thatdemoguy
Tom Clancy's The Divison
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A REVIEW!!!! Given the nature of this game, it would not be possible to write a comprehensive review with pre-release code. Besides, I don’t write reviews. I’m just a gamer, like you, giving my thoughts on a highly anticipated game. This was written using a retail copy of the game that I PERSONALLY PURCHASED on PlayStation 4, thus all my thoughts are based upon my experiences with the game on that hardware. As of this writing I have clocked a total of 40+ hours into this game, and that’s between still working, being dad, and also not being able to log onto the server for the first 48 hours post release. Also by my making it known I purchased this game with my own money, I hopefully make it very clear that I’m giving my own objective yet slightly subjective opinion, free from any assumed bias due to the idea that getting a free game means I have to write good things about it. This is not true. I did apply for a copy of the review code on XBOXOne, but apparently my little website isn’t cool enough to get a game. I like physical copies anyways. But you got me next time right Ubisoft? *wink wink*
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DIVISION?
I feel this is the most imperative matter that needs to be addressed right off the top. The reason I say this is because it needs to be clear as to exactly what type of game this is due to there being quite a bit of confusion since it came out. The Division actually falls into a very neat hybrid of genres. It is a *takes deep breath* massively multiplayer online-third person cover based shooting-role playing game, or MMO-TPCBS-RPG. That may seem like a whole lot of unnecessary words and then acronyms, but let me break that down for you by saying that it’s a very slick loot based role playing game in the vein of Diablo that is then mixed up with third person shooters like Gears of War or Uncharted where running and gunning can happen, but its more beneficial to move from cover to cover to engage enemies in the most effective way, which is then topped off with role playing elements reminiscent of Final Fantasy, where constant character stat tracking and strong builds that correspond to your level in relation to the area you are playing in are of the utmost importance.
Now with all of those ingredients in one pot you would think that there would be no way this could work, but it does. And I feel this is because no one part of the whole really makes itself more important than the other. Yes you have to get out there and do a bit of grinding to collect the various loot in the world. But the way that you collect said loot is that you go out and engage the enemies in cover based firefights that are tense and often produce real bursts of adrenaline as enemies flank you and you are constantly swapping between weapons while jumping from cover to cover. But you are able to collect better loot and engage enemies in tougher firefights by being very astute of how you are currently building your character and what your stats are vs the stats of the area you are exploring. So the game taps into your natural desire to want to be stronger to explore more of the world by rewarding you with better items that you then build your own custom "type" to go out and do it all over again. It’s repetitive, but it’s never tedious because it’s all framed within a narrative that is engaging and gripping, albeit a tad cliché. The basic gist of the story is that on Black Friday (yes the day after Thanksgiving), a mutated strain of smallpox was introduced into the public by way of being put on dollar bills, creating a pandemic that was impossible to control. You, as in your character you create, are a member of a secret organization within the government called The Division that has been called in to assist in taking back the city after all semblance of order has been lost and neither the law or the military were able to stop the madness.
YOU KNOW WHAT THOUGH....
Even with the few issues I have with this game, I simply can’t stop playing it. I have to say that even though it is a new IP, and a departure from the standard Ubisoft formula of stealthy, stabby, shooty, they have absolutely knocked this one completely out of the park. I see myself continuing to play this title well after I have completed all the endgame content, that is given they continue to support the game past the known expansions with increased level caps (current max is 30), new zones to explore, new enemy types, and even better loot to find.
I most definitely will continue to help take back the city....will I see you answer the call?
Are you currently playing The Division? Are you interested in playing it? Did I help you make a choice either to or for? Feel free to drop a comment here or hit me up on twitter at thatdemoguy.
And if you’re playing, let me know what system you are on and what your tag is so that we can possibly play together. Or you can look me up on:
PSN at thatdemoguy
XBL at l thatdemoguy l
IS IT GOOD THOUGH?
