REVIEW UPDATE: Since the time of writing, The Division's servers have been incredibly unreliable, even showing extreme lag in single player. Basically, if we still did scores out of ten, I as a reviewer would take several points off of the score for the current state of the game.
I knew I was going to review Tom Clancy’s The Division from the moment I watched the announcement at E3 three years ago.
Watching those Division agents fight through the streets of New York was absolutely enthralling, and seeing the level of detail that the devs at Ubisoft Massive put into every aspect of the reveal was amazing.
Incredibly, despite three years of anticipation and Ubisoft’s consistent failures to live up to their E3 promises, The Division is a flawed gem that exceeded my expectations.
Manhattan is dying
The very first steps you take into Manhattan are over body bags on Chelsea’s Pier.
Stepping over body bags and staring at the Manhattan skyline through a veil of snow set a very distinct and powerful tone in the first real moments of The Division. When this tone is maintained, which it unfortunately isn’t in much of the side content, The Division is one of the most immersive and interesting games I’ve played in a long time.
Exploring an absurdly accurate Manhattan and learning what happened to the populace in the time immediately before and after the cataclysmic “Dollar Flu” hit is powerful.
Even the collectibles help flesh out this beautiful and bleak world. One phone message was that of a woman scared she’d never see her mother again tearfully calling her to reveal that she’s gay. Another is the 911 call of a desperate shop owner as Rioters break through his store windows, the call cutting off just as the shopkeeper yells to the Rioters “I have a gun!”
Over the course of 30 hours there are dozens - if not hundreds - of these little world-building moments that made this world, and my actions in it, seem real and important. Even the environment itself does a wonderful job of telling the world’s story. Every single environment is absolutely littered with physics objects, from bottles to shopping carts, that make the world genuinely seem like it’s alive, that people were here.
Unfortunately, this tone isn’t consistent. In every borough (as far south as Chelsea and as far north as the southern Upper East Side), there are quest givers working for the Joint Task Force (JTF) protecting New York. This isn’t inherently bad, but most of these characters are unfortunate caricatures from an actor who compares all of your missions to scenes to a motherly character who won’t stop mentioning that her kids never call.
It’s almost heartbreaking that Ubisoft Massive felt the need to include these comic-relief characters that undermine the rest of the game’s strong tone. They just feel out of place, and actively detract from the beautiful world that Massive has created.
Taking it back, block by block
The gameplay of The Division primarily consists of third-person shooting your way through the streets, rooftops, and underground of Manhattan. The shooting and cover systems themselves work wonderfully, and it’s easy to use all the tools at your disposal to create action-movie moments. The one complaint I have about the gameplay at a mechanical level is that most enemies feel like they take just a moment too long to put down. While it makes sense that the enemies are a bit bullet-spongey, it may have been taken just a bit too far.
The RPG elements of the game are implemented in a very clever way, allowing for each player to choose the order they unlock abilities, perks, and talents in. As the player restores functionality to different aspects of the base, from installing a canine unit to fixing the central heating, they gain access to new tech and abilities, like a first-aid gun or a bomb that seeks out enemies.
Additionally, none of your decisions regarding what abilities, talents, mods, or weapons to use are permanent, so you can completely change your build on the fly to fit whatever situation you find yourself in. For example, when I play solo, I use a healing station, and autoturret, and an ability that fully refills my health and increases health recharge. When I play with a group, I switch out to a fully defensive and healing build.
Both of these things together lead to a very personalized experience with the progression through the game.
Also appreciated is the ability to change what your agent is wearing from their shoes to their scarf to their coat. Despite the fact that it has no bearing on gameplay, all of this detail makes it infinitely easier to carve out your place in The Division’s burnt out world.
Watch your back
The Dark Zone is The Division’s unique take on PvP gameplay.
The Dark Zone itself is a contaminated strip of central Manhattan that the JTF has all but abandoned, and the Division can’t monitor. This lack of oversight has led to Division agents being able to turn on each other in order to take gear from one another.
The gameplay of Dark Zone consists primarily of fighting the stronger enemies that populate the Dark Zone, picking up loot, and trying desperately to get it lifted out of the Dark Zone before the NPCs or a rogue agent put you down.
The balance between begrudging cooperation with other agents and the risk and reward of going rogue in the Dark Zone is almost perfect. Everyone is terrified that someone else is going to betray them. Carrying a little yellow pouch on your backpack feels a whole lot like wearing a bullseye.
While it may seem like there would be an abundance of rogue agents killing on sight, most players just want to get in and get out, leading to hasty alliances in the Dark Zone.
The level of detail that Massive put into The Division extends into the Dark Zone, and is evidenced by cool features like being able to hear the mics of nearby agents, leading to interesting momentary exchanges like asking for directions or desperately convincing another group that you aren’t going to shoot them in the back.
The “D” word
This section was unavoidable. There are only two mainstream games right now making games in this model, so it needs to be addressed. The Division is undeniably similar to Destiny. Both games, especially in the endgame, almost require other players to have a good time. Luckily, in The Division¸ every mission has the option of random matchmaking, so joining a clan isn’t absolutely necessary.
Both games are absolutely about the loot grind, even featuring the same color-coding for rarity. The biggest differences between the two comes in the forms of top-tier equipment. In The Division, high-end equipment isn’t as game-changing as exotics in Destiny. However, this is balanced by the ability to equip a piece of high-end equipment in every slot, unlike the one weapon and one piece of armor is Destiny.
On a technical level, The Division pales in comparison. Where Destiny was functionally very solid, The Division has a myriad of glitches. These range from enemies turning invisible after lag spikes to getting stuck in piles of trash, but none of them are game breaking.
The comparison comes down to this; The Division is a much more complete game at launch than Destiny was. The story of the main game is a complete chronicle, even while it points at what is coming in the expansions, and the overall experience is much more solid than Destiny was at launch.
TL;DR
I’ll be honest, The Division is a weird game to review.
Whether it’s enjoyable really comes down to what you as a person who plays games finds rewarding.
You’ll like it best if you can find the fun in playing and replaying the missions for the best loot, dealing with the stress of the Dark Zone, and walking your way around Manhattan.
Ultimately, The Division is absolutely incredible to the right kind of player. On the flipside, it could be boring and frustrating and repetitive to the wrong kind of player.
I know that I’m going to spend hours upon hours in The Division, so, if you’re the right kind of player, I’ll see you in the Dark Zone.
+A beautifully immersive world
+Excellent progression system
+Technically solid mechanics
+Dark Zone is one of the best multiplayer concepts ever
+Endgame content is rewarding
-Tone is inconsistent
-Incredibly buggy at launch
-Enemies are just a touch too bullet-spongey
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