The Division - Review Thread

Aters said:
Wow at IGN's score.
Never thought IGN would be the one who gives the lowest score, they are usually merciful.
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Sterling gave a lower score. As an optimistic sort I'd give it about a "7"(40 hours played at this time) as well with the caveat that it could easily jump a bit with a few of the free DLC patches and it possibly needs to be reviewed again when the year one edition comes out. But these games have to be reviewed in their state at release. Not based on their potential. Potential should be mentioned but not factored into score.
 
NowhereFaded said:
Gaf goin Gaf. You guys crack me the heck up. Almost spat out my morn coffee. I've been gaming for 30, and the division is the pinnacle of what gaming has become, where it has come from. Granted, I'm only level 8, and wish I had more time to play, but this game is insanely good. Breath of fresh air for me. Best game I've played in awhile.
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😕
 
DesertFox said:
To the people who are saying the game is boring, what could be done - in your opinion - to improve the game?

I just hit level 20 last night, crafted my first purple and have visited a little over half of the districts. Yet to enter the dark zone. There's still tons of things left for me to do in the game. Does the boredom come once you've hit max level and are in all high end equipment? Or are people fizzling out along the journey?
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Jet packs and aliens.
 
DesertFox said:
To the people who are saying the game is boring, what could be done - in your opinion - to improve the game?

I just hit level 20 last night, crafted my first purple and have visited a little over half of the districts. Yet to enter the dark zone. There's still tons of things left for me to do in the game. Does the boredom come once you've hit max level and are in all high end equipment? Or are people fizzling out along the journey?
Click to expand...

The end game is a huge problem at the moment.

The only thing left to do once you hit 30 is play through the same exact missions you probably just finished to grind for Phoenix Credits, which you're given a paltry amount per daily mission.

Some type of mission playlist for high-level players that remixes enemy types would be welcome. The amount of PC awarded needs to be increased, as well as the drop rate. At the moment, the drop rate is Dragon Age Inquisition/Dying Light levels of bad.
 
Mass Appeal said:
The graphics, level of detail and atmosphere are probably the best I have seen this gen.

Gameplay could be tighter for sure and Loot could be better but overall this game is pretty good.
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I'm perfectly open to games that choose a route of simpler mechanics like P&Cs or VNs, but loot and gameplay do seem like they should be pretty high up on the priority list in a case like this.
 
my takeaway is the game is one of those "N/A out of 10" games... really depends on what you want out of it. i don't think any review could do it justice unless strictly critical of mechanics

in some ways i see the game as a 6.0 and others i see it as a 10
 
Some thoughts after "finishing" The Division.

The Dark Zone

The Dark Zone feels like a complete waste of time. It's supposed to be where you get the best gear, but I think that's only true for the DZ rank 50 items sold by the one vendor. The other best gear is either high-end stuff you craft or buy with phoenix credits. And both of that can be done in single player.

One thing that really bothered me about the dark zone is that after level 14, there's absolutely no use for dark zone currency until you reach level 30. Really? They couldn't make it every 5 levels or so? That way I could spend some of my DZ money on rank 25 items. As such, you can completely ignore the DZ until you're level 30 and then just go there and start grinding up. But I'm really not seeing a reason to do it at all.

There's very little incentive to go rogue unless you just like the idea of shooting other players. You lose so much experience when you die and surviving rogue status gives you very little reward. Not to mention killing people for their items is kinda silly since the items you find in the DZ really aren't that great. I suspect people are going to invent things to do in the DZ to make it interesting. Like delegate some area as a free for all PvP area and just go there and play king of the hill. As it is now, the PvP aspect of this game is... really underwhelming.

So... if you're like me, you've mostly played single player until reaching level 30. Then you're supposed to begin your quest for the best high-end gear in the game. But screw the DZ because that's not how you do it. Basically, you play missions over and over and over again on the highest difficulty to grind credits. Eventually you get the items you want and.... then what?

