TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2

Draw your lines in the street now

The problem with being part of a squad is acting like it. At one point early in our hands-on we get distracted shooting a lootbox dangling from a parachute stuck in a tree, and only realise we’re missing the start of the liberation mission’s capture point when it pops up that one of our teammates is going to need reviving. Oh dear, we need to learn how to play well with others. Thankfully nothing in The Division 2 feels too complex to pick up and play, so as soon as we run into the battle and behind cover we are indeed in the thick of it, and ready to make that thickness a little bit thinner courtesy of the “three Bs” – bombs, bullets, and bolts (our own coinage).

The bolts are thanks to our character’s specialisation, something you can do once you hit level 30. Focusing on a certain class gives you access to particular perks and a signature weapon – in our case a crossbow. Like a normal bow, only angrier, it’s the perfect choice of armament.

Tailoring your weapons to your style of play, and team dynamic is crucial. The enemies come in waves and are tough, requiring some communication to bamboozle and outflank, aided, in part, by how fluid the cover system and shooting feel. Our efforts are also aided by using a flare gun at the beginning of the capture point, getting other citizens to run over and help us take it over. For a game called The Division, it certainly requires plenty of quick co-operation to conquer.

CAPITAL IDEA

Reflecting on our playthrough, things have changed quite a bit since the first The Division had you trudging around a snowy Manhattan. Now taking place much further south, in Washington DC (the current de rigueur location for games, it seems), the setting is a flipside to the first game’s, as the state is suffering from a huge heatwave as opposed to an icecold winter. Marauders, the goons we shot up in our hands-on, have been taking advantage of the chaos that’s been spreading across the United States, and you and your squad are helping the survivors reclaim what remains of Washington DC, one neighbourhood at time.

Capturing ground plays a big part in fending off the Marauder threat, and it even ties into some of the eightplayer Raids – which are a brand-new addition to this slicker sequel. The streets of the American capital feel a bit more alive than the deserted avenues of New York, with survivors even coming to help you in times of need if you fire off a flare, as happened during our session.

It’s a little change that makes The Division 2 some big gains in its open-world design. If you’re considerate about the needs of the survivors you’re helping, they’ll help back in return. It creates a sense of community, and helps the whole postdisaster atmosphere feel much more believable. We’ve seen empty streets, but this is what’s next. If you want to get a boost during some of the (pretty tricky) firefights, then you have to make sure you’re putting in the effort to appeal to your core base. It’s up to you to help settlements survive as they battle for resources like food and medicine with bandits.

MOB RULES

While the improvements to the class system and the smoother gameplay experience demonstrate how The Division 2 is refining the co-op shooter genre, this follow-up still caters for solo players. You can blast through the whole thing on your own, even end-game level content, though shooting your way through the Big Banana [ DC’s nickname? – ed] with teammates has never felt better.

Post-release Ubisoft has confirmed the game will get three chapters of DLC content in 2019, all of which will be free to all players. It’s not even out but we’re already planning ahead. Now that’s a vote of confidence.