Home Gaming There’s a whole lot of new gameplay and details for The Division

There’s a whole lot of new gameplay and details for The Division

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A whole lot of new Division info

And it seems to still have me confused about the game a little bit. The Division is a game that’s out not in a couple a months, but a handful of weeks, and also one that a few lucky journalists got flown all the way to Sweden to play last week. Sadly we couldn’t make the trip, but those that did ended up bombarding the internet with new gameplay, new details and generally mixed views on what they think about the entire thing.

One thing that does stand out though is this – The Division is an RPG at every corner, even when contextually things aren’t really making that much sense.

It’s something that I found a little jarring at E3 last year, and understandably it’s the same thing that has some critics scratching their heads at. Because The Division is a numbers game (that’s what RPGs tend to be) some enemies take an inordinate amount of bullets to take down. This makes a little more sense when you’re fighting an alien overlord ala Destiny, but struggles to be as convincing when it’s just a brute in a beanie. Still, it means stuff like gear, weapons and the loot you find play a massive role in the game, and that’s great.

The game itself is split into PvE and PvP just like any other MMO, and the PvE stuff is what not many people have had the chance to play. As seen in this preview from Videogamer, the entirety of The Division’s campaign can be completed in single-player (according to Ubisoft in the past too), but more often than not you’ll be taking it on with two other friends. In this PvE mode you won’t run across other players, but rather just AI. Rather intelligent looking AI too – which will flank you in a heartbeat if given the chance.

The Division’s base of operations changes as you make progress in the fully realised story mode, allowing your Agent to upgrade one of three branches – Medical, Tech and Security. These in turn offer more upgrade options, gear upgrades and missions to pursue but also have a marked impact on what your base looks like. This is a personal space for each player rather than a social hub, and the progress is reflected visually in the way it advances throughout your time in the game.

Of course PvE has its limitations, and staggeringly good loot is one of them. For that players will need to venture into the Dark Zone – the seamlessly connected (seriously, there doesn’t seem to be a single loading screen in this game) PvP area situated in the center of what is almost a 1:1 recreation of New York. It’s the one part of the game quite a few people have played already, and it still stands as the most interesting piece to me.

Having to wonder if your teammates will turn on you at any second adds a real sense of tension to the hunt for incredible loot in a truly hostile environment, and the way Ubisoft handles this portion of the game will be crucial to how the game functions as a whole. The guys over at Gametrailers seem to agree, although they weren’t too happy with the way gunplay felt overall.

And if you’re looking at all this gameplay and thinking “hey, they certainly doesn’t look like The Division I remember”, well then you’re right. Ubisoft are notorious for their spectacularly stunning reveal gameplay segments that seem to never translate to the end product, and The Division seems no different. GamesRadar put their new footage up against what was shown at E3 in 2013, and the differences stick out like a sore thumb.

And it’s not the case of a PC build going up against Xbox One footage either. I don’t expect any version of the game to look even close to the vision Ubisoft had three years ago. but hey, at least those cool Echo segments still exist.

For a game that is out in just over a month, there’s also much Ubisoft isn’t willing to talk about yet. We still have no idea how The Division is planning to be sustained past its initial release, with Ubisoft briefly mentioning that cosmetic DLC would be sold post-launch. They’re also playing coy about how the endgame works, and what level capped players can expect to challenge them. That’s the bread and butter of an MMO, so it’s odd that there’s literally no information on how it’ll work.

It’s these and a few other sticking points that make me even more cautious about The Division, even if some elements really win me over. It’s out March 8th, with the closed beta kick off next week.

Last Updated: January 18, 2016

No Comments

  1. Geoffrey Tim

    January 18, 2016 at 09:23

    So it’s Destiny then?

    Reply

    • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

      January 18, 2016 at 09:25

      Can’t be, this looks more fun

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        January 18, 2016 at 09:26

        Was Destiny on PC? No. So hush. Also, welcome back!

        Reply

        • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

          January 18, 2016 at 09:35

          The interesting part of Destiny WAS on PC!

          (interesting part being talking crap about it)

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            January 18, 2016 at 09:37

            Almost thought you were gonna say Warframe

          • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

            January 18, 2016 at 09:39

            Speaking of Warframe…

          • Ottokie

            January 18, 2016 at 09:41

            Did someone say Warframe?

          • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

            January 18, 2016 at 09:42

            Someone did say Warframe, Hammersteyn

          • Ottokie

            January 18, 2016 at 09:43

            He always starts these conversations about Warframe xD

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            January 18, 2016 at 09:43

            He always derails comment threads by talking about Warframe.

