Tom Clancy's The Division 2 Review

[Michael {United Critics}]

🎮Gameplay	10	The combat and progression in this game is truly unmatched.
📷Graphics	9	The game looks beautiful, but the DC in summer theme is a downgrade from the previous game.
🎧Narration/Audio	9.5	Marvelous soundtracks and sound effects.
😮Variety	8.5	Pretty much enemy wave clearance, however, there is a variety in the arsenal and enemies.
🎰Re-playability	9.5	You can even spend thousands of hours in the game.
💲Price	8	I think the price for the base game is justified, but the DLC version is a bit too expensive.

🎮 Introduction:

🔷 Every time I hear the phrase "post-apocalyptic," zombies immediately come to mind. In reallity, the likelihood of such an event happening is quite low. When talking about diseases on the other hand, it's not out of the realm of possibility (considering the recent pandemic). Imagine if an apocalypse did occur, leading to the collapse of governments and people's ways of life. What if the place you once considered home transformed into a war zone? Well, welcome to Tom Clancy’s Division 2.

🎮 Storyline:

🔶 The Division 2 picks up immediately after the events of its predecessor. Following the rapid spread of a highly contagious viral illness across the United States, the government activates dormant agents from the Strategic Homeland Division (SHD). These Division agents are charged with restoring order to the country using any means necessary. However, the epidemic devastates the nation to such an extent that by 2016, the concept of law and order is virtually non-existent. Most key figures in the US government, including acting President Andrew Ellis, are either deceased or missing.

🔶 This vacuum of power leads to the emergence of various factions that seize control over significant portions of the territory. The game primarily features four factions: the Hyenas, the Outcasts, and the True Sons, with a fourth faction introduced towards the conclusion of the main storyline. The task falls upon these Division agents to reclaim these territories from the factions' grasp and restore order to Washington DC, all while striving to develop a cure for the highly infectious Green Poison disease.

🎮 Gameplay Mechanics:

🔷 Since The Division 2 is a sequel to The Division, it's clear that they have a lot in common. In both games, you assume the role of a Division agent aiming to restore order. The Division 2 has all the elements typical of an exceptional looter and shooter game. Upon entering this war-torn environment, gunfire greets you across the entire map. Every area of the map offers numerous activities, including main missions that advance the storyline and side tasks that yield experience points and loot.

🔷 The primary objective in these missions is to fight hostile forces equipped with various skills, weaponry, and armor. Despite the core gameplay involves shooting people for the entire time, the game manages to avoid feeling repetitive due to its well-designed progression system. Throughout your journey, you will be on a look out for gear with improved mods and stats. As you progress, upgrading your gear becomes not just an option but a necessity.

🔷 Engaging enemies or exploring the world always feels rewarding due to the abundance of loot scattered throughout the map. The presence of additional vendors, crafting stations, and mod tweaking stations is just a cherry on the top. Moreover, you can even upgrade these stations as you progress, allowing them to produce higher-tier loot.

Combat:

🔶 Once again, the core aspect of this game revolves around its weapon mechanics. With a wide array of weapons and the ability to customize them, the combat in this game is undeniably outstanding, earning a solid 10/10. Tired of being shot at from a distance? Pull out a fully modded sniper with a 30k damage and obliterate your enemy. Prefer close combat? Compare the fire modes, accuracy, stability, and RPM of your weapons in a detailed menu and choose accordingly. These various factors significantly impact the performance of the guns. The shooting mechanics are incredibly smooth and precise, which really has a set a new standard that’ll probably haunt me when I play other shooters. Throughout the game, I found no faults with hitboxes, the way the guns work, or the additional tech- which is a very rare occurrence.

🔶 Being a Division agent comes with its advantages, with one of the most noticeable being the access to a variety of tech. As you progress through missions, you earn points that allow you to unlock new skills and perks. These skills go beyond the typical abilities found in many games. Each skill is versatile, offering different variants. For example, you can deploy an incendiary turret, an assault turret, or even a sniper turret. The game presents endless possibilities in terms of the skills you can utilize.

Side Activites:

🔷 The game offers a highly non-linear experience to players. Even if you generally focus on main story missions, this game encourages exploration of its various elements. The post-apocalyptic setting is vividly portrayed through public executions, enemy-controlled territories, and the city's war-torn streets. You have the choice to intervene in these executions and assist the local population by donating supplies. Even if you're not inclined towards side activities, you'll likely find yourself completing these missions frequently due to their rewarding nature. Additionally, the game facilitates faster navigation through the world by allowing you to fast travel to captured control points and unlocked safehouses.