THEN you go to the DZ and start grinding to rank 50 I guess. But that feels like it would take a year and you only have the very basic AI encounters in the DZ to deal with. No missions. Nothing interesting whatsoever. I just.... I dunno. I'm not feeling the DZ at all. Maybe I'm missing something.

Loot

The game relies on the loot to keep you playing..... but the loot is nothing but stat upgrades. The items themselves are not interesting or different whatsoever. There's nothing unique about the "high-end" gear. In other "RPGs," the highest rarity items can be found throughout the playthrough and are typically unique in some way. For example, a legendary rocket launcher in Borderlands 2 can fire a missile that fires other missiles that fire other missiles... until they hit something. I know this game is grounded in reality, but SOMETHING could have been done to make the items you find actually exciting.

As such, the loot aspect of this game was really not rewarding at all and seems like an excuse to call this an "RPG."

Enemies, Encounters, etc

In Bloodborne, you can play the entire game with a single weapon and not get bored. That's because every new area you enter is exciting because you never know what kind of enemies you'll be fighting. And those enemies all require you to learn their moves and adapt. ESPECIALLY bosses. This is just one way to keep a game from feeling repetitive.

In The Division, the enemies you fight at level 5 are pretty much the same enemies you fight at level 30. And the encounters are pretty much the same too. You get behind cover, wait for your opportunity to shoot, or fall back in order to put distance between you and the enemy and use ranged weapons. This is how I played the entire game. Same strategy for every single boss as well (except for maybe the very last boss).

I was really hoping this game would throw some curves at me at some point. Mutated, diseased crazy motherfuckers would totally be fitting with the setting but.... no. Nothing.

Anyways, these are of course my opinions. At least I finished the game, which is more than I can say for most games these days. But I'm not sure what it was that kept me coming back. Maybe just a lack of something else to play right now.
 
Ushay said:
Destiny excels in PvP. But Division kicks it's anus for all PvE related content.

It's difficult to compare the two imo.
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Disagree..pve content in Division outside main missions is horrid... Raids in Destiny blow away anything in the division.

digitalrelic said:
Hell no. The Division is way better IMO.
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Destiny is way better imo, has PVP,. excellent unique loot, raids were great, gunplay is on another level then the division.
 
jim2point0 said:
Anyways, these are of course my opinions. At least I finished the game, which is more than I can say for most games these days. But I'm not sure what it was that kept me coming back. Maybe just a lack of something else to play right now.
Click to expand...

couldn't be that you were just enjoying yourself? :) ...
 
kutthoat5150 said:
never got into Destiny but according to IGN, the Division is worse. For those that played both would you agree?
Click to expand...

Division base is far superior to Destiny base. Factoring in The Dark Below, House of Wolves, and The Taken King, I suppose they are about on par when you take into account what does better in certain areas.

Division pros:
  • World feels more tangible between world exploration and NPC presence/reactions
  • Missions have clear and direct context and purpose that fits in the overall narrative.
  • Majority of lore is in-game (exception to my knowledge is the New York Collapse book, of which I haven't read)
  • Loot is both common and all around useful
  • Crafting!
  • More variety and control in stats and abilities
  • Abilities have stronger effects and are more dynamic
  • World impact (base building)
  • No Bungie balancing
  • More available and persistent matchmaking system
  • Free-for-all Dark Zone

Destiny pros:
  • Clear and persistent end-game(Nightfall pre-nerf, Weeklies, Dailys, Bounties, Raid, Iron Banner, Trials of Osiris, Prison of Elders)
  • Actual, direct PvP mode with the Crucible
  • Better movement (Jumping, sprinting, sliding, teleporting > cover to cover)
  • Stronger gunplay via visual and enemy feedback and effects
  • While maybe not as prevelant as before, Exotic gear design and abilities.
  • Destiny App
  • Compelling lore if you seek out the Grimoire
  • Subjective in perceived quality, but visual design is arguably more varied with the different worlds and cultures as opposed to the familiar backdrop of New York City + Quarantine elements.
  • Game events in the world bringing (few) players together

They feel like really different games when it comes down to it. Love them both, so take that into account.
 
jim2point0 said:
Some thoughts after "finishing" The Division.

