The Division 2

If you were to ask me who the top game developers/companies in the industry are right now, I'd reply with three who have shown consistent high quality. 

Rockstar.

Naughty Dog.

And yes, Ubisoft. 

Ubisoft obviously produces the most games out of those three so there's a little more room for forgiveness, but they've also figured out what their specialty is when it comes to making their games feel uniformally similar while still being highly different. Big worlds, tons to do, RPG elements and loot, with core gameplay that's tried and true. Ghost Recon, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and The Division are all like this. Sure, one could complain that they're using a copy+paste model, but I'd argue that those traits I listed are ones that most successful games use these days because it's what gamers want. And yes, some of their series are starting to age (Far Cry comes to mind) but Ubisoft has also proven they can quickly overhaul a series for the better to keep it fresh and relevant. 

DC is such a dirty city!!

The Division is an interesting beast however though. Gamers generally rejected the first game because it was early on in this shooter-world-RPG genre and most couldn't connect with it's lack of compelling endgame, among other reasons. Me? I freaking loved it because the world it created was slick and interesting, the gameplay was incredible and precise, and - if we're being honest - I have limited time to sink into games so once I was done with Division's main/side missions I moved on to other games. To a certain extent, gamer reception to the Tom Clancy-based game was so poor, I wondered if Ubisoft would move on from the series. 

Instead, commendably, they doubled down on it and vowed to make a game that addressed the concerns of the first game as well as concerns that plague this genre (think games like Destiny 2), particularly surrounding the endgame and the core content that these games come with. The result is another game that's a "win" for Ubisoft because The Division 2 improves on the first in nearly every way and comes packed with content that will keep you busy for a long time.

Set in Washington D.C. the first thing you'll notice about this sequel is that, despite being a 1:1 recreation of certain blocks of New York City, the first game's map eventually became stale and bland, encased in skyscrapers everywhere you turned. D.C., also a 1:1 scale of a specific portion, is once again highly accurate, but more importantly: varied. Not only do you get to interact with several key monuments throughout that will often cause you pause, there's just more openness to the game and it's clear that, despite the ambition of the precise recreation in the first, D.C.'s location is just better suited to this game. And there are are shocking elements too. Many monuments are heavily damaged and coming across a downed Air Force One is both eerie and awesome. 

Pretty crazy when you're playing in front of grand monuments

While The Division 2 doesn't have the best story in the world - it's more a continuation from the first story - it's clear that this is a Tom Clancy game and its universe/characters are in a fairly dire situation. D.C. in particular (not to mention other parts of the world) has been overrun by different factions and it's up to Division agents to push back and reclaim the territory. You truly don't learn much more about the plague that killed a significant amount of the population, nor does it really give you any insight into where the series is going; it's mostly a recap through Echos and voice recordings of how DC handled the crisis. Given how strong the idea behind the story is, that's a bit disappointing but it's compelling in its own right that it's narrowly focused on D.C. and you need to help the city out. My biggest curiosity is how the rest of the world is doing which goes pretty much unaddressed so it would be neat to see the next game go international. Sydney, Australia anyone?

Just skippin through the park and OH
MY GOD tangos on the left!

Being set in D.C. however has enabled The Division 2 to not only have an awesome, intricate map, but also some incredible level design. Not to harp on a point but the New York City levels from the first game all felt samey and other than a huge shopping mall and Times Square, most missions were in a building...somewhere. In D.C. Ubisoft ups the "silliness" factor a bit and structures nearly every main mission (and some side missions) in unique locales. Air and space museum? Check. Smithsonian complete with Vietnam setting or Mars rover setting? Check. The actual capital building? Check. Main missions - fun and lengthy in and of themselves - became increasingly more exciting because you were always wondering where the level would be next. 

Much like the first game, the gameplay of Division 2 is one of it's strongest assets. I still firmly believe it's one of the best third-person shooters out there and its cover system in particular is top notch. There's still a handful of moments where you get "stuck" on cover or in a tight spot, but that's par for the course of a TPS vs. being unique to Division. I always had a good feel for my surroundings and even the smallest of cover can be precious. Enemies are less of bullet sponges this time around - or have armor to indicate that they'll take more than a few bullets - and the guns mostly pack a wallop. Headshots in particular are satisfying and grotesque sounding, just how gamers want them. Looting is back and as enticing as ever - at least until you reach the endgame - with a constant swap out of equipment as pieces get better and better. Sometimes finishing a mission is overwhelming; you'll spend the next 10 minutes going through your loot to determine what to keep, break down, or equip, but it's always exciting to get that purple (early on) or gold (later on) item that makes you feel powerful. The weapon classes are well balanced and different, though I found submachine guns and shotguns to be almost useless compared to LMGs, assault rifles, and snipers. Assault rifles in particular are the best guns in the game (once you get extended magazines) because of their stopping power, accuracy, and fire rate -- for me it wasn't even really a contest. You also get a slew of gadgets to choose from where I found some to be great and others to be less impactful, which is usually the case and often ties to your play style.  

Harrison Ford where are you!?!?

Where the first Division struggled to create an enticing endgame, Division 2 focuses on this challenge head-on and, to be fair, it's an issue that a lot of other games have had to deal with. Division 2's approach is the right one: pack the original game with a ton of content. Even in the endgame, the entire world essentially "resets" because of a plot development and, if you wanted to continue, you would have plenty to do. Aside from the fantastic main missions, there are loads of side missions, bounties, projects, "tasks", loot to be found, and compounds to take down. There's also unique Dark Zone missions, though I admittedly spent less time there this time around despite it still being a really cool idea. Some of the other "stuff" is less compelling - the PvP multiplayer is garbage the few times I played it, for example - but as a whole I spent a lot of time in this game, and even in the endgame I could spend many more.

I'm truly digging most of Ubisoft's biggest titles these days. As a gamer that likes solo play just as much, if not more, than multiplayer play, their games get me. They offer me a ton to do, lots of exploration, balanced difficulty, and varied, well-designed gameplay. The Division 2 is no exception and, as a lover of the first game, I can confidently say that I love this one even more (even if the score is a smidgen lower). D.C. is such an awesome locale and it's clear that Ubisoft took the rough reception to the first as fuel to build from the feedback and create a much better game that has enough to keep you busy, and then some.

Now, for the love of God, could we get another mo' fuggin Splinter Cell game, Ubisoft?!?!


CONS

• Some side tasks are more entertaining than others
• Barely there story this time around -- it doesn't expand on the mythology of the world and disease all that much
• The few times I jumped into the PvP multiplayer (not the Dark Zone) it was awful and unbalanced
• Some gadgets and weapons I never used because...well...they're just not that great

PROS

• D.C. ends up being such a better and more varied location than NYC. It's a blast to explore and awe-inspiring when you see many of the monuments for the first time
• Mission design, particularly for the main missions, is outstanding. I eagerly wanted to see where each new locale would bring me. Side missions have good variety too
• Still some of the best third-person-shooter gameplay around with a "best" cover system. It's tight, precise gameplay and makes for an endlessly playable game
• Sharp graphics and sound design
• Headshots FTW!
• Rarely used, but good original music
• Addicting leveling & looting system that is constantly giving you incrementally better stuff
• TONS to do and the endgame is better planned too. With or without TMs, there's plenty to do here
• Dark Zone, despite my brief time there, is still interesting and intense
• Fun and harder with friends
• A sequel that learned lessons from the first and buckled down to make improvements

Rath's Review Score | 9/10