Tom Clancy’s The Division™

They nailed the atmosphere on this one compared to Division 2. I remember grinding for hours and hours on this one for the Xbox One when it came out. Tons of fun.

boring. characters are uninteresting, granted I didn't finish it but the story was so cookie cutter basic I cant even remember what the reasoning for the game is, the game play is one big nothing burger, go here do this over and over, on top of that its not linear so i had no motivation to actually go do anything, I would compare this game to fortnite save the world of all things, but take out everything that makes that addictive and fun and replace it with a jason statham movie on wheels, with no jason statham. and if all of that isnt bad enough the scariest thing about this game is the developer 0/10 ubisoft

It's a third person cover-based shooter with an emphasis on loot acquisition and combat optimization. While there is player-vs-player gameplay, mostly it's player-vs-environment (AI).

While the shoot-and-loot gameplay is nothing special (Borderlands does it better) what really sets the game apart is the atmosphere and setting.

The plotline involves a devastating bioweapon attack on New York City that causes a collapse of law and order. You are a part of the titular "Division", a secretive government agency that is activated after all else has failed. You've certainly got your work cut out for you, as the city has been overrun by escaped convicts, looters, and a group of insane sanitation workers ("Cleaners") that are determined to burn the virus out by killing all potential hosts.

And really, this is the best post-apocalyptic depiction of NYC, or any city for that matter, that I've ever seen. You've got ransacked police stations, looters in the streets, civilians scavenging for food, an impressive dichotomy of normal city life juxtaposed with signs of societal collapse...

Graphically the game is stunning. The Snowdrop game engine has some excellent weather effects. I never thought I would say that snow in a video game could be beautiful, but in The Division it is! There are furious blizzards, lighter snow flurries, high-resolution footprints in the snow, and even a light dusting of snow on your character's shoulders after they've been outside for awhile. But it's not just snow that looks good. Skyscrapers reflect light, glass shatters realistically when shot, the barrel of your machine gun will turn red and steam after prolonged fire, there's just so many little touches that make for a great presentation.

Unlike many Tom Clancy games, the Division does NOT have realistic combat. There is no "one bullet kills" type of realism, and no emphasis on bullet ballistics. Both the player and enemies have a large health pool. Most bosses can take a full magazine of bullets to the face and keep fighting as though nothing's the matter. While some people will complain about these "bullet sponge" enemies, I felt that overall combat in this game is fun. If you're looking for more realism in your Tom Clancy games, try Wildlands.

Combat mostly involves small arms firefights against groups of enemy infantry. While most of the enemies are just guys with assault rifles, a few of them will be specialists that present additional challenges. For example one specialist is a shotgunner that will deal major damage if allowed to get up close. Another specialist is a guy who hides behind a shield which protects him from your bullets, but he is vulnerable to flanking attacks. Many of these bad guy specialists have weak points; hitting the weak point will stun/damage the enemy.

The cover-based shooting makes good use of a cover-to-cover movement mechanic. There is also a blind fire attack mechanic which gives reduced accuracy but leaves you less vulnerable to return fire.

A big part of the game is unlocking skills. As you progress through the storyline you earn Medical, Security, and Technical skill points which can be spent to upgrade your base of operations. An upgraded base of operations gives you permanent buffs as well as more options for combat optimization. Extra shopkeepers can be unlocked, free loot can be gotten, and most importantly you can invest in your character's skill trees. You can have up to three skills available at a time, and which ones you choose will have a huge impact on how you play. For example, one skill is a "seeker grenade" that, once thrown will actively hunt down the enemy and explode. Another skill is a "support station" that provides constant healing as long as you remain within the area of effect. Skills can be easily switched out; there is no such thing as messing up your character build and having to re-spec your character.

Your base of operations starts out as a dilapidated post office, but as you gradually build it up it eventually becomes a high tech base teeming with trained personnel. Awesome!

