The Division is a game that has elements from lots of popular games, but not everyone will like it. There is more than meets the eye when it comes to this “plain, old” shooter.
The popular opinion is that this game is just another “Destiny”. That it’s just another game that you have to spend about ALL of your time playing just to get decent gear. This is simply not true. I’ve played both games, and I can say that the two are very different. Since they are compared very often, let’s look at how they are different. First of all, there is the fact that Destiny is based in space, and therefore plays very differently. There are low gravity jumps, basically speeders (floating motorcycles), and energy weapons. It’s based in a Earth a few hundred years in the future. This is not anything like The Division.
Now, The Division is based in, as I see it, is based in present day. A manmade virus has spread throughout Manhattan and it is now a post-apocalyptic type world. You play as a part of the government made of citizens that are activated with one mission, to make Manhattan back to the way it was.
Within this world, there are a few different groups you fight against. There are rioters, which are just people that form gangs. There are the Cleaners, which are people that use flamethrowers to burn out the virus. In addition to these two, there are the Rikers, who are escaped convicts from the very much real Rikers Island. The last group is the LMB (Last Man Battalion). This is a highly advanced military group brought to Manhattan by the main enemy of the game, Charles Bliss.
Now that we have some background on the story, let’s get into the actual review. This is a game that will only appeal to a portion of gamers. This is a (get ready for it), open world, RPG, 3rd person shooter, with some CO-OP features thrown in there. This is one of the more fun things you can do. Within the game, you do mission that are made for specific levels. As you level up, you can do harder missions, which will lead to better gear/weapons. You can go do these missions by yourself, or with a group of three others peoples.
Speaking of playing with other people, there is a place called the Dark Zone, this is a place where PVP (Person VS Person) is the main thing there. There is also PVE (Person VS Environment), where people can fight computer generated people. This is the main place where you can get the best gear, and that is the goal of the game.
I love the gameplay. This is a cover-based game, and the features that are implemented are used rightly so. You can look at a piece of cover, hold “A” on Xbox (“X” on Playstation), and you will move towards it and automatically hide under it. The missions are face-paced, the game is filled with findable content. You can collect items and other collectibles and get awards for finding them. This is a nice feature that is greatly implemented.
Overall, the game is very fun and I have enjoyed it VERY much. I’ve spent hours on this game, I’ve had some fun times. This is a game that not many people play, but I suggest it heavily.