News - The Division 2

The news is finally out!

Recently I did a "what I expect" article about The Division on this blog, little did I know that Ubisoft was getting ready to launch the announcement of the second game in this franchise just this week. With that in mind, and because I was gonna do it anyways, here's my thoughts on the new Division game.

First and foremost, I believe Ubisoft may have "jumped the gun" on this one and here's why. The 1.8 update is just three months old! Most people, myself included, have yet to reach the peak of the end game. Most players that returned or are just into the Division are still gearing up, leveling up, trying Last Stand and Underground, exploring the Dark Zone, whatever... To those players, this experience is gonna feel a bit void now that they know that a Division 2 game is coming. Sure, they might still enjoy another year of The Division 1, but the truth is that they might be "pulled out" to other games before jumping back on this globally contaminated universe.

Now for the actual game itself. Since many things I already referenced on my previous article for the overall game, I'm just going to name what I'd like to stay in the game and then the other stuff.

I'm thinking this new game needs to have a few things from the get go to work. Besides the open world experience (which is pretty much a given) i'd like this game to have the Underground (or other "dungeon mission" exploring mode), the Resistance, cause I feel this was a fun option but not nearly rewarding enough and Incursions, this time with an option for 6 or 8 players, to make it more challenging and fun. Hunters should already appear on the game since they are now an asset to the enemy so it would be fun if they stayed and maybe even play a part on the storyline of the Division 2.

Weapons customization to the next level, new masks and maybe melee weapons that can actually kill on hit?! Yes, please!

New (technical) features I'd like to encounter:

• Seasonal environment - I guess we can all agree that playing during Christmas time in New York an entire year makes absolutely no sense nowadays! Sure, Snowdrop is a cool engine but The Division needs to evolve from that. Changing weather and environment, complemented with some new outfits or gear, would help (not only set the mood better) but also help the longevity of the game throwout the year.
• Camera angle rework - The Division started to be a mostly PvE driven game but the further it went, the more the PvP aspect of the game revealed itself - especially in the DZ. Having said that, changing directions quickly became a huge thing but the camera continued to move like PvE, making it a dizzy and confusion problem to solve. Ubisoft need to fix that in the new game!
• Inspect player gear - Same as Destiny it would be nice to see what other players are packing into battle so maybe you'll learn a thing or two about them even before doing activities together.
• In game chat - Same as Warframe. Why this is not a thing instead of always favoring the in game voice chat is beyond me. Not everyone can or wants to share their voice over a mic (especially in a family environment) so why not have this as an option?
• Platoons - Clans, Divisions, Squads... Call them what you want you should have this from the get go for the game to start building a community right from the start. The fact that you could also trade gear within your clan (not just one hour after a mission but maybe with a weekly reset) would be an absolute plus for everyone I think.

Big nono's:

• The Dark Zone needs to be fair for everyone! Solo or in a group, rogue or not. As is, the DZ is the most toxic spot in videogame looter shooters ever. This turned many people away from the game from the start since it was also the spot to go to get more gear or leveling up. I fell the DZ should have a similar mechanic to the Survival mode in The Division. You should choose, before you enter, what kind of mode you want. PvP vs PvE, Solo or in a group and be rewarded accordingly. Also, to me, this should be a paid DLC, that way you wouldn't be "forced" to play the DZ but only if you really wanted to (provided the item drops remained the same along the entire game).
• Get rid of the existing cover system! If you've played Raiders of the Broken Planet (RBK) they've made a pretty sweet cover system without using any control input. I often wanna jump out of someone's target sight and find myself stuck to a wall or a vehicle. And yes, RBK is not the best game ever but their action cover system is second to none!
• Don't make tons of gear with different colors! Just make one piece and then change the color on it. I don't need a thousand military jackets on my inventory! I just need one, and then I choose the pattern or color I want ok?

Some people might debate also the new location (or not) for the Division. Some say it should stay in New York, other say that maybe it should be some place else and, although from a narrative perspective I understand the reasoning behind staying in New York - if not only for the fact that we can read the posters and placards all around - I'm more in favor of, not a new location, but a global agency working to contain the contaminated threat. Imagine, instead of one city you'd have three or four. I think that would be very very cool!

Trapcode planet from Philipp Pavlov on Vimeo.

This video is just a small teaser of what I'd like to see from The Division 2, now we'll just have to wait for E3 2018 to see what they've cook up for us. Here's hoping!