Live Magazine - Video Games, Cosplay and Pop Culture

REVIEW
THE DIVISION
Ubisoft’s ‘The Division’ might be
one of the year’s most anticipated
games. An online-only RPG/
shooter hybrid, The Division
looks to merge a cover-based
shooter with open-world RPGs.
The game has only just released,
though it’s already breaking records
for Ubisoft. Not only that,
but Ubisoft are swinging for the
fences with a strong post-launch
content plan recently announced
– so is The Division for you?
The Division takes place in New
York city, after a devastating
smallpox attack has all but wiped
out the population. After the attack,
people turn against each
other, gangs and looters rise,
and the military completely fails
to maintain control. Luckily, in
times like this, there exists a special
unit trained to restore order
when a direct line of command
ceases to exist. The Strategic
Homeland Division (also known
as The Division) is made up of
all sorts of people from all sorts
of backgrounds. They could be
your neighbour, your teacher,
your doctor – anyone, and they
have been going about their
everyday lives until now. They’ve
been activated.
Division Agents will need to band
together in order to uncover the
secrets behind the smallpox attack
and discover a vaccine.
They’ll also have to contend with
the various gangs and looters,
rescue hostages, and recover
items from highly contaminated
areas. They’ll also need to establish
a foothold in the city, a
safe haven where New Yorkers
can seek medical treatment and
the military can begin to turn the
tide against the gangs. There is
so much at stake, and so little
time to save New York.
Upon beginning The Division,
players create their character
and complete the basic tutorial.
Unfortunately, there is a distinct
lack of character customisation
in The Division, and it does have
a negative impact on the game’s
immersion. There are only a
handful of faces, hairstyles and
other features to choose from,
and considering that this is a
third person shooter (as in, you’ll
be seeing your character’s face
a lot), it feels like a missed opportunity
from Ubisoft Massive
and Ubisoft to not have a more
in-depth character creator.
The tutorial is relatively short,
and opts to cover the basics of
shooting, movement and cover
gameplay. There is a staggering
amount of missions in The
Division, though, and each time
a new type of mission occurs,
players will be presented with
a brief introduction on the mission’s
mechanics. Had this been
done any other way, The Division
might feel daunting for new
players, but Ubisoft Massive
have done well to ensure that
the game feels accessible and
easy to learn.
Your first mission is to meet up
with another Division Agent,
Faye Lau, who will serve as
your mission handler. Faye arranges
to meet you and fly you
out of Jersey via a helicopter to
Manhattan, though unfortunately,
things do not go according
to plan. An IED obliterates the
helicopter, and severely injures
Faye in the process. The player
blacks out, but awakens when a
second helicopter crew arrives
and transports them to Camp
Hudson, Manhattan. With Faye
out of the fight, it’s up to you to
establish a base of operations,
and take New York back.
After the game’s opening, how
players proceed throughout the
game is largely up to them. They
can experience the game’s story
through story missions, or they
can take on a number of side
missions and activities, including
bounty missions, encounters,