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What Tom Clancy’s The Division Did Right

What Tom Clancy’s The Division Did Right

Tom Clancy’s The Division turned out to be the most successful launch of a new IP that Ubisoft has ever enjoyed. Ubisoft has big plans for this huge game, and has already mapped out a year of content, which includes 3 paid expansions. The bottom line is if you’re going to invest in this game, you’ll be spending some serious dough. You need to know it’s actually worth that money and time. After playing the hell out of the game, I’m convinced that The Division delivers. These are 5 things that I knew The Division would need to succeed, and Ubisoft delivered.

A Class-Defining Skill Tree

A Class-Defining Skill Tree

Emptying magazines of lead into living, cursing, North Face mannequins actually does get old pretty quickly, but skills and abilities provide some very necessary variety to the mix. During the betas, of course, we only had access to a few skills, and while a little investigation into the skill tree does provide evidence that we’ll get to play with some really neat abilities, you should know that by the time you reach the end-game the variety is such that very simple tweaks in gear or a single skill reassignment can change up the way you approach comat entirely. It gives you a lot to think about, and it makes the skills and augmentations that come with high level loot feel more impactful. This is one reason why working in group smakes the game so much better; finding a way to make everyone’s skill and gear builds work in harmony is a gratifying song and dance.

A Varied Aesthetic

A Varied Aesthetic

I had my doubts about this game’s visuals going in. The Snowdrop Engine can do some wonderful things, and so much of the environment is wonderfully destructible, I just didn’t know if trashy, sloshy, littered streets and the insides of buildings were going to appeal to me for after the initial honeymoon period. When you consider the typical RPG fare, you’re used to glowing forests, alien planets, lush fields, and other fantasy landscapes. Thankfully The Division’s story sucks you in right away, and you’re made acutely aware that this is a more realistic, military RPG. The aesthetic and the world around you are very much a part of the story, and they get the job done.

Upgrades That Actually Look Cool

Upgrades That Actually Look Cool

I noticed through the betas, and also from watching a lot of early gameplay footage, that most of the new loot you find will have a minimal or negligible impact on your appearance. Yeah, there are a few different styles of caps and beanies, and your jacket and backpack will change, but none of that thrilled me. While some reports state that it’s hard to tell the difference between a level 5 scrub and a level 30 war machine, I’ve actually learned to separate the elite from fresh meat. You get to know and love your loot, and there’s more variety in appearance than I thought there would be. You’ll get attached to weapons even after you’ve out-leveled them, and you’ll see pieces of gear that you’ve crafted on someone else and want to give them a high-five. The end-game becomes a treasure hunt as you ceaselessly search for the perfect pieces of gear to compliment your weapon of choice, or otherwise augment your stats so you can unlock a weapon’s ability. The loot addiction is real, and it’s great.

Variety in Enemies and Combat

Variety in Enemies and Combat

Combat can seem a little lacking when you’re playing alone. There’s no real hook for the single player, and that becomes apparent after your first few missions if you’re flying solo. One of the biggest complaints leveled against this game is that the enemies, even different classes of enemies, look vaguely similar and behave similarly in groups. While this is true, it’s only an issue when you’re playing alone, and I can’t stress that enough. Hook up with friends or hop into matchmaking, and experience combat in The Division for the first time. Groups of enemies are meant to be taken on by a squad, and you soon find that the shooting is just a very small part of a satisfying whole. While running in a pack, you look forward to stumbling across some cleaners or working together to take down a thug with a riot shield. And, of course, there’s always the Dark Zone if you’re very brave.

A Satisfying Story Before the Expansions

A Satisfying Story Before the Expansions

Ubisoft has revealed its road map for extra content in 2016. It looks like The Division will have 3 paid expansions coming this year. Now, for those of you who are definitely picking up the season pass because you just can’t wait for this game, that sounds like great news; more content can never be bad, right? A few of us were concerned after playingi the beta, though, that the meat of the story would be locked behind a paywall, and that would have sucked. Thankfully you’ll see that even within the first hour of gameplay, the retail version of The Division fills you in on some backstory that gives the player a much greater sense of purpose and urgency. There’s a mystery that revolves around the theme of finding hope in a hopeless situation that continues to unfold – albeit in a slow, MMO kind of way – throughout the entire campaign. Yes, there’s definitely much more ahead, but you won’t feel like you fell victim to any kind of bait and switch. You’ll want to see what’s next.

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