Title: Tom Clancy's The Division 2
Platform: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Cost: $59.99
Rating: Mature for drug references, intense violence and strong language
Score: 9 out of 10
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 shows that when a developer tries — like, really tries — it actually can make a sequel better than the original game. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Much as in the original, players take on the role of an elite agent in the civilian group The Division, charged with restoring order in the aftermath of a smallpox pandemic that has wiped out most human life.
Journalist Alfred Henry Lewis said in 1906 that "there are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy," which sums up the plot of the game pretty well. The world is in anarchy, and it's The Division's job to restore order.
The first game was set in New York, just after the pandemic, but the disease quickly spread. This sequel takes place in Washington, but the government isn't in control there anymore, either. The president died; the vice-president took his own life; and the sworn-in House speaker is ineffectual.
Your first action as an agent is to clear out bandits attempting to take over the White House, later you must set it up to become your base of operations.
There's a lot to do in the fight to restore the nation's capital. Sector by sector, the city must be reclaimed, pushing out gangs and criminals that have filled the power vacuum. Settlements of survivors need rescuing, and then resources.
Loot is not only plentiful but meaningful, and there's always a sense of progression, of getting stronger while leveling up or finding new gear.
The futuristic technology also makes The Division fun to play. To help in the fight, players equip themselves with two of eight skills, which range from things like a swarm of mechanical bees that can sting enemies to death and a portable mini-turret to a drone that can make strafing/bombing runs. That's in addition to skills like the ability to replay holographic representations of the past, or send out a pulse of energy that highlights nearby enemies or lootable objects.
The guns are generally pulled from the real world. Shotguns, military rifles, handguns and so forth, although it's also possible to get upgrades such as electrified bullets. Not really sure how that would work in reality, but they are pretty useful in the game.
Don't go into The Division 2 expecting a masterpiece story, though. The narrative is more an afterthought, and it certainly doesn't break any new ground. Factions exist merely to set up others as bad guys you won't mind killing.
That's not to say there's no story — in fact, The Division 2 is full of little stories, all over, often in the form of Echoes — holographic reproductions of events just before, or just after, society collapsed. Usually, they're pretty tragic.
When you're playing in an online squad, you don't really have time to stop and smell the roses anyway. Everyone is always go-go-go, rushing to the next checkpoint. Which is why I like to play through the main story line solo first, so I can take my time, look around. However, the challenging combat means players likely will need to attempt this on the early, easiest levels.
The Division 2 offers a mostly accurate depiction of D.C., with museums and other famous buildings to explore. The tour would have been more fun if taken before a plague wiped out most of the population, but I take what I can get.
Ultimately, The Division 2 is meant to be played by squads of players joining forces. Right now, squad size limit is the same as in the first Division game — four — but a future update promises to double that.
As with other games before it, The Division 2 won't let you "cheese" fights just because there's more players — the more teammates you have, the harder the fight. Rarer, elite enemies will spawn and they'll have more health, and hurt more when they attack you.
Fights will take teamwork and strategy to overcome. And once you've reached the top levels, the Dark Zone awaits — the area with the best loot but also offers the most danger, as other players can kill you and take your loot.
Graphically, The Division 2 is top of the line. It's a technical masterpiece; the art and sound are excellent, too. There's also more free content in the pipeline — the developer has promised three free major content updates this year with new skills and gameplay modes besides the eight-man squads.
If this is the kind of game that interests you, this is a game to buy, not rent. There's no way to experience all it has to offer with just a few days of playing. There are hundreds of hours worth of content already, and more on the way. It's a top quality game that's worth every penny.
Style on 03/25/2019