Now Playing: The Division 2

The Division 2 was disappointing. It shouldn’t have been. I knew exactly what to expect. But I still came away disappointed. I think it’s because in some ways, The Division 2 is a better game than the original, but not in the ways it really needed to be.

I’d recommend reading my review of the original and my thoughts on The Division 2 BETA to provide a little perspective for this review. Because here’s the thing – I really do like these games. I just think there’s so much wasted potential in this series that I can’t help but be disappointed.

The main problem is the story. The concept of the plot – a lawless world in the aftermath of a devastating viral outbreak – is just as compelling as it was in the original, but like the original, it’s not supported in the game by any engaging stories or characters.

The Division 2 is meant to be a sequel to the original but aside from one or two nods to the characters and plot of The Division, what happened in the original really doesn’t matter. And I doubt what happens in The Division 2 will have any real impact on the events of the inevitable Division 3.

 

That doesn’t concern me too much, however, as I like the idea of each game being set within its own location with its own characters and stories to tell. The problem that both games have, however, is the characters and stories totally fall flat.

Your character, like the original, is a mute weirdo who people talk to, but not with. You get sent on ridiculously dangerous missions without any support, kill thousands of bad guys, save the President and pretty much the entire city on your own. Despite this, you’re not even present during the final ‘celebration’ cut scene that features all of the key ‘good’ characters in the game.

What a joke. And what a waste. You think, mistakenly, that the game might do more with these key characters – the two Division agents you work with at The White House, and the leaders of two local civilian communities. You think they might play more of a role within the developing plot – but no.

Like the original game, The Division 2 just isn’t concerned with building interesting characters and stories. It’s such a damn shame, because the core gameplay of The Division is a lot of fun. The world looks fantastic. The mission locations are great. But the game never builds a compelling narrative to guide the player through its content.

 

Like the original, the story and characters exist only to prop up a shallow plot to push the player from one mission to the next. And it’s not just the ‘good’ characters who are the problem. The main bad guys are even worse. There are three gangs in the game, each with their own leader. You might think they’d be developed during the course of the game, setting up a satisfying final boss fight in each of their own strongholds – but no.

The final stronghold missions play out exactly the same as every other mission in the game and you don’t even get to fight the main boss characters at all. As a result, the game just fizzles out without any kind of bang. But I guess that’s how it has to go, right? Because like the original, it’s all about that ‘live service’ model. But no – f**k that.

There’s no reason why they couldn’t have provided a more deep and engaging story and characters building towards a more conclusive and satisfying ending. I just don’t think they cared. Maybe because . . . most people don’t care? I mean, the games are very successful, so maybe most players don’t care about the plot or characters and just want to go shooty shooty bang bang from one mission to the next.

 

And don’t get me wrong – the shooty shooty bang bang is as good here as it was in the original. But the context is lacking. The motivation is weak. The characters are practically non-existent – including your own. Maybe I shouldn’t be so annoyed about it, maybe it’s not worth it, but when the world is so well constructed, when the gameplay is so fun, I find the lack of effort and care when it comes to the story and character aspects so disappointing.

Why? I guess because, like the original, it means The Division 2 is a game I’ll forget within a week or two. There’s nothing memorable about it. I’ll be able to say ‘the environments looked nice’ and ‘I liked the combat’ but I won’t be able to say more than that because there’s nothing else worth remembering. No story. No characters. Nothing.

What a shame, because in some ways, The Division 2 does improve upon aspects of the original. You do get more of a sense that the city is changing due to your actions – you see more friendly patrols on the streets who get better armed as you progress. You see friendly supply convoys transporting goods between the control points you’ve liberated. And you see the two civilian communities expand and upgrade over time.

 

Yes, it’s all very formulaic and, unfortunately, it’s all undone at the end of the game as the world essentially ‘resets’ so you can keep going out and shooting more people. I guess just adding in new locations or missions that build upon the world that you’ve helped create would be too much to ask. Nah, let’s just reset everything and have you go out and replay the same missions and strongholds again in order to increase your ‘gear score’ so you can access and unlock the post-game content.

I mean, I can’t complain about the sheer amount of content on offer here – if you really don’t care about the world, story or characters, and just want to shoot stuff – you’re going to get plenty of bang for your buck. But if you’re like me, and the gameplay, though fun, isn’t compelling enough to keep you playing, then you really need a narrative hook – and that’s what The Division 2 is sadly lacking.

It’s fun. It’s repetitive. Every mission plays out the same. There’s no surprises here. It’s the same game, only a little better. To quote from my review of the original game – ‘It was a fairly entertaining, if mindless way to waste 30 hours of my life. But if I’m being honest, I’ll probably forget I even played it by this time next week.’

6/10