Difficulty and variety:

🔶 Another aspect I appreciate about the Division games is the diversity among enemy types. Each enemy is categorized into tiers, which are represented by different colored health bars. While higher tiers do grant enemies more hit points, that's not the only distinction. Enemies behave differently based on the weapons they wield and their roles. It's this variety in roles that keeps gunfights engaging. You're always on your toes, never knowing when a high-tier enemy with an axe or a boss armed with a flamethrower will appear. The game effectively manages difficulty by assigning specific player levels to each mission. While you can attempt missions below your level, the challenge significantly increases as your gear and stats will be lower. As you progress, the experience points gained from side activities also increases, ensuring that your progression remains unaffected by external factors.

Multiplayer:

🔷 You know what's even better than being a Division agent? Having another agent by your side. The Division's storyline shines brightest when experienced in co-op with friends. You can play through the entire storyline and side activities together in a lobby. Besides co-op, the game also features PvP elements, which you can delve into through the Decontaminated Zones (DZs) scattered throughout the game, a feature also present in the first Division game. The mechanics of the DZs haven't changed much; they contain highly valuable contaminated loot that you must extract via helicopter before you can use it. However, these zones are multiplayer areas where other players can attack you and steal your loot. Entering these zones is a high-risk, high-reward scenario. I highly recommend playing with friends if you have the option, as the solo experience doesn't compare to the thrill of playing in a lobby!

Comparison with the first Division game:

🔶 For those who've played the first part, the burning question is whether the sequel lives up to its predecessor's standards. The answer is a resounding yes; most of the core gameplay in both games remains similar. The primary differences lie in the overall environment, combat options, and additional activities. Speaking of the environment, the snowy setting of the first game still holds its charm. While the summer atmosphere in Washington DC isn't bad, The Division's wintery backdrop stands out as the clear winner in terms of visual appeal.

🔶 On the combat front, The Division 2 offers a wider array of options for gear customization, crafting, and skills. The shooting mechanics are notably more precise, thanks to improved weapon options and hitboxes. Overall, The Division 2 emerges as the superior choice due to its fluid combat mechanics and enhanced progression system. Despite these improvements, both games feel familiar, ensuring that fans of the first game will likely enjoy its sequel just as much, if not more.

Endgame:

🔷 In contrast to the first game, where reaching level 30 marked the end, The Division 2 introduces new mechanics and a fresh progression system upon reaching that milestone. While the story elements may fade away at this point, if you're in it for the action and progression, you're in for a treat. The game revolves around combating various factions worldwide, and upon hitting Level 30, a new faction seizes control of the entire map. This means you'll need to replay all the missions to regain control of the territory. At first, I wasn't thrilled about seeing all my progress reset in mere seconds. However, replaying these missions isn't as tedious as it may seem. With new Specialization mechanics and the introduction of a new faction, revisiting these missions feels like experiencing them anew.

Warlords Expansion:

🔶 So, if you weren't fond of the game's overall theme, let me introduce you to The Division 2 Warlords of New York expansion. While the core gameplay remains unchanged, this expansion pack introduces higher player levels, new gear, and of course, a fresh storyline set in New York. Typically, I'm not one to praise expansion packs for games, but this one is an exception. The Warlords of New York expansion delivers top-tier content and grants access to exciting new locations. It's truly worth every penny you'll spend on it.

📷 Visuals:

🔷 Absolutely breathtaking. That's the best way to describe the visual experience of this game. With Ubisoft as the developer, it's no surprise that the game looks like a masterpiece. While the overall ambiance and theme of the previous game may have been better, it doesn't mean this game lacks in any aspect. The level of detail in every corner of the map makes it a visual feast. The post-apocalyptic setting is vividly portrayed through ruined buildings, abandoned vehicles, overgrown vegetation, and other dilapidated infrastructure. Combine this with realistic visuals, smooth animations, and impressive lighting, and the experience becomes unmatched. It's not just about visual quality; even the design of the map and levels demonstrates the developers' expertise. You know a game looks stunning when the cutscene quality matches the actual in-game graphics.

📝Main Pros and Cons:

Pros-

• Fluid combat mechanics.
  
• Rewarding progression system.
  
• Loads of content, grinding available.
  
• Highly detailed visuals.
  
• Co-op and PvP available.
  
• Warlords expansion pack available.
  
• New progression system unlocks even after you are done with the base storyline.

Cons-

• The summer DC setting is a downgrade from the previous Division game.
  
• The story is also a major downgrade.
  
• Warlords DLC is a bit too expensive.

😇Honest Rating:

🔶 The Division 2 lives up to the high expectations set by its predecessor. Even if you're new to the series, the games’ different locations make it accessible and enjoyable for all players. If you're looking for a game to immerse yourself in for countless hours with stunning visuals, look no further. Playing it with friends or engaging in PvP mode is also highly recommended. It's rare for a game with a hefty price tag to truly be worth that much, but The Division 2 proves to be an exception. If you come across this game on sale, don't hesitate to pull out your credit card. I strongly advise opting for a version of the game that includes the Warlords DLC, as it adds extra content and extends the story significantly.

---

Rating: 9/10

---

Reviewer: Sha
For some reason I didn’t want to find President Ellis.