          • Hammersteyn

            January 18, 2016 at 09:45

            XD

        • RinceThis

          January 18, 2016 at 10:27

          You know that you and the group are going to be crying when this is released with your expectations lol

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            January 18, 2016 at 10:38

            I know. We’re supposed to be excited at the prospect of a new game, but for some reason I’m not…

      • Ottokie

        January 18, 2016 at 09:26

        Agreed, and welcome back xD

        Reply

        • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

          January 18, 2016 at 09:27

          Dankie.

          Except by this time, I’ve already normally done 3 alerts and farmed quite a bit.

          I feel….strange

          Reply

          • Ottokie

            January 18, 2016 at 09:37

            I am missing warfare a lot 🙁 so sick of Rust

          • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

            January 18, 2016 at 09:38

            Dude, I spent about 5-6 hours each day of my leave on it. It was majestic.

            New frames, weapons, (dat synoid!) and mods!

            Loving every second of it

          • Ottokie

            January 18, 2016 at 09:43

            Don’t get burned out 😛

          • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

            January 18, 2016 at 10:17

            Yeah got Limbo on Saturday, but will take my time now.

            LOTS of Clan research and guns though.

            BUT ALL DAT FORMA NEEDED???!!!???

    • Hammersteyn

      January 18, 2016 at 09:25

      Dunno, can’t click the links
      *Runs*

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      January 18, 2016 at 10:27

      lol

      Reply

  2. Ottokie

    January 18, 2016 at 09:26

    That E3 Comparison… Ubisoft never changes

    Reply

    • VampyreSquirrel

      January 18, 2016 at 09:27

      Neither does war.

      Reply

      • Ottokie

        January 18, 2016 at 09:28

        I got a little speed wobble in my “should I buy it” after that vid.

        Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        January 18, 2016 at 09:28

        LOL

        Reply

  3. VampyreSquirrel

    January 18, 2016 at 09:30

    I’ll have to keep a close eye on @ottokie:disqus if I get this and join up with him 😛

    Reply

    • Ottokie

      January 18, 2016 at 09:31

      The pressure! xD

      I come from a long line of survival games, you should check your 6, a lot

      Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        January 18, 2016 at 09:34

        Hahaha… FJ or Barry will pick you off as soon as you loot my dead, decaying body.

        Reply

        • Ottokie

          January 18, 2016 at 09:38

          Barry is a crack shot in any game, FJ… will get rect

          Reply

  4. Ottokie

    January 18, 2016 at 09:30

    I still wonder how “End Game” is going to be, this looks all good and dandy, but what bothers me is how is leveling speed and gear is going to keep evolving to keep us ingame.

    Reply

    • VampyreSquirrel

      January 18, 2016 at 09:35

      “Expansion DLC” or “Expansion Packs”… you know… like Diablo 3, WoW, Guild Wars…

      Reply

  5. The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

    January 18, 2016 at 09:30

    Downgrade seems familiar….
    http://i.imgur.com/WwOEoDz.png

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      January 18, 2016 at 09:32

      XD

      Reply

      • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

        January 18, 2016 at 09:33

        I missed your upvotes, to be honest

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          January 18, 2016 at 09:34

          hehe it’s what I do.

          Reply

    • Ottokie

      January 18, 2016 at 09:33

      Hahahaha, “lets show people PC graphics and say it’s on console” -Ubisoft

      Reply

      • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

        January 18, 2016 at 09:35

        xD

        Reply

    • Loftus

      January 18, 2016 at 09:35

      Welcome back Prime

      Reply

  6. Loftus

    January 18, 2016 at 09:37

    Division or Destiny Taken King. Which do i choose as first time buyer?

    Reply

    • The Grand Admiral Chief Prime

      January 18, 2016 at 09:39

      Warframe

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        January 18, 2016 at 09:39

        “First time buyer” He’s not interested in F2P game mechanics

        Reply

        • HairyEwok

          January 18, 2016 at 10:15

          Technically speaking he could “buy” Warframe with the micro’s XD

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            January 18, 2016 at 10:25

            lol

    • Hammersteyn

      January 18, 2016 at 09:40

      Buy the one your friends are playing

      Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        January 18, 2016 at 09:46

        And get ready to be playing alone in a few months time because they’re playing something else 😛

        Reply

  7. Jonah Cash

    January 18, 2016 at 10:31

    Apparently the level cap is 30, but the game changes quite a bit when you hit it and you can then start crafting things. Or so I hear in another video somewhere.

    Also I don’t care about the graphics I just want it to be solid. I am buying this even if it sucks. I want this to be awesome!

    Reply

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