Destiny has Fallen to The Division (BETA) – First Impressions

If you’re one of the lucky ones who got into this weekend’s The Division Beta, you’re in for a treat. The latest Tom Clancy title from Ubisoft plays out in the desolate New York streets after an event occurred which left millions dead. So as expected, the streets of New York are overrun by gangs and some rather powerful enemies which you, as the Division have to clear out, so that the citizens of New York can return to their homes.

Gameplay wise the game is top notch. I managed to rake in around 5 hours last night mostly playing in the Dark Zone, because even though the story is captivating, the Dark Zone just was way more fun. As a new player it takes some time to get into the firefights in the Dark Zone, but once you get a hold of it the game takes on a Destiny like gameplay model.

One thing I would change is to add more NPC units in the game world. Too often do you run around for a few minutes not seeing anyone in the game world. And other times you are overrun with them.

I especially love the loot system. As you traverse the map, you come accross NPC units and other players who take each other on, once you either kill and NPC or other player, their loot drops and you can pick it up. Unfortunately unlike other games in this category, you cannot use the loot until you’ve extracted it from the Dark Zone via several Extraction points. This is where it becomes interesting, as the extraction points quickly become a battleground as some players kill Non hostile players for their loot. Sometimes NPC units decend on the Extraction zones and can overwhelm your group.

The game is made to be played with other players. During the beta I haven’t experienced any server issues and gameplay was smooth and reliable.

Graphics wise this game is gorgeous. They captured New York in meticulous detail and even the weather effects are breathtaking. I’m eagerly awaiting the full game to experience the full New York, and see what the city holds. Ubisoft also stated that they will add more burroughs to the game as time progress.

Right now I can recommend this game as a pre-order. If you’re into Destiny, you’ll get into this game really quickly, and if you don’t like Destiny like I do, this game is so much fun and challenging.

The Division is slated for March 8th release. If you’d like to get into the Beta, pre-order the game and get instant access during this weekend. The Division will not feature any Microtransactions, although a Season Pass will be released alongside the game. The Season Pass will give you access to all three expansions to the game. The first of which will open up the subterranean New York where you and your 4 player squad can explore. The second is an expansion called ‘Survival’, which will give seasoned players an even more challenging experience. The third is called ‘The Last Stand’, and Ubisoft isn’t revealing anything more.

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