User blog:Captain Ned Edgewalker/Game Review: Tom Clancy's The Division (Beta)





HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I'm doing another review even though 90% of you here will probably not care about this game, but screw it, i'm bored and I want to talk about this game.

Information on Tom Clancy's The Division
Tom Clancy's The Division is an upcoming online-only open world third-person shooter role-playing video game with survival elements developed and published by Ubisoft, with assistance from Red Storm Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The Division takes place in mid-crisis New York, an open world with destructive environments that is free for players to explore. The player's mission is to restore order by investigating the source of a virus. Players have to team up with other Division agents as they progress. The game's core mechanics are similar to other third-person-shooters, in which player character can carry three weapons, and explosives like sticky bombs and smart mines to fight against enemies.

The Division beta opened for Xbox One on January 28th, and opens for Microsoft Windows & Playstation 4 on January 29th.

Find out more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clancy%27s_The_Division

The Review
The game itself has drawn comparisons to Destiny, and i'll say right off the bat that this game is seemingly done exponentially better than Destiny, although I can't be completely sure yet since this is just the beta. Although missions & opportunities to grow your stats are limited in the single player portion of beta (i'll get to the multiplayer portion later), there are enough side missions & things to explore in the small sandbox given in the beta to keep one satisfied for hours without even entering multiplayer. Although the game is online-only, the game's story can be completed 100% solo, albeit being a bit more difficult than it would be with a partner.

Now for the meat of the game, or at least the beta. The Dark Zone is an area where you hunt for better weapons, mods for those weapons & other items in an open-world PVP area that is filled with players & AI alike (it must be noted that the AI in this game is done brilliantly). The Dark Zone has it's own XP system seperate to the 'single player' campaign (although technically it's not 'single player' due to the fact that it's an online game, I just don't know what else to call it) & it's own seperate stores. Entering the Dark Zone is an intense & nerve wracking experience that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, and making you celebrate like no other when you find a rare weapon. There is an issue in beta however with balancing, as some players have much better weapons & stats due to the fact that higher level areas of the dark zone, along with the single player area, are closed off.

The graphics in The Division aren't the best you'll find, and they're far from shabby, although it does appear the graphics have been downgraded since the game was first revealed in 2013, though not as drastically as some other Ubisoft games (Watch Dogs). The soundtrack that's played in the beta is nothing short of amazing. Although it's highly unlikely that this'll be the case on the full game's launch date, I experienced no significant lag issues.

Now, time for my first major issue with the game. The voice acting. Though it's far from the worst i've ever heard (Ride to Hell: Redemption), it wouldn't crack any list & the actors shouldn't get any awards. That may seem like a minor gripe, and yes, it is. But it has to be noted.

Final Verdict
The Division is a game that has tremendous potential to be an early Game of the Year candidate for 2016, if what's being shown in the beta is any indication. The graphics are good, the AI is stellar, the multiplayer is fun, and the game is just all around good. The voice acting leaves something to be desired, and the story can't really be commented on fairly as we haven't seen much of anything yet.