Destiny's Trials of Osiris, screens and details

We recently got the chance to visit Bungie and check out the upcoming Destiny expansion, House of Wolves. Starting today, we can tell you more about the Trials of Osiris PvP mode, and the new Crucible multiplayer maps (next week we'll be able to deliver a longer preview that includes everything you need to know about the incoming expansion).

Trials of Osiris is a new weekend event for three-strong Fireteams that will run from Friday to Sunday. There's going to be lots of gear to win for those who prosper. To get the best prizes your team must win nine games, losing no more than three, so the more wins you have when you hand in your score card, the better the gear. Players can also earn/buy Passage Coins that can negate a loss, or double the value of a win.

The action during each event takes place on one stage, which then rotates the following week, and so on. The battles are lightning fast, because once you're down, that's it. Death is permanent, at least until the next game. This naturally leads to much more cautious play, and the group must stay together and try not to get caught off guard.

Players can revive their comrades, so there is a reprieve if you bite the bullet, so to speak. If both teams are still standing at the end of a match - the running time is two minutes - then a central capture point becomes available and the first team to hold it wins. Wiping a team earns you a point, and the winners are the first to five points.

It's noticeable right away when a member of the group is down, how inferior you get become when compared to fully-staffed opposition. Despite this, during our hands-on time we had a few tough battles where a single player went on to beat three enemies alone, through a combination of mad skills, carelessness on the other team's part, and of course a huge amount of luck. However, we doubt this will be the case when there's some seriously good looking endgame gear on offer.

It promises to be a very tense game mode, and because players will be playing on the same map for this event, and games will be more cautious, expect an intimate knowledge of each arena to form. The Elimination mode certainly does feel like a natural shift for Destiny, similar to what we've seen, but still unique within the game's wider framework.

Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that once the expansion launches, Crucible matches will start paying out more, with double the number of Marks, engrams and reputation gain going to those who complete matches. The Daily Crucible Playlist will also start paying out Motes of Light, Passage Coins, and engrams.

Also included in the House of Wolves expansion are some new multiplayer maps. We got the chance to play on each of them and can now offer you some early impressions, as well as share with you some new screenshots.

Thieve's Den (Venus)
A beautiful stage that mixes colourful open areas with darker caves. The spawn points for heavy ammo are brilliantly placed, and Thieves' Den offers plenty of close-quarters combat. We found ourselves doing very well with the shotgun.

Black Shield (Mars)
Here we are treated to a lot of open areas and rather short corridors. Dash attacks seems to be the way to go and the battle is evenly spread out without any natural choke points. The only downside is the barren desert theme, which isn't all that easy on the eye.

Widows Court (Earth)
Being back on good ol' Earth is a feast for the eyes with blue skies, lots of vegetation, and old, seemingly medieval stone ruins (it's placed in the EU zone). It's not as easily navigated as the previous two stages and will probably take a few plays for it to shine.

Time Keeper (Mars, Playstation timed exclusive)
A hectic stage with a lot of places meant for ambushing the enemy. One example of this is a big hole in the floor, which turned out to be a hectic choke point. Using heavy ammo didn't give any immediate advantages because of the stage layout.