By Rob Dolen
staff writer
“The Division” wants to be the “Destiny” killer of MMO shooters. Despite the flaws that detract from the game’s perceived ideas, players will keep coming back to it simply for the fun factor.
“The Division” is a third person, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) taking place in a New York City in crisis. The premise is that a variant of the smallpox virus is transmitted via printed money during Black Friday, creating a pandemic that forcibly quarantines New York City. Several sleeper cells of the titular government organization are activated and sent in to contain the area, keep the peace and ultimately rebuild civilization.
The player takes on the role of an incognito agent entering an unfamiliar New York City ravaged by disease.
Each agent begins with character creation (in-game appearance) and from there is immediately let loose in the city with standard firearms and equipment. Each agent sets up a base of operations in the James A. Farley Post Office, which becomes a hub for player progression.
The player works towards upgrading home base to strengthen the operation, upgrade skills and gain ability perks, purchase or craft weapons and equipment and meet up with other agents (other players).
“The Division” has a leveling system that doesn’t constrain the player to a certain character build or skillset but instead rewards players for exploring new play styles, such as being a medic or a tech expert.
Weapons and equipment function like any other RPG, where several different weapon and armor types improve certain stats according to a player’s skills.
The gameplay sends the player into the open world of Manhattan, where each agent takes on tasks to gain supplies for their base, investigate contaminated areas, rescue important base personnel and acquire stronger equipment. Rioters and looters are sporadic throughout the quarantined zones and are always hostile. Initially, the enemies of “The Division” are gang members based in the quarantined city.
As the player proceeds through the introduction, agents soon enter the “Dark Zone,” a player-versus-player region where agents of “The Division” can either work together or betray each other in order to gain valuable resources and equipment. The player and other agents are automatically friendly, so it’s up to the player to be heroic or deceitful towards their peers.
One thing that can throw people off is how “The Division” strives for realism, but its gameplay mechanics don’t match that desire. As difficulty rises, players and non-player enemies become bullet sponges, absorbing tons of punishment with little damage to themselves. The third person perspective also makes it harder to gauge recoil from guns, and aiming down the sight can feel uncomfortable.
Also there is no dedicated crouch function, but a cover system that, while not ideal, serves its purpose. As an RPG these mechanics work, but with an MMO grounded in reality, it’s distracting and somewhat frustrating at first.
“The Division” has problems realistically justifying its MMO mechanics, but with some suspension of disbelief, it becomes an altogether excitingly fleshed out experience that will capture the player’s attention.