Imagine if you will, a City in ruins from an viral outbreak of smallpox. The City collapses with-in days while people struggle to survive the now ruined streets of New York City. Imagine the potential of factions that want to take control over the city for their own reasons. Now imagine being an agent activated within the city to take it back. Sounds like the start of a great idea right? Well, yeah it is but how deep does it go?
That's just it, you are a Division agent, activated as a second wave of agents who must go in and finish the first waves job. You think the game will build up from there, but it really doesn't. But is that a bad thing?
I found my time (8 days 12 hours) in the division to be a feeling of mixed emotions as I ran through the entire game collecting every phone/file/guide/Eco trying to care about whats going on in the city and trying to find some substance to keep me going. There simply isn't any there. The only substance the game has is numbers, that's right if you like games like Diablo where stats are priority you will most likely love The Division. On one hand I love the idea of trying to be the best I could be and grinding forward to continue to progress and grow more powerful, but on the other hand I had no interest in the world, I don't even remember any specific characters names, all I care about is getting my character more beefy to hunt down those high-end items in the DZ6 area. On the other hand, that feeling starts to irritate you when you play for 6 hours straight and get zero progression, not a single high-end anything and not a single stat number increased. This is where the game will test you patience, and this is where patience may wear thin.
The Division is like a fine wine, at first you play the very mundane, very anticlimactic and dull story, and it taste kind of meh. After you hit Level 30 however the game starts to taste a bit less bitter. This is where Daily and Challenge mode unlocks, and when you really should start grinding in the dark zone. This is where the game starts to turn into a fun, challenging, third person RPG.
At this point in the game you start to realize that this is all the Division really is, a grind for stats. Its not just about getting high-end drops, its about collecting Phoenix Credits, and buying blue prints, and crafting the best possible gear you can with materials. It's about being the best you can be offensively and defensively. Then you go into the Dark Zone and challenge mode, and everything seems easier, and eventually everything goes back to feeling dull, and the wine stays out for too long and it just starts to taste bitter again, and the cycle continues. Thats The Division to me.
I hit a wall I didn't hit in Diablo, a wall I didn't hit in Destiny (so soon) a wall I didn't hit in DCUO. The need for power is no longer there, as I feel strong enough to basically do DZ solo (rank 56) and do challenge mode with randoms while carrying some of then through. I have a lot of the blueprints, I have all the best guns with all the best rolls. I no longer care to grind I just play with my friends now to help them grow to my level.
It's like "what went wrong" right? I mean I loved this game for a few days, I put over 8 and a half days into the game. I grinded night and day and even though I had moments of Fatigue I kept pushing to get to my current build. As I played The Division I found the fun factor of the game to decrease each and every day that I played it. The game is not engaging (unless surviving a manhunt or chasing rouges), the world is uninteresting and static, while there are some cool areas to see that's just it, you see them and move on. I started to watch movies while grinding the same exact missions or same exact spots in DarkZone. This means I've lost all interest in what the game offers and I am on auto mode just to get Materials/Credits/resources in hopes that what I am doing right now pays off later on. What went wrong to me is a few things that could change in the future and I hope for the games longevity that it does. Because I see so much potential here that I don't want to have to put it on a shelf until everything is sorted out. Simple things like adding a morality system so when you go rouge you don't just lose some keys/xp/Credits. I want a system that tells people "hey I am an asshole, I steal your loot so look out for me". I hate that signature moves are in the Darkzone against other players (keep it for pve). It makes the game too easy and honestly is a great escape plan. The beta (without sigantures) made the game far more intense in the Dark Zone. The fact that the game really only requires blueprints to get to a top tier level sucks. Why can I craft the best armor and mods and attachments rather than finding some godly rare stuff that I would like to chase? I am not wearing/using a single piece of gear I haven't crafted/adjusted myself. Just a few things to keep people going honestly, thats all you need.
TL;DR
Things I don't like about The Division.
- Boring story, with cliche outcome
- Boring "boss" fights, Enemies can be uber cheap bullet sponges
- No end game means you're only chasing stats
- Character development is crap, no dialogue at all from your character
- Fun factor is short lived.
- The game is about blueprints you'll mostly find the best type of gear/guns by rolling them yourself. Loot is more like a placeholder while you grind enough Phoenix Credits to get blueprints.
