The Division, for all its technical prowess, simply lacks any tangible identity

enemies that need to be overcome, and when you’re swarmed, the difference between victory and defeat becomes a desperate yet rewarding gauntlet.

And that internal conflict emerges yet again. The Division offers a robust shooter suite to take to the streets, but none of it feels memorable. There’s no encounter, or character, or mission that feels like it’ll stay with you longer than the session you’re in. For all its technical prowess, the game simply lacks any tangible identity in a medium filled with virtual apocalypses and cover shooters… until you stumble into The Dark Zone.

Here, the PvE recipe gets spiced up with a sprinkling of PvP. Like a blood-splattered love letter to survival sim DayZ, The Dark Zone places some of the game’s best gear in the hands of some of its toughest gangs. Should you manage to retrieve this booty, you’ll find it radioactive and in need of cleansing. That’s when the realisation hits you that the fewer of you who survive, the greater your share of the booty will be. It’s a deliciously potent set-up that does stay with you, as it plays with the mind. It’s just a shame the rest of The Division feels so forgettable by comparison. T3 ra tes The Dark Zone is The Division’s Nemesis System – fun, fruity and full of betrayals. T3 slates The endlessly bleak setting does make a serious time commitment a real challenge. T3 sa ys While its Dark Zone portion sings a bloody song, the rest of The Division lacks any real sense of identity beyond the licence it’s attached to.

Above While you can play solo, the entire experience works best when you matchmake with strangers or party up with friends

Top Right Like any good online experience, a mic is key – especially if you’re playing with randoms who aren’t on your wavelength

top LEFT While the story itself feels largely vapid, the writing of individual NPC dialogue harbours some brilliant little stories