I won’t lie, I was actually very skeptical of this title, but have been blown away by it. Yes, I am giving my endorsement of this game. It’s been a very long time since I had an experience like this where I almost wanted to forsake my responsibilities for it. No joke, I almost called in to work and I have definitely sacrificed days where I should be trying to sleep just to play this game. I’m going to say this, this game is good....like astronomically good. I'm not telling you to go out and buy it, nor am I going to give an arbitrary numerical value denoting how "good" it is, but I enjoy nearly everything about it. The world itself feels like a living breathing entity in and of itself, where even though the narrative won't progress without you actually playing it, it FEELS like events are unfolding whether you play or not. And this is achieved because by it being online, you get to SEE the players around you. And the way the checkpoints are smartly placed, especially the main character base of operations, you get to see characters of all different levels. So a level 5 player and a level 20 can be standing right next to each other and can then choose to go out and explore the city together should they so choose. You could have a 4 player squad of a mixture of character builds and the because of the matchmaking, the game will then balance enemy types, strength, and numbers based on the players in the party. So just because a lower level player is out with their high level buddy, it doesn’t mean they are just a lamb to the slaughter. They are given a realistic chance to hold their own. Yes it might be a little more difficult, but they will also reap the benefits of the higher experience of playing with their more seasoned friend.
Something that I find absolutely genius in this game's design is that you are given true freedom in how you build you character. A basic tenet of most MMORPGs is that when you start your game you choose a specific character class, like healer or mage or witch or ninja rouge master thief or whatever. As you play you specialize in whatever that chosen class does best, thus teams are built around your character's strength with that class. Now this does happen in The Division as well, in the narrative you are given a choice of specializing in Medical, Tech, or Security types. Playing the specific missions for your chosen type will allow you level up that portion of your base faster and make your character extremely proficient in that class. But you will eventually have to complete the missions of all three, yet you aren’t inherently locked into being the class you initially chose. In fact you can become a hybrid type character. I am currently running a build focused mainly on medical (of course) but also security for its defensive capabilities and latent EXP bonus. Now I know you can also be a hybrid in other games, but where The Division shines is that while out in the world or even in the middle of a fight, you can sub out any of your unlocked class abilities on the fly to match the current situation you may be in. So you can spot enemies, lay out a smart turret (tech) before engaging them, then should you get in trouble you can lay down a reinforced shield (security), while using a healing skill (medical). Being able to have this level of freedom seems like such a small thing, but its actually quite huge when, at least early in the game life cycle, each player will be building to their own strengths and when getting matched up or choosing to play online, you can complement each other in ways that are distinctly unique.
So, yes I think this game is good.
OK, WHERE'S THE BUT?
Yeah I might be appearing to sing the praises of this title, but let me be very clear with you, it has its problems and I am going to be as honest as I can about them. First off, in typical Ubisoft fashion, the game they sold us on in all the trailers and stage demos is NOT the game we got retail. Though it looks amazing as is, it doesn’t match up graphically at all when compared to the E3 demo from a few years ago. Also there are gameplay features that are just absent from the game in its current state. Ubisoft has become pretty infamous for this practice, most notoriously for how bad Watch Dogs was in comparison to the game we were shown at first. Moving on at the beginning of this article I stated that I wasn’t able to even log into the game for the first 48 hours after release because the servers were just not working for me. So that means that my investment of the retail game + season pass was worthless for two days, leaving me behind while those around me were getting a leg up. Speaking of being worthless, yes I know this is pretty much becoming the status quo, but let it be known that this game is ONLINE ONLY. So if you don’t have internet or the servers are down, then your game is a coaster. This also means that this game is the very definition of paying for a temporary service. I’m not saying it will happen anytime soon, but eventually Ubisoft will stop supporting this game, and at that time, owning it physically or digitally is done. So get the most out of your service because you don’t own the product. Also once I was able to get into the game, my first 12 hours in I was met with multiple game breaking crashes and bugs, including the infamous "activation glitch". I can safely say that I have not run into any major issues since the weekend, so I have to commend Ubisoft for addressing this issue.
As far as gameplay and such, there are very minor gripes. While you do get to create a character, the actual creation tools are extremely limited. Thus you will run into a lot of twins while playing who are only unique because of the actual attire they are wearing. I can understand this design choice though; it gets players into the game and worried more about making better character builds instead of prettier avatars. Also, and this isn’t really an issue with me personally, but the enemies in the game tend to be very much damage sponges, meaning that the battles can become more about battles of attrition instead of the quick skirmishes or firefights they are meant to be. I have found many ways to exploit the cover and perk systems to wait out a particularly strong enemy while I allow all my skills to recharge. I’m confident that Ubisoft will be doing updates and balancing the way the game is played.