The Dark Zone

The Dark Zone feels like a complete waste of time. It's supposed to be where you get the best gear, but I think that's only true for the DZ rank 50 items sold by the one vendor. The other best gear is either high-end stuff you craft or buy with phoenix credits. And both of that can be done in single player.

One thing that really bothered me about the dark zone is that after level 14, there's absolutely no use for dark zone currency until you reach level 30. Really? They couldn't make it every 5 levels or so? That way I could spend some of my DZ money on rank 25 items. As such, you can completely ignore the DZ until you're level 30 and then just go there and start grinding up. But I'm really not seeing a reason to do it at all.

There's very little incentive to go rogue unless you just like the idea of shooting other players. You lose so much experience when you die and surviving rogue status gives you very little reward. Not to mention killing people for their items is kinda silly since the items you find in the DZ really aren't that great. I suspect people are going to invent things to do in the DZ to make it interesting. Like delegate some area as a free for all PvP area and just go there and play king of the hill. As it is now, the PvP aspect of this game is... really underwhelming.

So... if you're like me, you've mostly played single player until reaching level 30. Then you're supposed to begin your quest for the best high-end gear in the game. But screw the DZ because that's not how you do it. Basically, you play missions over and over and over again on the highest difficulty to grind credits. Eventually you get the items you want and.... then what?

THEN you go to the DZ and start grinding to rank 50 I guess. But that feels like it would take a year and you only have the very basic AI encounters in the DZ to deal with. No missions. Nothing interesting whatsoever. I just.... I dunno. I'm not feeling the DZ at all. Maybe I'm missing something.

Loot

The game relies on the loot to keep you playing..... but the loot is nothing but stat upgrades. The items themselves are not interesting or different whatsoever. There's nothing unique about the "high-end" gear. In other "RPGs," the highest rarity items can be found throughout the playthrough and are typically unique in some way. For example, a legendary rocket launcher in Borderlands 2 can fire a missile that fires other missiles that fire other missiles... until they hit something. I know this game is grounded in reality, but SOMETHING could have been done to make the items you find actually exciting.

As such, the loot aspect of this game was really not rewarding at all and seems like an excuse to call this an "RPG."

Enemies, Encounters, etc

In Bloodborne, you can play the entire game with a single weapon and not get bored. That's because every new area you enter is exciting because you never know what kind of enemies you'll be fighting. And those enemies all require you to learn their moves and adapt. ESPECIALLY bosses. This is just one way to keep a game from feeling repetitive.

In The Division, the enemies you fight at level 5 are pretty much the same enemies you fight at level 30. And the encounters are pretty much the same too. You get behind cover, wait for your opportunity to shoot, or fall back in order to put distance between you and the enemy and use ranged weapons. This is how I played the entire game. Same strategy for every single boss as well (except for maybe the very last boss).

I was really hoping this game would throw some curves at me at some point. Mutated, diseased crazy motherfuckers would totally be fitting with the setting but.... no. Nothing.

Anyways, these are of course my opinions. At least I finished the game, which is more than I can say for most games these days. But I'm not sure what it was that kept me coming back. Maybe just a lack of something else to play right now.
Click to expand...

Your opinions line up squarely with mine.

The Division's got chops, but man is the possibility space for new and fresh encounters egregiously low. They were getting into some cool stuff where
rouge agents (In PvE) were able to use powers against you, but in the end they only served as a mirror to your own abilities,
which are not numerous. The Division could have gone some brilliant places. The tactical cover to cover made me think what it must feel like to play XCOM 2 in real time, but never felt like the game was really reacting or counteracting against certain play-styles like a tactical game would; other than not rushing in. I feel like the new content releasing soon will be a telling factor for which direction The Division could be heading in. Incursions could very well temper my need for something more out of this game, but only time can tell.
 
