We all have our plans for the apocalypse, and in our own heads we are bad ass. However, in Tom Clancy’s: The Division, you get to live out that dream. You are part of a special task force that has been activated in light of a viral outbreak destroying most of Civilized New York. Your mission as a Division agent is to restore the order and help the innocent civilians.
I have been pretty hyped about this game since the initial announcement and can say the beta has not disappointed. While a vast majority of the game is still shut off from the beta, I was able to explore around and get a feel for the world. There are two main game modes so far, the Story and The Dark Zone. With it being open world, you are allowed to pick which mission you chose to do and when you do them. The overall goal is to build up your command center by unlocking three main areas: Medical, Tech, and Security. To unlock and upgrade these areas, you must complete missions that align with the goals of each group and obtain supplies. The command center also acts as a safe zone to meet up with other players and obtain new supplies before you head back out into the wastes.
If you get bored of saving New York, you can always head into The Dark Zone, the ground zero of infection. This is where all the best gear and weapons can be found, but be wary because you are not alone. This is the PvP section of the game as the goal is to obtain contaminated gear and extract it safely. You can work with other agents or go rogue, try to kill them, and steal the gear they have obtained. It is a unique take on multiplayer shooters since you never know who is going to turn on you or who will help you. The one thing you can be sure of is The Dark Zone is no walk in the park, everything is elevated, and the kills don’t come easy.
I enjoyed the Beta 1.0 gameplay quite a lot, but with every beta, there are aspects of the game I hope get fixed or adjusted before March. As well as a few things that were limited, I am curious to see how they play out. Most of the character customization was not available in the Beta play, and I would like to see how the RPG style skill tree can really affect the game play and which skills were more suited to what styles of play. My biggest complaint so far is the “bullet sponge” nature of the bad guys. When you are playing in group, it is slightly less infuriating, but going solo you could unload your clip twice before killing one mid level baddie. I would like to see some critical hit points brought into it and maybe increase the damage done by head shots.
The weapon modification is great fun, as it allows you to piece together a gun to match your play style. The list of guns available is quite impressive with a gun category to match every player’s style, such as a marksmen rifle, SMGs, and heavy machine guns. The only option I have not seen yet is a rocket launcher, which I am very okay with.
After playing the beta version of The Division, I am even more amped for March, as I honestly feel this game is maybe one of the best FPS games released this year. I’m so glad to see Ubisoft is still able to give us quality content over and over. Even though the beta was extended, I still felt I did not have enough time to fully understand all of the mechanics in the game. I am even more excited for March 8th, as Tom Clancy’s The Division is going to be one of the better games released this year.
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