EGX 2015 - Tom Clancy's the Division Preview

From the ashes of zombie survival and apocalypse games, The Division rose proposing a premise that, although seen before, was never taken into such extreme depth. It’s been over two years since we saw that first gameplay in New York, where futuristic gadgets and over-the-top shootings, combined with a hostile and post-apocalyptic world, created a quite enticing atmosphere, but that also felt dangerous and chaotic. Now we all get to play it, or at least, glimpse it. However, the segment they selected as a demo was probably not the best showcase of this game.

As we sit down, I get introduced to my teammates, who’re sitting right next to me, and as eager as I am to explore and shoot people in the face. Our team leader explains that we’re about to go into the ‘Dark Zone’, a PvP-only area where loot and rewards abound. We’re encouraged to engage with an AI enemy patrol, who’s guarding some special weapon. This part allowed us to get a grip of the special abilities and gadgets that each member of the team had, providing some interesting combinations when these complement each other. After an easy shootout, we tiptoe around our enemies’ corpses and get our hands on this powerful new gun.At this point, everything was much like we had previously seen in the gameplays: there are AI enemies, loot scattered around the map, a snowy urban landscape and lots of shooting and special abilities. However, the main reason why I was disappointed was because it all seemed like a linear shooter. The open world had been reduced to one street, and the random events and quests that were featured in the early trailers were nowhere to be seen. Instead of being driven by my own will and choices, as in any open world game with a heavy RPG system, I was forced to follow a set path. I guess, however, that it is understandable that they need to set limitations when showcasing an open world game, but I was still a bit disheartened.

As we advanced through the Dark Zone, we reached an open square in what appears to be a three-man team Deathmatch. Over half of my time with the game consisted of this chaotic and frantic shootout, where three teams shot each other with little to no knowledge of what we were doing. It felt like a set match, as if I was playing Call of Duty, with very quick respawns and little tactical game. I’m sure the nature of the game meant that some boundaries had to be enforced for the showcase, but it left me wondering whether the hostile and lonely atmosphere of the first trailers had disappeared to let room for a more action-focused, quick and PvP-based game. Here, the difficulty skyrocketed and clearly showed how players are the real danger, rather than NPCs.

The core mechanics, however, are still very much present, with a cover-based shooter with different abilities and gadgets to be used, but I was expecting an atmosphere similar to DayZ’s, where role-playing and decision-making have much more weight. All in all, the taste I had of the game left me craving more independence and silent moments. Teamwork, loot and the RPG system appear to not have changed, but the overall feel of the game seems to have taken a turn. Again, this is likely to be due to the situation of the demo. I still wonder about how the final product will turn out.