ItfeelslikeTheDivision 2 has
launchedwithanextremelyhealthy
supplyofthingstodo,then,but as
withanypromiseofa deeppost-
game,a lotdependsonwhathappens
next– howplayersfeelabout the
gameaftera fewweeksofdigesting
what’shereatlaunch,howUbisoft
reactstothat,andwhetherthe
post-releasecontentwillkeep
providinggoodreasonstocontinue
playing.I’mparticularlyexcited to
seewhatTheDivision’s version of an
eight-playerraidlookslike,and I
hopetheplannedadditionsto the
campaignbringmainmissions that
areasexcitingaswhat’sinhere.
ThehybridPvP/PvEareaThe
DarkZonereturnsfromthefirst
gameinthreevarieties,alla bit
differentinstyle and
layout.TheDark Zone
stillhasthepotential to
creategreatplayer-
generated,nerve-
wrackingstories, and it
toois niceand
generouswithloot in
bothinfectedand clean
variants.I really
recommendsweepingeachmap with
a group,though.
Thisis a verycomplete-feeling
follow-uptoTheDivision, from a
teamthatclearlylearneda lot about
itsaudienceaftera seriesof
successful,high-valueupdates.
Dedicatedplayersknowthey want
thisalready.Foreveryoneelse, this is
anexciting,moreishshooterset in a
genuinelyimpressiveworldthat
alreadyofferstensofhoursof
enjoyableshooting,excitingskills,
andcoolloot.82
A packed,rewarding,
andfrequently
thrillinglootershooter
thatshouldhavea
brightfuture.VERDICTThereal
sweetenerat
level 30 is
unlockingthe
specialisationsCLASSESTheDivision 2 ’s endgamespecialisations
DEMOLITIONIST
Geta grenadelauncherthat
doesareaofeffectdamage,
andbonusestoexplosive
powerandmachineguns.SURVIVALIST
Improvesassaultrifle
damageandalsoshotgun
damage,soyouhavea nice
shortrangeoptiontoo.SHARPSHOOTER
Givesyoua specialsniper
riflethatdamagesnearby
enemiesafterimpact with a
decompressionshockwave.It helps that many of the activities
dotted around DC’s map are
genuinely good, particularly control
points, which you liberate from
enemy factions with the help of AI
pals. They each have the same
objectives – clear the area of enemies,
fight an elite, then defend the same
area and fight another elite – but
they’re laid out differently enough
that they challenge you to think
about the space and enemy
positioning. At endgame, too, they’ll
be taken back by enemies, continually
climbing in difficulty as you keep
reclaiming them for better rewards.
The journey to level 30 has a little
filler in the form of side missions or
repetitive activities, like stopping
propaganda broadcasts, but not
much. It’s a swift journey. I can’t fault
The Division 2 for a lack of things to
do, though. Coming out of the barren
world of Anthem, it’s almost
refreshing to be attacked by the
classic Ubisoft array of map icons.
Progression is a lot comfier than
the first game. You unlock skills (your
character’s abilities, basically) at a fast
clip throughout the campaign. You
can also open up variants for them
with the game’s plentiful SHD Tech
points early on, rather than having to
upgrade different wings of your base
like you did in The Division 1. It feels
much more flexible, like the
developers want you to experiment
with your ideal loadouts in advance
of reaching the endgame. I’m
particularly fond of the Hive skill,
which I immediately unlocked with a
Stinger variant that shoots small
robot killer bees at any enemy that
walks within its radius.
It’s also refreshingly common to
see enemies using novelty weapons
and ammo types on you, sending
deadly remote controlled cars in your
direction, or gumming you up with
the Chem Launcher’s riot foam while
other enemies open fire on you. This
gives some real variety and surprise
to the game’s many shootouts.
ENTER ENDGAME
Once you hit the level 30 cap, a new
faction called the Black Tusk is added
to the game. You then start
progressing through World Tiers,
which determine the difficulty of the
enemies you face and the loot you
earn. You’ll then revisit most of the
earlier main mission locations in
their ‘invaded’ forms, remixed with
this high-tech force’s new enemy
types. The Black Tusk fires off
explosive drones like it bought too
many of them during a Black Friday
sale, and sends in sniper-equipped
robot dogs that look like they jogged
out of a Metal Gear game. These
invaded mission variants are a lot of
fun, with enemies often spilling out
of different parts of the level to your
first visit, so they don’t feel repetitive.DEMOLITION MAN
If you were hoping the Black Tusk
would entail an entirely new
campaign, that’s not really what the
endgame offers here. The Division 2
successfully feels very different after
level 30 by bringing the map to life,
though, with enemy movements
shown on the map as they reclaim
control points, and newer, tougher
multi-part bounties to
tick off. The Black
Tusk also brings its
own new activities, like
dramatic battles against
Batplane-sized drones.
The battle for DC
really feels like an
ongoing struggle, and
the higher threat level
of activities and rewards provided by
higher difficulty main missions
means it feels like there’s loads more
to do after tens of hours.
The real sweetener at level 30 is
unlocking the three specialisations,
which each have their own new
progression paths. They also offer
their own signature weapons, which
are fantastic fun to unleash, and
require a specific ammo type that’s a
little rare. I’ve so far focused on the
Demolitionist, with nice damage
bonuses for my treasured light
machine guns, and a wicked
class-exclusive turret upgrade that
unleashes comically deadly mortar
fire. Pleasingly, you can also switch
between the three at any time, and
completing the upgrade tree for each
will definitely take a while to tick off.The Division 2
REVIEW