Tom Clancy's The Division Reviews
"The Division" rewards tactical thinking. One memory I retain from my week with the game involved running up and crouching behind a concrete abutment, while on the other side an enemy was shooting. I tossed a health station behind me to regenerate my health then tossed a turret behind the armored gunner. As he staggered from the turret, I popped up from behind cover and eliminated him.
New franchises are always risky business, but Tom Clancy's The Division delivered on everything it promised and more, with only the occasional hiccup.
In its current form, "The Division" is an impressive newcomer in the shoot-and-loot genre, but success in the genre is defined by more than just first impressions. Games with no end need regular support from developers that adds new missions, gear and areas to explore. It's too early to tell how "The Division" will evolve in the coming months and years, but the current offering is an excellent starting point.
The Division is a strong start for a game that Ubisoft is clearly aiming to keep alive for a long time. It gleefully fulfills promises instead of just making them, even if some of its later elements fall prey to the inevitable wait for more content.
Approach it with the view to completing the campaign and sightseeing New York with friends and you'll have a blast. But this isn't a world you'll be living in for years to come.
They say that New York City never sleeps, and those who play The Division may understand the feeling.
It's not perfect, and in truth it was never likely to be. The Division is, however, a truly accomplished multi-genre title that has something for virtually everyone.
The Division sets a new standard of excellence for shared-world shooters
The Division is something special that's never really been done before in games, and while I don't expect perfection from such a bold experiment, I'm impressed with what they have been able to pull off so far. We're just one week post-pandemic. Imagine what's in store for us going forward.
Despite the cynics who might try to marginalize what this game truly is, it's something you must you must experience, whether that is with friends or on your own. The Division shows you can have both an incredible online multiplayer experience, while staying true to the roots of an immersive campaign. The Division is a magnificent revelation and one that was well worth the wait.
Right now though, at launch, The Division is a well-made open-world shooter with lots of ways to keep you busy. It borrows from the right games and improves on them while still doing enough different to feel like its own game instead of a rehash.
I wouldn't go so far as to say The Division is the online shooter experience that will usher the genre into a new golden age, but it is a worthy alternative for those who are looking for a more methodical and immersive experience than what games like Destiny can offer. There are still no guarantees about The Division's long-term sustainability, but the strong out-of-the-gate showing it has already made is certainly a good start.
If The Division was without its Dark Zone, it would be an ignorable, banal experience - a soulless grind in a game created by committee. It's to the credit of the game that this one additional section elevates the experience from this, to something actively great. Contrary to advice The Division might give you, stay out of the Dark Zone at your peril.
Like Destiny, The Division ruthlessly exploits the pleasures of the RPG, MMO and shooter to create one hideously addictive feedback loop. Combine that with the excitement of demanding co-op play and it can be an unstoppably thrilling game.
Even with its blemishes the Division establishes itself nicely as a new tent pole for Ubisoft and the Massive Entertainment studio and lays the foundation for future expansions to come.
The Division puts players on a treadmill without a carrot.
Tom Clancy's The Division is a beautiful and addictive looter shooter that lacks depth and innovation in gameplay, mission design, and story.
Tom Clancy's The Division is almost everything that was advertised in 2013. While the visuals have certainly been pulled back a bit, probably because of hardware limitations, the gameplay has been delivered as promised.
An excellent foundation that is hopefully built on, this is a solid RPG-shooter hybrid that lacks in variety but somehow keeps you well invested all the same.