The Division 2 | Xbox One Review

For most of my life, I’ve tended to prefer single-player games over anything multiplayer. Sure, I rocked some Goldeneye with my brother and close friends as a kid. But as I’ve gotten older, it’s gotten more difficult to plan time to play with friends online. I’ve also steered far away from MMOs out of fear of never playing another game again. It should come as no surprise that I went into Ubisoft‘s The Division 2 with very little expectations. I had dabbled in the original three years ago, but it just never clicked with me for some reason. I expected to have a similar experience with the sequel, but went in anyway with an open mind.

Am I ever glad I did. Rarely has a game place its hooks in me so early on as The Division 2 was able to do. It marries the precise shooting mechanics Massive Entertainment is known for with a looting progression system that simply never gets old. Any complaints I had from the first entry in this series were wiped away by the incredible attention to detail put into this game. Normally when a title is this good, I’m bummed when I finish its story. But this one is the gift that truly keeps on giving far beyond its main campaign. And I can’t wait to continue to play more.

 

Seven Months Later

The setting this time around is Washington D.C. seven months after the Green Poison Outbreak. Your faction, “The Division,” is asked to provide assistance in the nation’s capital in an attempt to rebuild the nation and wipe out the smallpox epidemic that decimated the country. There are three enemy factions standing in your way: The Hyenas, The Outcasts, and The True Sons.

As with most games in this genre, the story is secondary in The Division 2. The plot is merely a setup for you to infiltrate enemy strongholds that take place at historical landmarks around the city. While there’s no deep narrative taking place here, I simply didn’t care. I was too busy having a blast taking over control points, completing missions, and searching for SHD (Strategic Homeland Division) Tech to improve my Agent’s stats and skills.

Even the map of D.C. is a character of its own here. The city is recreated to scale once again, a Ubisoft staple at this point. There’s a ton to do in this open world, but it never feels overwhelming like, say, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. Sections of the city are clearly marked with the recommended level providing the satisfaction of finishing smaller portions along the way. It’s truly a dream for players like me who crave checklists but don’t have 100 hours to complete the ones present in other games.

Choose Your Weapon

The real meat and potatoes of The Division 2 is the gameplay grind, but that word sounds far more negative than I intend it to be. Every corner of Washington D.C. contains pockets of loot, whether it be hidden around the environment or as rewards for completing missions or leveling up. There’s something incredibly satisfying about replacing that perfect sniper rifle with an even better one. Or swapping out a piece of gear that made you invincible with another that makes you feel like a god. As in most looter-shooters, drops are color-coded to give some insight on just how well you scored.

You’ll also have your choice from eight different skills to use on the battlefield (you can only use two at a time). These range from turrets to chemical weapons to drones and even rolling mines.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

The key is coordinating with your team to have the proper combination that works best in a firefight. The freedom from being restricted to a specific class is very welcome.

All this would be meaningless if the menu system were difficult to navigate, however. Thankfully, spending time in your inventory never feels like a chore due to some very welcome tweaks to the formula. Equipping new gear, mods, and weapons and trashing older pieces has never been simpler. I never felt like I was holding up my team when I needed to check for upgrades. It literally takes twenty seconds or so once you learn the system. This allows you to jump right back into the action that much faster.

And how glorious that action is! Firefights are an absolute joy to complete, especially when in a squad of friends. Teamwork is key as you fight again waves of intelligent AI enemies from snipers, chargers, tanks, and even suicide bombers. Every battle manages to feel unique despite following the standard formula of “enter room, clear enemies, move to next room, repeat”. When we failed a mission, my squad would regroup, work out a new strategy, and communicate better with each other on our next try. This made The Division 2 one of the most satisfying games I’ve played this year so far.

Everything’s Better with Friends

My only real issue with Ubisoft’s sequel is that it’s a kind of drag to play on your own. That’s not really a fair criticism, however, considering it was never intended as a solo experience. The matchmaking feature works quite well, but it’s not quite as thrilling as working with your close friends to coordinate your attacks. I was lucky enough to almost always play with buddies who were patient and willing to offer revives at crucial times. Having the right group of people will make or break your experience.

The multiplayer component is compounded by the game’s leveling system which allows players to work together regardless of their rank. For instance, if a level 25 player wants to squad up with a level 15 player, they absolutely can without frustration. The vast difference in character is resolved by raising the lower player’s offensive gear to match the higher player’s level. The downside is that the level 15 player will still have level 15 armor. But the trade-off works remarkably well and makes The Division 2 one of the more accessible games in the genre.

But Wait…There’s More

As if the 20-30 hour story missions weren’t enough, the game really opens up after the campaign is over. In true MMO fashion, once the “final” battle is won, the true experience begins. Your character will then be given three specialists classes, each with their own skill tree and unique weapon. On top of that, your character’s level no longer plays any significance. Instead, your new goal is to increase your “gear score,” which is an average number of the level of all your equipment. Much like how you had to be a particular level in order to reach certain areas of the map, now your gear must be a certain average to progress.

You might be wondering who you’re fighting in the post-game if all three factions have been defeated. The surprise thrown in here is a previously-unknown faction know as “Black Tusk” that has taken control of all the areas you had taken over during the main story. This new group offers unique and tough challenges as you fight to reclaim the city. For someone like me who’s never experienced an MMO’s full potential, this was a mind-blowing revelation. It really felt like I had only begun my adventure in this universe and made me excited to continue the grind. That speaks volumes to the quality of this game in that it’s keeping me playing after I finished the story. I never do that. Ever.

The Division 2 Final Verdict

In an industry ripe with failed launches of games as a service, The Division 2 is the poster child for how to launch one properly. There were no issues logging in or staying in a game, and it felt like a breath of fresh air for this style of game. My hope is that other developers will follow suit.

This game has legs well beyond what I’ve played thus far. Even outside of the end-game content, Ubisoft has mapped out quite a bit more for the future. It’s exciting to see a developer listen to feedback so closely and offer their fans more reasons to keep playing. They’ve even listened to complaints from the first game in regards to boss enemies feeling like bullet sponges. This issue was resolved by enemies’ armor falling off in strategic places on their body when hit with enough firepower. Once that armor is gone, targeting the same area will drain the boss’ health without requiring to deplete the rest of the armor. It’s a nice touch that makes the fame feel like less of a slog.

The Division 2 is my favorite game of 2019 thus far. The set pieces are great spectacles for battles, the combat feels tight and fair, and Washington D.C. is incredibly detailed. It’s been a long time since I counted the hours till I was able to play something, but that’s exactly what I did here. I haven’t had this much fun playing online with friends since my Gears of War days. It’s truly something special and a tentpole standard for how to make a looter shooter.

This review is based on an Xbox One copy and a PS4 copy provided by Ubisoft for coverage purposes. The game is also available on PC.