Tom Clancy’s 'The Division'

Tom Clancy titles have always been a line in the sand for gamers — some people swear by the simulation and tactics of games such as the Rainbow Six titles, while others are disillusioned and bored by the covert basis of a Ghost Recon and just want to pop weapons in a COD style. Where The Division sets itself apart is a cherry picking of these best elements, and creating something unto it’s own in a open world MMO shooter.

Set in a modern day dystopian New York City metro, a pandemic virus distributed by bank notes known as the ‘Dollar Flu’ has caused Manhattan to go into lockdown and incite gang violence and warfare in the streets. Working among a series of sleeper agents known as The Division, you must push through the a wide variety of mission styles to collect Intel, rescue civilians, eliminate enemies of gangs and virus ‘cleansers’ and ultimately, take back the city.

The storyline of the game is a touch hard to follow given that most of the narrative is delivered over a crackling two-way radio, but the gameplay remains outstanding. Players are immersed in a cityscape where the world is crumbling down around them. NPC enemies roam the sidewalks along with infected civilians and government agents to create a constant war zone where fire fights can freely erupt between running into missions in the generously sized world map. Those familiar with Guild Wars 2 or WoW will enjoy the character levelling and looting, which can rapidly change your outlook on battles and mission approach as you continually kit out or craft for your character with the best weapons, mods, skills and armour. This leads to the games strongest punch in its repertoire, its online action. The game works under solo or team play for missions with its splendid multiplayer team system, but at the center of the map is The Dark Zone; a seamless transitioning area where online anarchy rules. Though all the finest loot sits among its red walls, the constant tension of players hunting players and deceptively turning on each other mid-mission in an attempt to get the biggest catch is a gaming experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat with tensed muscles and fixed stare as you attempt to survive the carnage.

It’s hard to spot an area where The Division falters, the Snowdrop graphics engine give not only stunning graphics but rich weather dynamics and lighting shifts. The player systems and levelling are all finely tuned and there is a nice depth to give a long playback desire. Don’t be at all surprised to see The Division topping many best of lists come the end of 2016.

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