This game has been described as an "RPG" but the storyline is linear with no plot choices to make. The character development of your NPC quest-givers also leaves much to be desired. Your Division boss (Lau) and the Medical supervisor (Kandal) were I guess supposed to be written as assertive leader-types, but instead they just came across as being arrogant jerks. The other two main NPCs in your base (Benitez, Rhodes) have better dialogue but are still mostly forgettable. The game's main antagonist (Keener) is poorly fleshed out and absent for most of the game. It is never adequately explained why Keener's lackeys (the LMB) are actually fighting you. On the plus side, there is a large amount of backstory flavor in the form of audio diaries (cell phones), written situation reports, survival guides, ect.

As your character completes missions they earn experience points which lead to level ups with better stats. Each mission you take on will have a recommended level, and I strongly advise that you respect it! Completing a level 20 mission when you are only level 19 is going to be tough. Completing that same mission at level 18 may be outright impossible. But overall for most of the game experience points are plentiful, side quests give good rewards, and there's little incentive to go grinding for XP.

Once you've made it to the maximum level (30) and beaten all the main missions you'd probably think the game is over, right? Wrong! The Division is actually only just starting because a slew of end-game content gets unlocked at that point! Completing the main campaign (with side quests) will probably take about 20 hours, but the end-game content can easily occupy you for HUNDREDS of hours of fun!

In the end game, since there are no more experience levels, you instead will be looking for classified gear sets and exotic items. These are rare loot drops, and indeed your character progression will slow down considerably. I do feel Borderlands handled late-game character progression better, because you could still level up and put points into your large skill tree, while in the Division by level 30 you've already maxed out your skill trees and levels -- better loot is all there is left to optimize your character with.

A brief synopsis of end-game content:

*High value targets, which are basically randomized open world quests of variable difficulty.
*West Side Piers, a new area that opens up with its own quests.
*Underground (paid DLC), a randomized quest line with its own level-up system and unique combat modifiers.
*Survival (paid DLC), you're stripped of all gear and must survive both the weather and your enemies.
*Last Stand (paid DLC), team-based PvP games.
*Daily and Weekly Challenges, replay the main missions under specific conditions for extra rewards.
*Incursions, the hardest PvE missions in the game, they must be completed with a group.
*Resistance, survive as long as possible against progressively harder waves of bad guys.
*Dark Zone, the main PvP area in the game, you can be killed by other players (rogues) but there is also PvE content. You can actually enter the DZ before level 30 but it's probably better to wait until the end game.

The Division also contains a crafting system, a weapon recalibration system, and unlockable cosmetics and emotes. There's a bewildering variety of currencies, probably more than any other game I've played (it should've been simplified).

The game music is high quality and helps to set the mood. Fighting criminal gangs in a neon-lit Times Square as a blizzard rages and the "Times Square" soundtrack plays is an incredible experience!

The Division can be played solo, but I strongly recommend playing it with friends. Up to 4 players can join up together for some great co-op fun!

If you're looking for a shoot-and-loot game with great atmosphere and fun co-op, try out The Division!

OTS tactical shooter in an ultra-realistic, familiar urban setting w/ friends? Take my money... Almost 160 hours later, it's been pre-pandemic since I played it weekly, and I'm diving back in so I can run the Underground DLC for the first time. To have that kind of desire so many years later is evidence of the pull this game has on me. Ubisoft can truly go f*** itself, but Massive Ent. has a special place in my bitter, blackened gamer heart. It's certainly not perfect; but nothing is, so grab your Gov't-issued Wristwatch and fight those pesky diseases, Agent. ;^)

Played this game when it first came out, it was amazing me and 3 friends decided to relive the glory days. we are not dissapointed still one of the best games of all time! especially the DZ

About 35 hours into the game and I'm enjoying the game solo thus far but I wish I could team up with even just 1 other player but that hasn't been the case even once despite asking every person I see. I know the game was meant for coop despite being basically impossible now that everyone has moved on to The Division 2 years ago so I'm not holding that against the game. Great graphics, runs smoothly on a low-mid level gaming laptop (3050 Ti). Movement in combat has been very fluid and the cover system has been exceptional. The gun variety is nice and although I'm not FPS expert, as I barely play competitive shooters the guns feel diverse enough with enough difference in punchyness, kickback, reload speed, and steadiness between guns. Environments all kind of look the same but I really dig the atmosphere of the game. Some zones at night are creepy while during the day feel alive and exciting. Overall digging the game!

