Recently, Season 9, the Season of Dawn, started for Destiny 2. But what does the Season offer and how has it been so far? Our author Sven thinks surprisingly: the new season is worth his time so far and the 10€ has already paid off.
A new season has begun: In Destiny 2, with the Weekly Reset on December 10, a new, now 9th season has started – the Season of Dawn. This will have Guardians entertained until March 9, 2020, and brings new, fresh content throughout the season.
This is what the Season of Dawn offers
These contents are included with Season 9: Players can expect
- a new story about the Warlock Osiris and the Titan Saint-14, which is told over several quests
- the new seasonal activity Sundial
- the new seasonal artifact with special bonuses
- new seasonal rewards from the new Season Pass for Season 9
- new exotic weapon quests and exotic armors
- new ritual weapons and more fresh loot
- as well as numerous changes
More details can be found here: All about Season 9 – This is what to expect in the Season of Dawn
Why 10€? Although Season 9 offers some free updates and can also be played for free in parts, those who want to enjoy it fully need to get the corresponding Season Pass. Because numerous new contents can only be obtained this way in the Season of Dawn.
Some editions already include the Season Pass for Season 9. Otherwise, it can also be purchased individually through the in-game shop Eververse for around 10€.
Is the new Season 9 worth the time and money? In my opinion, yes, fully – at least so far. With Season 9, I’m having a lot of fun with Destiny 2 again after a rather disappointing Season 8 and expect some cool content in the future.
That’s why Season 9 is worth it despite skepticism
Why I was initially skeptical (okay, very skeptical): Destiny 2 is frequently good for a surprise – often a bad one, sometimes a positive one.
I had very high expectations for the Shadowkeep expansion and Season 8 and was quite disappointed towards the end with Season 8, even though I found the Shadowkeep expansion really well done. But that didn’t count for me as part of the season.
After the disappointing finale of the Vex Offensive, essentially the actual finale of Season 8, I had drastically lowered my expectations for the new Season 9.
When the end of Season 8 was told in text form, I entered the Season of Dawn without any expectations, and my mood was at rock bottom.
A hype simply would not arise – not even after the teaser trailer for Season 9. Sure, as a big lore fan, I was excited for Osiris and Saint-14. But I no longer expected a truly exciting and well-implemented story for the new season.
Even the showcased Sundial activity, the big highlight of Season 9, did not excite me – not even during the reveal stream, where it was played live by some Bungie employees.
But again, it has proven for me: If you think Destiny is dead, it always manages to surprise you again. So it did with me in Season 9.
This is how I see the new Season 9 so far: The most important thing first: I find the new season SO FAR really well done – very good indeed and contrary to all expectations.
Yes, the new season has already started with problems and not everything runs smoothly even now. But in many areas, you can tell that some aspects have improved in Season 9 compared to Season 8.
The new story is really well done. I did not expect a mini-campaign in Season 9 that can entertain and is well told.
This way, you learn more about the Sundial, have to build it, and then travel through time in search of Saint-14. The individual quests and the new activity work very well together and entertain in my view more than the events around the Vex in Season 8.
Also, the new Sundial activity is a lot of fun contrary to my initial assessment and has much more depth with its obelisk mechanic than I originally thought – absolutely no comparison to the disappointing Vex Offensive from Season 8.
Essentially, it is a slightly enhanced Menagerie-like activity, where you can specifically earn loot. So, if you liked the Menagerie, you should have fun with the Sundial as well.
The new weapons from the Sundial have been truly well done so far, and I find the first new weapon exotic, the Scout Rifle Symmetry, really strong and enjoy playing it. Moreover – and this particularly pleases me – so far all known exotics in Season 9 are finally completely new – the exotic weapons, but also the 3 new exotic armor pieces. To be honest, I expected further returnees from Destiny 1 and was positively surprised.
Additionally, there is currently a lot to do: new ritual weapons that need to be earned, one of my absolute favorite maps from Destiny 1 PvP, the Rustlands, is back, the new artifact needs leveling, and with the new mods in connection with the numerous changes to the Guardian classes, should be tested. I am also excited about some new rewards, such as the armor ornaments or the new weapons from the Season Pass.
All of this keeps me entertained in the first days of Season 9. In short: Already now, the new Season 9 is worth the equivalent of 10€. I have already clocked in several hours and have always had fun and felt well entertained. Also, I believe my time has been well invested. And the season still has a lot to offer.
What’s still to come in Season 9: Among other things,
- the Winter Event The Dawning
- the Valentine’s Day Event The Crimson Days
- new Sundial boss and a hard mode
- or exotic quests
For more details, you can refer to the roadmap for Season 9: New roadmap revealed: This is how Destiny 2 continues in the Season of Dawn
So yes, the seasons may not be as extensive as they were during Activision’s time. And the quality can also fluctuate, especially when comparing to the meager Season 8. But for a 10er, you can’t complain about that in my opinion.
What annoys me about Season 9: On the one hand, it’s the numerous bugs and issues that Destiny 2 started the new season with – for example, an overly powerful, buggy bow. But okay, this can happen at launch – I can overlook that.
However, what annoys me the most right now (and did so in Season 8 as well): If I want to look good, I don’t have to play the hardest activities, but I gradually receive everything from the Season Pass or can directly head to the Eververse. For me, as a fashion fanatic, that’s a regrettable development.
In the past, especially in Destiny 1, it was clearly visible how much a Guardian had to toil and sweat for their gear. Nowadays, however, the visually best stuff is almost exclusively obtained through the shop or the Season Pass. And I find that really sad.
Thus, a significant portion of motivation is removed for me when it comes to tackling certain content, which I otherwise would have definitely approached for the sake of visually appealing loot (especially with the possibilities of Armor 2.0).
Raid? Why? I already have armors with good stats, and a raid visit unfortunately does not make my Guardian any prettier – at least not prettier than one of the many Eververse sets or the ornaments from the Season Pass.
Conclusion: No question, Destiny 2 is not perfect even with Season 9. It has its flaws, and many areas will need to be improved sooner or later.
But those who love being in the world of Destiny 2 and were there during Season 8 will get a lot from Season 9 that can entertain well and is already definitely worth the 10€. At least in my view – and especially when you consider that some ornaments or armor sets in the Eververse cost more than the entire season including the Season Pass.
However, how long the Season of Dawn can entertain – that is probably the most exciting question and will still have to be seen. Those expecting the scope of Season 8 including Shadowkeep will most likely be disappointed. But you shouldn’t expect that for a tenner. After all, there is no major expansion this season that could still camouflage the content shortages.
However, those who enter the new season with healthy and realistic expectations can have fun for 10€ for a while. And more than a trip to the cinema, 2 packs of cigarettes, or 2 cocktails at the bar, the new season is already way more entertaining.
Despite my initial skepticism, I have definitely been enjoying myself so far and am curious how long the season can maintain this feeling. Currently, I’m foregoing many things for Destiny again – whether it’s my favorite series on Netflix or an evening out with the guys at the bar. In my view, a compliment for Season 9.
What have your impressions of the new Season 9 been so far? Are you satisfied with what Bungie offers for a tenner? Or were you expecting more? By the way, this is what to expect next week:
