GUN CADDY
You can loot new gear from
enemies. Everything appears
on your character’s back.
You can hot-swap between
guns by quickly tapping w.SIGNATURE SHOT
Holdingwenables you to
access your character’s
signature weapon, which can be
assigned in the loadout menu.DUCK AND COVER
Cover fire feels snappy. You can lock
to cover easily by tappingq, while
you can point to and highlight nearby
cover to run to; it’s one of the best
cover systems going.Taking cover inside the Old Post
Office Pavilion, these soldiers bed in,
attempt to flank us, and set up
ambush points inside the building’s
entrance. It’s a frantic battle, proving
it’s not only other players who’ll test
your nerve in the Dark Zone but also
the shooter’s AI.Washington DC has given the
game’s campaign higher stakes, says
Karlson: “It really tangibly feels like
‘shit, this is something that could
happen, that could actually go down
for real’. It is that Clancy legacy of
Clear And Present Danger, and
plausibility that really sets it apart.”
Being set in the real world, seven
months after a homegrown terrorist
released a smallpox pandemic on Newand when we’re not gawking slack-
jawed at the wreckage of Air Force
One strewn across The Mall, we’re
admiring a wild deer that hops and
skips across our path.
The AI and variety of enemies we
face add to the spectacle. While the
cannon fodder are easily dispatched,the heavy units – armoured enemies
carrying rocket launchers and heavy
machine guns – take more time to
dispose of; first we have to whittle
down their armour, then deliver the
final shot. We soon discover teamwork
and weapon selection are key to
clearing these tanks.
Soon we run into more True Sons
militia, who group together and use
cover convincingly to confront us.It’s a nuanced approach that drifts into
other aspects of Dark Zone play. For
example, friendly fire is turned off in
two of the three Dark Zones, ensuring
no more accidental Rogue agents – or,
at least, no more excuses.ZONETROOPERS
As we play, the core loop in a Dark
Zone is a familiar challenge. We
search for and clear out ‘monuments’
occupied by the sequel’s enemies.
Called True Sons, they’re a force of
ex-soldiers gone bad. They are led by
a former Joint Task Force officer who
has set himself up as a warlord in the
ruined US capital.
It’s a simple drill but one enlivened
by the world we’re in; moving from
cover to cover using q and jumping
debris by holding e Assassin’s-
Creed-style, Washington DC is an easy
place to scurry around. Surprisingly so
considering the detail on offer.
Massive Entertainment’s Snowdrop
engine is being pushed to the limit,SURE
SHOTDissecting the
warzone
“IT’S NOT ONLY OTHER PLAYERS
WHO’LL TEST YOUR NERVE IN THE
DARK ZONE BUT ALSO THE AI.”