Looter shooters have made a huge resurgence over the past several years, with big titles like The Division and Destiny helping to usher in a new generation for players who enjoy these games. Set seven months after the original game, The Division 2 thrusts players into the dangerous world of Washington D.C., challenging them to rebuild the capital of America as they fight back against the tyrants that have taken over. All around, the story itself is easy to follow, but what The Division 2 lacks in good storytelling it more than makes up for in content.
In the world of Tom Clancy's The Division 2, the USA has been ravaged by a virus and society has crumbled. While those who remain try to survive by banding together in groups of various dispositions, the Strategic Homeland Division activates highly specialized sleeper agents to try and restore order. It's a setting ripe in potential, perhaps to tell a ripping techno-thriller story that scrutinizes the structures of our modern society and government, or perhaps to make a video game that leverages the chaos that occurs when multiple idealistic groups clash in a vie for power in a lawless city. The Division 2 only does one of these things.
Walking around this vast city takes some time but being able to check out some of the iconic landmarks like the Washington Monument, The White House or the Smithsonian when you have never been before, is better than looking at them in screenshots or google maps. Ubisoft has put in a lot of effort to make them as true to life as possible makes these sites an awe to view. Just don’t get too complacent make sure the area is clear use cover to protect yourself, defeat enemies then have your time taking in the sites and sounds.
The storytelling was improved in the second game, by a long margin, and it no longer feels like something you need to do to get to the good part. I’m playing the story for story's sake, and I love it. It could be said that single player part of The Division 2 could have been offline, and no one would have been the wiser. The main map of the game is parsed like many other Ubisoft games, with settlements which give missions and NPCs that need things done. Hardly anything requires an online connection, but I suspect that it’s necessary when the game generates loot when crafting or opening a container.
The Division 2 has the potential to say a lot about the current American landscape, but its silence on taking a stand on any side is absolutely deafening, save for some jingoism here and there. It’s a good thing then that its gameplay doesn’t just fill that silence, it makes it an afterthought as this sequel from Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment checks every box on what a follow-up should be and then some.
The Division 2 features nothing less than societal collapse and full-on civil war in America and yet despite making references to Trumpian catchphrases and policies, such as the would-be Mexican wall, and featuring in-game locations that range from the United States Senate chamber to a Vietnam War museum the game uses it all merely as surface decoration, terrified that it might say something that would put anyone off from buying it.
In the world of Tom Clancy's The Division 2, the USA has been ravaged by a virus and society has crumbled. While those who remain try to survive by banding together in groups of various dispositions, the Strategic Homeland Division activates highly specialized sleeper agents to try and restore order. It's a setting ripe in potential, perhaps to tell a ripping techno-thriller story that scrutinizes the structures of our modern society and government, or perhaps to make a video game that leverages the chaos that occurs when multiple idealistic groups clash in a vie for power in a lawless city. The Division 2 only does one of these things.
Walking around this vast city takes some time but being able to check out some of the iconic landmarks like the Washington Monument, The White House or the Smithsonian when you have never been before, is better than looking at them in screenshots or google maps. Ubisoft has put in a lot of effort to make them as true to life as possible makes these sites an awe to view. Just don’t get too complacent make sure the area is clear use cover to protect yourself, defeat enemies then have your time taking in the sites and sounds.
The storytelling was improved in the second game, by a long margin, and it no longer feels like something you need to do to get to the good part. I’m playing the story for story's sake, and I love it. It could be said that single player part of The Division 2 could have been offline, and no one would have been the wiser. The main map of the game is parsed like many other Ubisoft games, with settlements which give missions and NPCs that need things done. Hardly anything requires an online connection, but I suspect that it’s necessary when the game generates loot when crafting or opening a container.
The Division 2 has the potential to say a lot about the current American landscape, but its silence on taking a stand on any side is absolutely deafening, save for some jingoism here and there. It’s a good thing then that its gameplay doesn’t just fill that silence, it makes it an afterthought as this sequel from Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment checks every box on what a follow-up should be and then some.
The Division 2 features nothing less than societal collapse and full-on civil war in America and yet despite making references to Trumpian catchphrases and policies, such as the would-be Mexican wall, and featuring in-game locations that range from the United States Senate chamber to a Vietnam War museum the game uses it all merely as surface decoration, terrified that it might say something that would put anyone off from buying it.