Beat this game on xbox when it first came out and now back at it again because they added achievements to it on steam.

Still a fun title in 2025!

Although I prefer Ghost Recon: Wildlands, this is objectively the better game of the two. Lots of fun. Lots of grinding. Lots of loot. Lots of pew-pew. And PvP is integrated well into the main mode (although in a sub-section, called "dark zone") of the game, unlike Wildlands' (mostly dead) PvP.

Interestingly enough, when I've played a multiplayer Ubisoft game (except for R6 Siege, of course), I've never encountered a single @ssh0le, everybody I've met is a respectful person who doesn't behave as the typical cave brain keyboard warrior with a superiority complex and the obligatory sense of entitlement. <3

Although most weapons don't sound as good as in Tarkov, the M700 bolt-action sound of manipulating the bolt and ejecting a spent cartridge is so freaking good. I would give up a build just to be able to hear this sound all the time.

Speaking of builds... yes, this is a kind of RPG, which forces you to work with lots of min-maxing. People may say that the game is forgiving with sub-optimal builds, but that is very untrue for certain missions and especially for solo play. Which means that, if you want to be not miserable, you are forced to play with certain weapons, which is kind of a bummer and breaks immersion (and nullifies the "role-" part of a "role-playing game").

It runs buttery-smooth, as all Ubisoft openworlds I've tried so far do. It's kind of amazing how they achieve that consistently (it's not surprising, considering they work with their own Anvil engine and can spare the manhours needed for tweaking & optimizing).

It's a great game and it's still alive, despite Division 2 existence, which is pretty cool. I hope it doesn't get murdered by Ubisoft's "financial optimizations" in the near future.

One of the best co-op games around. Worth replaying and there is lots of activities to do after the story content is finished.

the best looter shooter!
the atmosphere is unmatched, looting and grinding is mad fun.

TD2 is a big downgrade in the series.

I love this game the combat and collectables outside of the main story are great and I'm so glad it has steam achievements now!

after 43 hours of play time, i think im satisfied with this game. not a 100% completion because im not a madman. but i very recommend this game to try!

ultra settings + oled monitor, visually this game goes bonkers, if i didn't know this game existed and told me it released recently I would believe you. ohterwise it is a simple looter shooter mmorpg type game, just a fun casual game for me. nothing too crazy besides beautiful world.

Still waiting on the game from 2013 E3, if u know u know....

only con it is dead so if you wanna enjoy co-op gotta find a friend to buy it too and also ubisoft launcher.

very worth it for 5 bucks

this game have a good graphic , atmosphere , playing style and good store and more i recommend it and i hope ubisoft care about this version of division

it would be more fun if i can join in some group in dark zones or missions online if there anyone at all in the game that isn't private mode but still fun, just more fun to play with people

One of the best 3rd person shooters of all time. They truly capture the feel of NYC and the weather. Game is still going strong and you can grab it so cheap! Its worth it, as is the sequel!

It's my first time with the division franchise.

After playing it for the very first time my first question was " why did I put off this game for such a long time? "

This game is awesome. You'll never regret getting this game.

I'm having an absolute blast.

I highly recommend it.

The ultimate 'based-on-a-true-story' video game eerily depicting a pandemic-ravaged New York City, echoing the anxiety of the real-life 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. As you navigate desolate streets, desperate citizens lean out of apartment windows, shouting frantic warnings about cult-like groups roaming the city—fanatical zealots clad in repurposed firefighter gear, wielding flamethrowers to violently 'cleanse' an already devastated metropolis (before the COVID apocolypse hits). Essentially, you're facing a chilling, exaggerated manifestation of extremist rhetoric—think Rush Limbaugh’s far-right 'drain the swamp' Dittoheads twisted into an apocalyptic cult.

