Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: What’s Changed?

The Division was a smash-hit in all but every sense. For the most part, it delivered upon the pres-set promises laid out by the dev’s, to a satisfactory standard. Mainly, due to its decent loot and exotic items, tense firefights in the PVP dark zones, and a high-level cap. All the more, it offered copious content and original concepts upon which to build. That said, the modes could use a bit of fine-tuning to get the desired result. Unfortunately, The Division, for all its hype and initial popularity began to fade away. Unable to sustain longevity. As player numbers seemingly dwindled, much like Battlefield V.

Thankfully, the team behind the next entry, Massive Entertainment, are pulling out all the stops. In a bid to ensure the sustainability of the next game. So then, with a month to go before release, what changes can we expect in Tom Clancy’s The Division 2? Read on for all the must-know nuggets of Intel, before the game hits stores on March 15th, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Not long to go now!

 

A Fresh Change of Scenery

New York City, with its densely urban environments, was relatively limited in its biomes. That is, besides the commercial and residential settings: Albeit, an iconic and high-fidelity tribute specific to that area of the United States. For all the exquisite attention to detail, lay equally washed-out visuals and drab textures. Those of which did little to inspire the restrictive scenery. Washington, however, is a different proposition entirely. All in all, the new outlook is sure to give Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 a fresh feel.

 

First off, there is a host of additional zones this time around. For instance, governmental, commercial and cityscapes showcase the urbanized areas of D.C. All the while, outer city areas capture glimpses of nature and act as organic hives of activity. All of which vary in style and scope. What’s more, each of the diverse areas, hold key traits that require strategy and tactics to traverse through unscathed.

Some zones are open and exposed offering little in the way of cover, while others appear condensed and congested. It would seem as though this vision of diversity is a step up from the last game. Let’s hope all this materializes in the end product — another area in which, Tom Clancy’s The division 2 is set to eclipse the first game.

 

Cultural Context

 

Much like Fallout 3, Ubisoft is banking on Washington’s culturally symbolic status to add meaning and context to the story. With famous sites such as the Lincoln Memorial, and landmarks like The White House to name a few, Hopefully, this will inject subtext and relevance to the plot, and heighten the end game, which was somewhat absent or minimal in the first. An element that gives Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 an edge over the first game.

 

The Dark Zone

 

The Dark zone was one of the stand-out features of The Division. A ring-guarded portion of downtown Manhattan. Within, players enter the narrow conflict zone in search of valuable loot. There’s a small caveat though. Other players are hunting down the same exotics, and they’ll commit any number of atrocities to get there hands on the high-value gear.

Inevitably, this insatiable appetite for goods generates high-stakes encounters, with bold and brash, risk and reward based honors. Gradually, over time, the system felt as though it benefited elite players. And those hardcore types willing to grind. In doing so, it appeared to isolate pockets of the community, less experienced at gunplay. Thankfully, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 should be a more forgiving romp for all.

Now, the addition of an occupied Dark Zone, whereby friendly fire and normalization are enabled, transforms 1 of 3 combat zones into an elite level high-stakes firing match. The incentive of which is specialized loot. That would suggest that the other existing zones are there as less stringent forms of competition. Only time will reveal all, but the signs are promising. Let’s hope that the concept of the dark zone is made more cohesive in Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.

 

Loot Withdrawal

 

In the first entry, loot in the dark zone is only extractable via chopper, after firing a flare to indicate your whereabouts. Although a nice gimmick to deploy, soon enough, pilferers robbing you of loot and hijacking items becomes irritating. Especially, after hours of grinding to get each exotic. Thankfully, the inclusion of non-contaminated loot places less enthesis on risk and reward and allows less advanced players to reap the rewards of time spent in the game. Surely then, an area that will make Tom Clancy’s The division 2 a contest open to all.

It’s a Team Effort

 

Team-play is better in a party of four. That said, the all-new clan system is devised to encourage team pursuits and stabilize a more cooperative player mentality. Another beneficial factor of the clan system is that it offers specialized loot while adding locations and more vanity items. This shift in focus onto team aspects could be a smart move. What with the success of the recent Apex Legends. After all, there is no I in the team, and online games do tend to extend their shelf life with coop. Indeed then, a great way to cap-off the changes we can expect to see in Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.

 

To conclude, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is shaping up to be a hit-success. What’s more, the tweaks to its dark zone, loot procurement, and environmental fidelity, are sure to give this game a leg up on the original. What are your thoughts on the upcoming game? Can Ubisoft improve on the first? Is there a part of the game that needs a drastic overhaul? Share your views in the comments. We value your opinions.

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