ArkkAngel007 said:
Division base is far superior to Destiny base. Factoring in The Dark Below, House of Wolves, and The Taken King, I suppose they are about on par when you take into account what does better in certain areas.

Division pros:
  • World feels more tangible between world exploration and NPC presence/reactions
  • Missions have clear and direct context and purpose that fits in the overall narrative.
  • Majority of lore is in-game (exception to my knowledge is the New York Collapse book, of which I haven't read)
  • Loot is both common and all around useful
  • Crafting!
  • More variety and control in stats and abilities
  • Abilities have stronger effects and are more dynamic
  • World impact (base building)
  • No Bungie balancing
  • More available and persistent matchmaking system
  • Free-for-all Dark Zone

Destiny pros:
  • Clear and persistent end-game(Nightfall pre-nerf, Weeklies, Dailys, Bounties, Raid, Iron Banner, Trials of Osiris, Prison of Elders)
  • Actual, direct PvP mode with the Crucible
  • Better movement (Jumping, sprinting, sliding, teleporting > cover to cover)
  • Stronger gunplay via visual and enemy feedback and effects
  • While maybe not as prevelant as before, Exotic gear design and abilities.
  • Destiny App
  • Compelling lore if you seek out the Grimoire
  • Subjective in perceived quality, but visual design is arguably more varied with the different worlds and cultures as opposed to the familiar backdrop of New York City + Quarantine elements.
  • Game events in the world bringing (few) players together

They feel like really different games when it comes down to it. Love them both, so take that into account.
Click to expand...
Totall disagree. Destiny is way better imo, has PVP,. excellent unique loot, raids were great, gunplay is on another level then the division. PVP and end game are non existent in division. Day 1 destiny had PVP, strikes and Vault of glass which was amazing. Divisions only thing it has that's better is matchmaking. Destiny also has 3 glasses with unique abilities which you need to maximize in raids and high level content.
 
AncientDiety said:
Totall disagree. Destiny is way better imo, has PVP,. excellent unique loot, raids were great, gunplay is on another level then the division. PVP and end game are non existent in division. Day 1 destiny had PVP, strikes and Vault of glass which was amazing. Divisions only thing it has that's better is matchmaking. Destiny also has 3 glasses with unique abilities which you need to maximize in raids and high level content.
Click to expand...

I lel'd
 
Strangelove77 said:
The reason Destiny had such longevity is because of the Crucible/Iron Banner and doing the raids a million times to get that full set of high level gear. This game doesn't seem to have either. I have no idea how it's going to get people to stick around longer than a few months.
Click to expand...

Destiny has a very satisfying and addicting gameplay loop. I don't play anymore but I would get a new weapon and go to the cosmodrome and just shoot things for an hour. It Was more than just watching numbers going up
 
wow, so I thought IGN traditionally gave relatively high scores (ie very rarely below 6) so looked up The Order score - and its 6.5 (vs 6.7 for The Division)

That made me laugh, I picked up the Order for $10 on sale since I thought the story and plot looked superb, and wow is it a bad game. Looks great and I'd love to see a better playing sequel to see where the story goes next.
 
AncientDiety said:
Huh? Great critique....all of my post us true.
Click to expand...

Vault Of Glass wasn't in Destiny day 1, it came later. (not long like a few weeks or something like that)

I like both games for different reasons, though I haven't played the TTK yet for Destiny, just the vanilla version.
 
Kyne said:
Hello peeps and peepettes.

My GF and I have been on the fence about this game due it being another MMO FPS.. (we played Destiny for a year and got burned out by the grind).

How is the end game? That's what's keeping us from diving in. We decided we'd wait a week or two to see how things would pan out.
Click to expand...

end game is the Tunnel
 
Kyne said:
How is the end game? That's what's keeping us from diving in. We decided we'd wait a week or two to see how things would pan out.
Click to expand...