This review is based on 100% completion and 111.4 hours of gameplay.

Recommendation:

Would I recommend this game? Absolutely.

I've been a fan since its Xbox release and recently picked it up on Steam. While the player base is smaller than it once was, it’s still an amazing experience. Some modes, like full lobbies in Survival, Strike (PvP), and other group activities, can be difficult—if not impossible—to find games for, but a small, loyal community keeps the game alive.

What really draws me in is the well-crafted story and atmosphere—it’s a masterclass in world-building. This is one of the few games with a realistic, gritty narrative that doesn’t feel far-fetched and seems like something that could actually happen. That extra layer of believability makes it even more immersive. While the graphics may feel a little dated compared to its sequel or newer titles, the art direction and style more than make up for it. In fact, I personally think this game has a stronger narrative and visual identity than The Division 2. Those two aspects alone make it worth playing.

The gameplay and gunplay still hold up today. While The Division 2 refines many mechanics, combat remains fun and satisfying. The key is optimising your build—without good gear, enemies can feel like bullet sponges. But once you’ve got a solid setup, the combat becomes much more rewarding.

PvP isn’t really my thing, so I only played enough for the achievements. In the Dark Zone, you’ll either find no one (due to the small player base) or run into fully optimised players who’ll melt you. That said, it’s still fun—even when getting destroyed by a Russian guy on proximity chat saying, "Please brotha, heal brotha. Good job brotha." Like the rest of the game, it’s best with others, but the low player count makes it far less active than it used to be.

One of the biggest downsides is the near non-existent matchmaking. I struggled to find players for any mission or mode. While a small, dedicated player base remains, I rarely saw others in the Dark Zone or Survival and only a handful in the main hubs. If you want a team, your best bet is to organise one outside the game or hope to run into someone to invite.

Now onto the DLC, which I personally wasn’t a fan of.

• Underground is a massive grind with little reward. Missions consist of 1–3 randomly generated phases, each taking at least 15 minutes. Levelling is painfully slow, and the limited tile sets make the gameplay feel repetitive fast. After a few runs, you’ve seen it all, making the mode a complete time sink with minimal payoff.
  
• Survival is slightly better—not a mode I enjoy, but I’ll give them credit for trying something fresh. I only played PvE for achievements, but PvP works like the Dark Zone with survival extraction mechanics added. The difficulty can be brutal, and playing with one other person is highly recommended. Full squads might struggle due to limited resource sharing. Interesting concept, but not for me.
  
• Last Stand (PvP) was also a complete miss. The mode is completely dead, so I couldn’t find a single game. Worse still, the DLC adds unskippable dialogue every time you visit the Terminal, and the only way to remove it is by playing a PvP mode that you can’t find a match for. Not worth it.

Despite its age and a small but dedicated player base, The Division is still 100% worth picking up—at least for the base game. I strongly recommend getting it on sale, as it frequently gets discounted. Unless you’re going for 100% completion, the DLC isn’t worth it.

Achievements:

Recently, Steam achievements were added to the game. If you’ve played before and already met the requirements, they will unlock retroactively.

At the time of this review, Last Stand DLC achievements haven’t been added, which is a good thing since the mode is dead.

DLC is required for 100% completion, with multiple co-op, multiplayer, and PvP achievements.

The good news is that all achievements are unmissable and can be completed at any time, so you can play at your own pace and clean up anything later. Since Steam doesn’t have a dedicated achievement guide yet, I highly recommend using TrueAchievements. That said, a guide isn’t essential, as most unlock naturally. If you complete everything as you go, by the time you reach endgame, you should only have a few things left to mop up before tackling the DLC.

Collectibles are extremely easy to get. There’s a perk in the Base of Operations (BoO) that reveals all collectibles on the map for a completed area. I recommend leaving collectibles until the end and just picking up any you happen to find naturally along the way.

