The Trials of Osiris are finally back in Destiny 2. Our author Philipp Hansen has made his way towards the Lighthouse. On his PvP journey, he has laughed, cried, and swore.
The Trials and I: I have been passing the time in the Crucible since Destiny 1. A special PvP event has always been the Trials of Osiris, simply called Trials. In these ruthless duels, there is a unique dynamic.
Here it applies: One death and you’re out. While your two teammates can revive you, the opposing team tries to prevent that at all costs. You can feel the thrill before every fight, your heart races, and after a won duel, you reward yourself with a decent dose of happiness hormones.
Even though I’m quite rusty now, I’m looking forward to the return of the Trials. Last night, on March 13th, it finally happened.
One Evening in the Trials of Osiris
Here’s how to start the journey: You can’t go into the Trials alone; it’s 3 vs. 3. So, quickly message two friends: “Trials, all night Trials?” and luckily the Guardians have time for me. But even if you don’t have friends on hand, thanks to official support, you can quickly find a team.
A short visit to Saint-14 is still on the agenda. The friendly Titan is now the “organizer” of the Trials of Osiris and equips us with loot runs and trial tickets.
Each ticket grants a different advantage and must be filled with seven victories. I can afford up to three defeats, then I need a new ticket. I choose the ticket “Pass of Grace,” because that way the first defeat doesn’t count. I’m being honest with myself: for the first rounds, I need every second chance I can get.
This is how the first match goes: Saint-14 provides the first laugh even before the start of the round. He ‘promises’ himself and bellows hoarsely “Welcome to the Trials of the 14th Saint … uh, Osiris”. The Titan with the sweet voice does his job as an announcer excellently and could outdo Lord Shaxx.
We are curious about which PvP map the competitions will take place on this weekend. The game will be played on the map “Burnout”. With this, Bungie made the only right choice:
- Burnout is THE Trials map. My veteran heart immediately beats faster. Under the name “Burning Shrine,” this map was the very first where the Trials actually took place.
- Even without nostalgia factor, the map is ideal for the PvP mode. There are narrow corridors for shotgun slides, long sightlines for snipers, and the map changes its layout during the match to keep the players on their toes.
To our surprise, we even win our first match. The first opponent gets a sniper shot to the helmet with precision. Then we charge like a coordinated storm at the helpless Guardians. It goes exactly as in the textbook.
It feels like nothing can stop us; is the Lighthouse really within reach? Euphorically, we look forward to the future and the second match.
Learning to lose: Did I give the impression that we were almost at the Lighthouse? Not at all, and unfortunately our hope takes a few abrupt blows.
Throughout the evening, I have to learn a lesson, and that is: being able to take a hit.
- Sometimes I’m overwhelmed with my measly power level of 980 by the presumably strongest Guardians this side of the Dreaming City.
- Every now and then, you encounter famous streamers who quickly show you where to get off.
- Some opponents seem to land headshots from a pirouette jump with their eyes closed.
But we remind ourselves of the first lesson of the Trials and keep our spirits up – okay, we try. In the meantime, we quickly blame the evil “cheater” or “lagger”. But here I can happily report that the connection quality is consistently very good, all evening long.
Am I having fun? Yes! Time flies by; either someone has moved the clock forward or it’s really already midnight. It’s always: “Come on, one more ticket”. The new system is very accommodating. Simply restart the passage in the quest tab without having to return to the Tower saves time. Time that you can spend in the Trials.
In the end, it’s not enough for the Lighthouse. When I finally detach myself from Destiny 2, my ticket shows five hard-fought victories. And there it is, the carrot in front of my nose, the driving force, the feeling of wanting more.
Victories simply count much more when the defeats almost crush you. You want to pick yourself up and fight back. If Bungie keeps the Trials fresh and rewarding, I will gladly return weekend after weekend. Trying to get better, and I want to adorn my Warlock with the Anubis helm someday.
This was an excerpt from my experiences. Have you also ventured into the Trials of Osiris? What have you experienced?
We also spoke with Bungie about the Trials. Read what we learned in the interview.
Fortunately, the new security is working. Destiny 2 is making the servers safer for the Trials – fighting against cheaters.
