Tom Clancy's The Division

When I played the beta last February, I wasn't hooked by the game. I didn’t like the controls either, and the shooting seemed very strange. + The interface also turned out to be very overloaded, which also turned me off. And the main reason not to buy was its belonging to the MMO genre. But at the end of the year, with discounts, I decided to purchase an exclusive edition. There's a poster and a stillbook included, so why not? In the end, I managed to play for 50 hours. I played alone, but only when I was sitting with friends on Discord.

Has my attitude towards the game changed since the beta? Yes. I still perceive this game as a spinal shooter that can keep your hands occupied during meetings on Skype or Discord. It would be boring to play it seriously, and I think a cooperative playthrough would not change the situation. The tasks are all eerily the same: you are sent to do something, you do it, fight off a bunch of enemies and that’s it. You get some gear and go to the next task. My complaints are mainly about the MMO system. Because enemies who can withstand 200-250 rounds from a machine gun at point-blank range are atas. Of course, genre affiliation obliges, but this oh how it interferes with the game. And when a large-caliber sniper rifle turns out to be weaker than a regular submachine gun, then it’s a big deal. There are also minor complaints, such as the fact that when you shoot at a lighting object, such as a spotlight or lamppost, they go out for a while, but then light up again. There were moments when I was in cover, at some distance from me there was a searchlight, and behind it the enemy. Due to the fact that the spotlight is blinding and cannot be turned off, it was problematic to fire at the target. Well, I solved the problem with keyboard and mouse controls by connecting a gamepad.

“The Division” is a very atmospheric game. The piece of Manhattan that is in the game is recreated very well, and under the snow it looks very cool. The weather effects are also well done. It’s simply interesting to wander around the map, enjoy the views and climb into all sorts of alleys, apartments, and other buildings. This game is just a pleasure to be in. Well, the gameplay, as I said, is just a spinal joke. Perhaps I’ll give the game one more plus, which follows from the minus, no matter how strange it may sound. The plot has no ending. In the last mission you fight a helicopter boss. I immediately remembered the game Rambo 3 on Sega, where you had to shoot a helicopter with a bow. In division this operation turned out to be easier. And after you pass the helicopter, a message appears on the screen, like well done, you completed all the tasks of the main campaign. The only thing the player can do at this moment is press the “Clear” button. And these two moments, the helicopter boss and this ending, made me remember Sega games, dandy, and awakened nostalgic feelings in me. After all, it was pretty much the same in games back then. You pick at the boss, and then you read how great you are. To play or not, decide for yourself