The main ones to watch out for are the PvP achievements in the Dark Zone. If possible, boost these with another player, as you’ll likely run into people with fully optimised builds. You’ll also need to extract at all 8 different extraction zones in DZ01 – DZ06, and having another player helps a lot. We only ran into one other player while doing this, but if you’re struggling, try:

• Playing during off-peak hours
  
• Lowering your gear score (if max level) to get placed in a lower bracket
  
• Starting a fresh character
  
[*]Completing these achievements during the levelling process

Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed way to avoid getting wrecked by other players—you’ll just need some luck and/or skill.

Underground is a massive grind, especially if you play solo. You’ll need to reach max level (40) and run at least 80 phases to get all collectibles. If possible, find a high-level host, as they can apply more modifiers to speed up XP farming. For collectibles, you’ll only ever find one per phase—usually at the start or halfway through—so don’t waste time searching in combat areas. You’ll also need to finish a game with 3 other players while the host is level 30 and has all modifiers enabled.

Survival is brutal. You can queue for up to 6 minutes, and as long as one person is in the queue, the match will start. I highly recommend playing in PvE, even though PvP gives more XP—you’ll already get more than enough XP in PvE, so only play PvP if you enjoy it or want the challenge.

The Hoarder achievement requires 17 successful extractions with all 6 loot slots filled. This is the real grind—each run takes 40+ minutes, and if you die, that’s 40 minutes wasted. Playing with another person is highly recommended, as a teammate massively improves your survival chances. Unlike Underground, where XP accumulates over multiple runs, the Survival XP achievement is based on a single run’s rating. This means you can unlock it in one go if you score high enough by surviving longer, extracting with better loot, and securing high-value items etc.

A big tip for Survival mode is to use a sniper as your primary weapon and anything else as your secondary—the G36 assault rifle is a solid choice. When extracting, use the big area in the middle of the Dark Zone (DZ03), then head into the back corner building and use that as your spot to take down Hunters. This makes dealing with them much easier.

The biggest tip I can give for PvP-related achievements or gameplay:

Trust NO ONE.

Many players will try to mess you up or grief you, so only trust yourself or a premade team—just focus on what you need to do.

Overall, while many achievements are easy, the co-op and PvP ones can be a pain, and Survival and Underground require a serious grind. If you’re going for 100%, be prepared to put in the time—but if you boost with others, it’s more than manageable.

Great game! You have to go into it with the understanding that it is an RPG at its core, not a shooter - you wouldn't call Ultima Weapon a damage sponge, would you? Endgame wasn't for me, but many others enjoyed it. Sprinting, and movement in general, is a bit wonky.

Even in 2025, The Division is still a solid and enjoyable game to play. With a somewhat small but still passionate community doing all kinds of activities to this day. The setting in this game is phenomenal and very immersive. I had a good time playing this and might go back at some point to finish some of The Division shields. I'm also glad that they finally added the achievements on Steam; better late than never, I guess. To me, it's a classic that I like to replay every few months/years, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. If you have still never played this gem, I would say it's one of Ubisoft's better games.

Verdict: Solid, enjoyable game that goes on sale regularly
7/10

It's 2025, and I installed this game through Steam, and then I find out I have to install the Ubisoft launcher too, which is idiotic, dumb and inefficient (but hey, fine, ok), so I install that too. And I go through ALL OF THAT, get into the game and it says it's NOT ACTIVATED WTF. Then I go search the support boards, only to see that this issue was occurring for 1000s of users even back in 2016 AND IT'S STILL NOT RESOLVED. A 9 YEAR ISSUE THAT IS STILL OCCURRING. Will be requesting a refund for this dump of a game... back to RDR2.

It's actually a solid game, the map designs are INSANE - every level is different. Before you do a mission you can set the difficulty, which gives you good loot as a reward if set to hard. We were doing normal mode and rinsing enemies with ease. Combat is pretty easy but maybe next time we play we'll set it to hard. I think then it'll be a lot more tactical. I give it a solid 7.5 out of 10. Makes me think what The Division 2 will be like!