Things I like about The Division
- Diablo like looting system has potential
- Challenge mode is actually a challenge for a while
- Matchmaking is super easy and needed for this game.
- Dark Zone can provide very engaging/intense moments
- Power matters, it shows when you realize you no longer struggle against level 31 and 32 enemies.
Conclusion
For me the game was worth $60.00. I am the type of gamer who pushes past just the fun of a game, and looks towards the end game (which at this time does not exist). I grind and grind to make sure I am ready to get to the end. That being said, a game that requires upwards of 4-5 days of gameplay to be ready for level 32 encounters may not be for everyone. I know plenty of people who put the game away without even finishing it because the story was so bad to them, they couldn't see the reason to keep going. I would recommend this game to people who are really into RPGs and Grinding but not for people looking for a good story, and fun missions, cause that isn't here at all.
from paulsemel.com: In this exclusive Q&A, the author of the new technothriller based on "Tom Clancy's: The Division" discusses how it ties to the games while also bringing its own story to a close.
TIM WHITE WRITES: "Multiplayer or single player? Developers, you can do both, just not willy-nilly."
I hate when I see single player games and see people begging for multi-player. Jeez guys it don't need to be on every game. Latest one I seen was atomic heart.
Multiplayer or even co-op
If it was always a single player game then that's how it is
It's a trend that never really went away. For me multiplayer in a primarily SP focused game was an excuse for DLC. Then there's the mentality gamers had that adding multiplayer makes a game worth the price, otherwise it should be half price for half a game. A way of thinking devs reassured when they started adding multiplayer to their sequels. We see the same with multiplayer focused games getting SP in their sequels.
Tbh multilayer now is a way to add live service and mtx elements, very rarely does it come of well.
What single players game used to be in a lot of cases now require 3 other people for keeping to really enjoy it and I hate having to rely on others to get the maximum from a game.
Sp should be sp, if devs want to add a separate multi mode then that's fine with me, the legends addition to ghost of tshushima was fricking sick but totally separate to the main game. Sick of co op too.
I remember when certain single player games had them as included optional modes that was played on the couch. Had brilliant times with Syphon Filter and Golden Eye. Me and my bro used to used to fight over who would play as Gabe even though it was technically just a skin. Good times.
John Wick franchise distributor Lionsgate is interested in producing a new John Wick game, which could be great if it looks toward Ubisoft for guidance.
The Division is an uninspiring average third person game and no one other game should take notes from it imo.
the division is actually a good game for what it is/does now. they've started supporting it again and it's an overall good experience if you're into online co-op stuff.
Or how about a simple action adventure shooter with 15 to 20 hour story mode and side quests with some minor RPG elements
The last good game that came out of Ubisoft was far cry 3 in my opinion
I actually just bought the division 2 and the NY expansion for $20cnd from the latest ps sale.
I got to tell you, I'm not much for looter shooter's, some would say it's and RPG but whatever. All I'm saying is I'm very surprised at how much I've been enjoying this game.
Just goes to show that games you wouldn't look twice at , others really enjoy.
TF? No, just no. Dont even get how you can compare the two. i think some combination of Uncharted 4 (without all the climbing stuff of course) and Max Payne 3 would be great in terms of combat and level design.
I personally don't agree with your score because I agree with this sentence:
"I would recommend this game to people who are really into RPGs and Grinding"
The game itself will be really fun for most people until the end, but after that, if you're not really into RPGs with tons of grinding, you're going to get bored quickly. I had a feeling the end game was gonna be pretty shallow, which it is. So I'm not hugely disappointed. I've already put 180 hours into the game so I certainly got my moneys worth. I also purchased the Season Pass because I really enjoy the gameplay, so when new content drops I'll be more than happy to jump back in.
The biggest thing Massive needs to do, is keep the game fresh with smaller free content updates. I don't mind paying extra for content (especially considering I bought the Season Pass), but new activities and small content need to be added in between those bigger paid updates to keep players engaged and coming back. They've been doing a fantastic job of listening to the community and I think with all the feedback, the new Incursions coming in a few weeks (hopefully sooner) will add some good stuff for end game. The pipeline is there, it's just getting that content out sooner rather than later.
Very well written review. I agree completely with your assessment & believe your scores are quite accurate.