In its current state, there doesn't seem to be any end game to aim towards. Everyone is just grinding the DZ or hard/challenge modes to better their equipment but to what end ?

The hard/challenge modes are the exact same levels just with harder mobs, so there is a distinct lack of variety at the moment.

Hopefully the upcoming incursions freshen things up a bit
 
The game is very polarising. I'd give it between a 7.5 and 7.9 I suppose. The thing is, I agree with major aspects of all reviews. I agree with the IGN (US) video review so much, yet I'd score it higher.

The game is fun, probably made much better for the fact I'm on with friends. A lot of the scenery is just there for amazing window dressing and it's a fabulous world to look at, just not a fabulous "living" world.

The gameplay is pretty good, though. The loot hook can get you and that's what I find fun. Dark Zone is a rush too and I haven't felt like that since Souls for the first time.

It's a hard one to review for sure.
 
AncientDiety said:
Totall disagree. Destiny is way better imo, has PVP,. excellent unique loot, raids were great, gunplay is on another level then the division. PVP and end game are non existent in division. Day 1 destiny had PVP, strikes and Vault of glass which was amazing. Divisions only thing it has that's better is matchmaking. Destiny also has 3 glasses with unique abilities which you need to maximize in raids and high level content.
Click to expand...

  • Already addressed Crucible being a Pro to Destiny, as well as end game Raid
  • Gunplay isn't on another level. It comes down to the visual feedback and enemy reactions, which are better in Destiny but not on some other dimensional plane. The shooting in Division is still good with weapons and their mods having a variety of differences between the stats (ROF, accuracy, stability, range with and without scope, crits)
  • Destiny's 3 class system, while done well for PvE (Crucible was unbalanced), was limiting. Between gear, mods, perks, and abilities, you can tune your character to either a very broad or very precise role. Healer, suppressor, tank, marksman, glass cannon...Divisions system is more versatile. It also helps that the abilities in the Division are all around useful, where Destiny's abilities outside of Supers was incredibly underwhelming.
  • The main missions in Division are essentially strikes of Destiny. The challenge mode is pretty much Nightfall, and is the current end game alongside DZ. That doesn't mean end game is better than Destiny. It isn't. But the baseline is there for it to be better depending on what the Incursions end up being.
  • FYI, Vault of Glass was not Day 1, but released a week after. Still beats out the ambiguous Incursion, but it was still an addition.

The overall game of The Division is just a better whole IMO, though I loved Destiny. Then again, maybe it's the same issue I have with RE6. I need more than just a good element of a combat system to carry an entire game. Though, RE6 had a bit too much meat too it and could have used a trim, while Destiny was the leanest cut one could imagine.
 
kutthoat5150 said:
never got into Destiny but according to IGN, the Division is worse. For those that played both would you agree?
Click to expand...
Destiny is better even looking at vanilla IMO.
It had more content at launch too.

Big_Al said:
Vault Of Glass wasn't in Destiny day 1, it came later. (not long like a few weeks or something like that)

I like both games for different reasons, though I haven't played the TTK yet for Destiny, just the vanilla version.
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It was in the launch week just few days after the day 1 to people reach enough level to play it.

VoG alone is something unique that put it above Division to me.
 
I like the game. Do I think its the best game i've ever played? No. In fact its not even the best looter shooter i've ever played, but it is damn fun. I actually agree with a lot of the points he makes during the review, I just don't agree with the score. I feel with what he said an 8/8.5 would be on point more or less but I really don't care too much about reviews anymore. I mean, this is the outlet that gave Alien: Isolation a 5.9 (I think?) and that turned out to be one of my top games of all time.
 
I kno its fan boys on both sides. But my gawd Xbox extreme fans are bat shit crazy. A guy name Mooch just said the reason for ign giving it 6.7 is because of MS marketing deal wtf
 
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