A popular online multiplayer game, “The Division,” just got a sequel — but with the franchise’s mixed success record, the new game has a lot of ground to cover.
“The Division” came out in 2016, becoming one of the first major online multiplayer games in the “looter shooter” genre. It launched to a mixed response from fans and critics alike, but it still managed to find a steady player base through 2018. Does “The Division 2” a solidly good game, or will it fall short in the same ways as its predecessor?
The game takes place in a dark, post-apocalyptic world. Around seven months after a deadly disease wiped out a large portion of the United states population, members of an elite task force known as “The Division” are the surviving population’s only defense against evil. When the system that controls the technology and communications of the Division shuts down, a distress signal is sent from Washington D.C., which is received by a lone Division agent — the player. After arriving in D.C., this agent must fight against groups of bandits and former government agents in order to take the capitol back and restore order.
One of the worst things about “The Division 2” is, without a doubt, its story. With generic and cliché characters, it really feels like an opportunity has been missed — a world brought to the brink of destruction by a disease sounds like a cool premise. The story segments are easily skippable, however, and they don’t put much of a damper on the game.
The gameplay is where “The Division 2” really shines. The game features seven different types of weapons, which allow you to customize your loadout to whatever best fits your preferred play style. Players can choose to slowly take enemies down from far away with a sniper rifle, get up close and personal with a shotgun, or lob hundreds of shots at their foes with LMGs.
While “The Division 2” can be played solo, multiplayer is where the game really shines. Taking on enemy bases with friends is an absolute blast. The game allows players to have two skills ranging from turrets that automatically track enemies to chem launchers which can be used to heal allies. Having a full squad of people taking on different roles with these skills adds a whole new level of strategy to the game.
Sadly, the game isn’t without its faults. In the Xbox One version of the game, I ran into constant graphical bugs and errors. Textures usually loaded 10 or so seconds after I would arrive in an area, making many signs and walls blurry messes. The character models during cutscenes are also some of the worst-looking things I have seen in a video game in a while. With many praising the game’s graphics, I have to wonder whether the game is just too much for an average Xbox One to handle.
I also ran into my fair share of glitches while playing the game. I often had to restart my game when the game’s mechanics failed. My game’s frame rate would also drop every now and then, which is especially noticeable in a game that moves as fast as “The Division 2.”
If it wasn’t for the graphical and gameplay glitches, “The Division 2” would be the perfect game to play online with friends. However, these glitches really dampened my time with the game. If you are looking for something to play on a PS4 Pro, Xbox One X or PC and don’t care about story, I’d recommend picking this one up. If all you have is a base Xbox One, PS4 or Xbox One S, you might want to wait on a price drop.
7/10
Review copy provided by Ubisoft. Game Reviewed on an Xbox One S.
