Divide & ConquerÂ
The Division is a strategic military 3rd person shooter. It’s set in a post viral disaster New York. You play as part of an elite emergency response team known as “The Division”. You show up in New York to witness the devastation first hand, and upon arrival get right into the action.
As you start to learn about what happened, you meet other Division members. You obtain a base, a team, and new gear as you play. As you rebuild your base through a series of missions, you have the opportunity to unlock upgrades. Your gear is upgraded as you find loot. Your weapons can be modded, and you also gain experience points. As you level up you can spend skill points. These skill points allow you to specialize as a tank, a tech, or a medic. It is a bit more complex than that, but that’s the jist.
Shoot, Reload, Repeat.
The game plays well. It has a story, repeatable missions, and a PvP zone. The game feels like a mix between Rainbow Six and Borderlands. There is no jumping in the game. You can use CTRL to climb or leap small objects, and you can use SPCBAR to get cover. Double tapping the cover key will allow you to dive forward. You can blind fire your gun, hip it, or use various scopes. You can throw grenades, use medical kits, and play with an assortment of other items.
The city is vast. There are many areas to poke around in. The enemies are unique, and the AI is pretty good. The weapons feel great. There are a good variety of pistols, snipers, shotguns, and rifles to choose from. You can craft and upgrade them too.
Come at me bro!
The PvP area known as the Dark Zone covers the middle of New York city. When your not out playing solo and co-op missions, you can battle your friends and enemies in an all out free for all. While in the Dark Zone you earn special levels and currency. You can purchase “end game” gear, and take on harder than average enemies. Dying in the Dark Zone though also comes with unique consequences.
Overall, I’m finding The Division to be a fun distraction. It’s fast paced, and offers short sit down sessions. I find that the game is best played with friends, but there are enough folks playing if you need to make some. If you like military shooters you may like this one. I recommend watching some footage before purchasing though, just to be sure.
Release Date: March 8th, 2016
Rated:
M
Platforms:Â
PS4, XboxOne, PC
Price:
$59.99 (Target)
HFR Rating:
