Presented for the first time at the 2013 E3, The Division had the scent of rancid failure announced as a first-class diamond. Since Watch_Dogs, the public has in their throats the disastrous exploitation of a perfect concept and demo at the E3, filling every presentation of the publisher and casting doubt on the final quality of the products they wished to put forward by calling them extraordinary or revolutionary.
I will stop before I say good, because it doesn't look like me very much, but I'll just add that we KNOW that Ubi can produce games that are close to very good quality (Far Cry 3 / Blood Dragon / 4) but strange and stupid decisions usually belittle us (R6): Siege plumbed by a rotten marketing strategy and that's why I always test with curiosity and if I have the opportunity of any release of AAA from the publisher.
This weekend took place the open beta of The Division, after a previous weekend in closed beta. It was during the ten hours that I could try myself like the common mortals to the new license stamped Tom Clancy (peace to his soul). In my memory, The Division was a beautiful and detailed post-apocalyptic New York, and A MUCH WHO CLOSES THE DOOR OF A CAR. A RPG with shots on the cover, in short something that could potentially suit me, and as for any product in this category, I deliberately chose to bypass as much as possible the hype-train that Ubi's marketing put together in order to have a clean eye on the day of the release. Because yes, I am human, and I also have my weakness, especially when I haven't slept for more than 8 hours. I want to preorder even though we all know that this is the worst thing to do.
BRIEF, 10:00 a. m. of play later, I'm cautious: The Division grabbed my hand, stroked it with kindness, gave me a rifle and caped guys to shoot at, but also made me cross nightmare zones filled with dead body bags, snow-covered alleys in the fog. All without rushing me and insinuating myself in my spinal cortex where the pleasure is born. Yeah, it was really good.
The game is a cover-shooter MMORPG, and the beta offered a PvE zone and a PvP zone. I'm not a MMORPG customer at all, and not everyone I've tested has convinced me. I don't have the fibre or time for this bullshit, I'm 40 years old and a child. So it better not to piss off the young assholes which was why I played the way I play best; alone in my corner.
Freshly landed by helicopter in Manhattan, the takeover is very simple, we go straight to the streets of New York City devastated by a huge epidemic (reassure yourself, no zombie on the horizon, when I tell you that I'm 40 years old and I'm past the age of the same bullshit). After been briefed quickly, it's time to go to a PvE instance to win its first skills; if you don't go head down, the game is relatively easy and I quickly get comfortable because there's loot, and I love the loot, I love the hoard. Do not judge me, I'm an old lady who still has a PSP in a drawer not lit for 4 years. After a bit of PvE, the game offers when you reach a sufficient level to get into the famous Dark-Zone PvP, where you will be able to get shot at and steal all your loot by a little Italian boy of 12 yelling in his microphone.
The Division is obviously not really made to play alone, it offers a system of matchmaking if you don't come with your buddies, in order to constitute a small squad to go do the missions, or to sail in the Dark Zone which also has small events with NPC, which makes it a zone not so much like the PvP. Moreover, if you want to attack other players, you are in a Rogue status for a few minutes (2 to 5 depending on the number of people you shoot). The advantage is that if you survive during this period, you pick up a lot of XP, and also the loot of your victims, but if you're eliminated, you also lose rather big. In short, it's up to you to see if it's worth it. Even if playing alone is possible, there is clearly an advantage to be in a group, not only will everyone be able to play alone.
