
#Tom clancy the division pc review upgrade#
The Division's robust upgrade system affords you all kinds of skills allowing players to respec at any time without penalty turns these perks into flexible tactical options rather than permanent decisions you have to live with. I also enjoyed being able to equip any unlocked special ability and ambient stat buff on the fly. The segmented health bar-which regenerates up to one of three points depending on how much health you lost-proves just forgiving enough to give you a fighting chance without undermining the game's challenging nature. Though some of The Division's mechanics stumble, others work extremely well. The Division's haunting recreation of midtown Manhattan might be the most impressive urban world outside of a Rockstar game. Come on, Agent, you can't raise your gun barrel two inches to avoid a poorly placed railing? Worst of all, various actions-including pulling away from cover-cause your character to stand straight up, even in the middle of combat. I also occasionally had to contend with clumsy cover issues. The core aiming and shooting are totally serviceable, but you can't crouch, jump, or go prone-which means the only way to move stealthily is to duck into cover, then hold A to rush directly to the next object.

Some of the basic gameplay mechanics are slightly sloppy as well. No matter who you're up against, you know exactly how each easily identifiable enemy is going to come at you, which can make certain lower-stakes gun fights feel like a chore. Had The Division randomized these encounters or in some way allowed unexpected interactions to occur, the world might have felt more alive.Įnemy AI is consistent to the point of being predictable as well, and all four enemy factions have identical unit types-every group has a runner, a sniper, a bomber, and so on. My only real complaint: I killed the same guys on the same corner near my HQ at least half a dozen times during the game's early hours. The variety and authenticity of the world invite exploration just like the deserts of Red Dead Redemption and the mountains of Skyrim. Every neighborhood has its own distinct style, and no matter where you roam, you're bound to stumble into a breathtaking structure or a heartbreaking disaster site, even if you end up hearing a few repeated lines of NPC dialogue along the way. Its dense, detailed environments feel painstakingly assembled rather than cut-and-pasted into place. The Division's haunting recreation of midtown Manhattan might be the most impressive urban world map outside of a Rockstar game. This immersion was further cultivated by the setting itself. Some ideas needed a bit more development-especially an important enemy later on-but overall, I felt invested and immersed in the world. The Division admirably commits to its bleak, grounded vision of a medically-induced apocalypse, and it works. You're also never painted as a superhero. You always know exactly what you're doing and why that alone goes a long way towards making your actions feel meaningful.
#Tom clancy the division pc review full#
Key moments receive full cutscenes, and in between, you constantly hear radio banter that explains exactly how your next objective contributes to your broader mission to save New York from vicious opportunists.

While the story primarily sticks to tried-and-true survival tropes, the narrative is solidly executed. This is the world of The Division, an online, loot-driven RPG cleverly disguised as a third-person shooter, set in the grim aftermath of a biological attack on New York City.

So when I step out of a safehouse and steel my nerves, I also grin, just a little. It means danger could come from anywhere at any time, but it also means there's more work to do. The noise ricochetes off buildings, echos down alleyways, seems to come from every direction at once. Gunshots make a very particular sound in a desolate city.
