Tuesday, setting a trajectory intended to eclipse the hit its makers had with Halo.

Destiny from Bungie studio was the most pre-ordered new video game franchise in history, according to publisher Activision.

"Destiny is the game we've always wanted to make," Bungie president Harold Ryan said in a launch release.

"We've dreamt of this universe for years, so we couldn't be more thrilled to swing open the doors and let fans shape this experience as they tell their unique stories in the game."

The game puts players in the role of guardians of the last city on Earth, with enemies to battle; special powers to wield, and planets to explore.

Console processing power and Internet capabilities have been taken advantage of to create "an unprecedented combination" of play options from spontaneous co-operative online skirmishes to immersive solo action.

"Destiny has been a labor of love and a remarkable creative journey for everyone at Activision and Bungie," said Activision chief executive Eric Hirshberg.

"We feel that we have the opportunity to launch something huge - not just into the gaming landscape, but the pop cultural landscape."

Versions of Destiny were released for play on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles as well as their predecessors the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Those behind the video game franchise envision it spanning a decade or more, with new installments released over time.

The first expansion pack, adding more missions and activities to the game, is set for release in December.

"We're really proud of the world we created with Halo, and the millions of gamers we attracted, but with Destiny we wanted the worlds to be bigger and feel more alive," Bungie studio chief operating officer Pete Parsons told AFP.

"To do that, we added in the most exciting and unpredictable ingredient we could think of: players. Destiny's worlds are connected and alive."

Armies of players joined the virtual fray during a test run of Destiny online capabilities in recent months.

The number of players topped 4.6 million, making it the largest test run ever for a new video game franchise, according to Activision.