Tom Clancy’s The Division (2016) – [REVIEW]

Written by Jon King

Publisher: Ubisoft | Developers: Ubisoft Massive | Consoles: Xbox One, PS4, PC | Release Date: March 8th (Available Now!)

Tom Clancy’s franchises were among the most popular shooters around for the last couple of generations. Several Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and Splinter Cell were the tactical go-tos for shooting fans. Even with the dawning of the Xbox One/PS4 era, the famed franchise has been at a slow start and December’s quoted “anticipated” multiplayer-only Rainbow Six Siege didn’t live up to the expectations. The Division, on the other hand, has boasted a tremendous single-player campaign while also taking up the rings of multiplayer to make for some great gameplay strategy.

Synopsis:
After a man-made virus has crippled society, it’s up to you and an elite squadron of special ops agents to identify, contain and eliminate those responsible. Using an array of futuristic gadgets, weaponry and on-the-fly tactical maneuvers, you infiltrate and take down the enemy, giving civilization a fighting chance to forge ahead.

What can be respected mostly about The Division is its ability to embrace the way you want to play, whether that is alone or with other people. The excellent customization and progression systems in the game, is how an entertaining game is supposed to be. Especially the game’s open-world and campaign. Not only is your mission to take back or conquer New York City alone, but the tons of challenges accompanied with it broaden up the horizon for any player to appreciate.

Neer thought I’d be able to say this, but The Dark Zone, which will allow people to spend dozens of hours journeying through with friends, has the fun any group of friends wanting to play hours-upon-hours.

One surprise that I didn’t think would have made the cut is the chance for players to play through Brooklyn at the beginning. Even if it’s for a brief appearance. Who knows if the plan was to have Brooklyn in the game, but it does make up for what seemed like a huge disappointment as it was reported to not make an appearance.

The RPG elements let you upgrade skills and special abilities along the way, opening up some unexpecting usage in gameplay possibilities. It seems like the RPG-like system is being used more and more as the evolution of gaming presses forward (i.e. Destiny, Diablo, Dark Souls, Rainbow Six, Resident Evil). Developers have promised to cater to players demands to keep the game balanced and vital, as the MMORPG-like stream will regularly update. The first update comes in April which introduces Incursion, a multiplayer mode that pits squads against each other as they seek and block the opponent from tracking down superpowered assets and weaponry.

Despite the cynics who might try to marginalize what this game truly is, it’s something you must experience, whether that is with friends or on your own. The Division shows you can have both an incredible online multiplayer experience while staying true to the roots of an immersive campaign. The Division is a magnificent revelation and one that was well worth the wait.

Rating: 

‘Tom Clancy’s: The Division” is available now!