Looter shooter with the best atmosphere hands down. Some mechanics feel outdated but doesn't really distract you from the fun, enjoyable gameplay.

A game that came out in 2016 that still has replay-ability. This is a amazing game

intense and immersive open-world shooter that masterfully blends RPG elements, tactical combat, and an engaging storyline. Set in a post-pandemic New York City, the game offers a stunningly detailed open world, where players take on the role of Division agents tasked with restoring order amidst chaos.

The fact that when I install this great game it also installs the launcher, a launcher which does not get uninstalled when I uninstall the game via steam, make me very sad because this game was great when I played it. But Ubisoft just has to ruin great things with their persistent bloatware :(

Finally with Steam achievements and global events are back, too.

Take my money again Ubisoft and accept that we want your games on Steam not Uplay!

Good game, with a story that hit a little to close to the reality of what happend in 2020.

The Division is a case study in how much art direction, atmosphere, and graphical detail can enhance a game and make it something special. I think The Division is the most beautiful game ever made. Is it the absolute peak of raw graphical fidelity? Probably not. It did come out almost nine years ago at the time of this review. But the way that your boots leave footprints in the snow covered streets, rays of sunshine cover the city in light, your character realistically closes car doors when moving past them in cover, snowstorms cover your vision in a dense fog with snow particles flying across the screen horizontally due to the heavy wind - the level of detail in the visuals needs to be seen to be believed (and this is from 2016!). And all of it runs at a remarkably stable framerate on even weaker PCs. I played this game on an Acer Nitro 5 GTX 1650 gaming laptop for years and still managed to run it at a relatively consistent 60 fps on a mix of medium/high settings.

But if the gameplay wasn't any good, then the graphics wouldn't matter. However, this game is one of the most addictive looter shooters I've ever played. The gunplay feels GREAT - the guns all have a good amount of kick, the cover system is smooth as butter, and the sound effect that plays when you kill an enemy with a headshot is maybe one of the most satisfying sound effects I've ever heard. In addition, out of every looter shooter I've played, this game takes the most care to ensure that the process of reaching the level cap (from level 1 - 30) is actually an enjoyable time that isn't repetitive or boring. You're exploring the city streets, completing side missions, finding surprisingly fleshed out and interesting collectibles spread throughout the world, and leveling up your Base of Operations to unlock new skills and perks every step of the way - and none of it is boring. This isn't like other looter shooters where "the REAL game only starts in the endgame." The Division is ridiculously fun from the first minute you start playing, AND it has a killer endgame.

Once you reach the endgame, there's no shortage of different gear sets that accommodate completely different playstyles. There is certainly a bit of a grind to acquire these gear sets - however, with the return of "Global Events" that appear every month (they were absent from the game for all of 2024, but Ubisoft has finally fixed the issue and now they are back), you can easily get any gear set you want if you set your mind to it and farm them.

And this game has some VARIED endgame content. Want randomized dungeons with randomized layouts every time you play? Play the Underground DLC (a highly recommended purchase). Want a battle royale/extraction shooter that released in 2016 before either of these genres were even remotely popular that contains incredibly tense combat encounters with both NPCs and other players? Buy the Survival DLC (an absolute MUST purchase). Want a wave-based horde mode with a high chance of rare loot drops? Play Resistance. Want super difficult raid-like missions that require tons of teamwork and a full team of four friends? Play Incursions. The list of activities goes on and on, and all of them are incredibly high quality and super fun to play.

Don't have any friends that own the game? No problem. I play this game as a fully solo player 90% of the time, and I have a great time experiencing everything this game has to offer. No in-game activity is inaccessible to a solo player (except for Incursions, where only one can be solo-ed as far as I know). Yes, some of the activities will definitely be HARDER as a solo player, but with the right build, you can tackle just about anything the game has to offer as long as you have enough patience.

Overall, I cannot recommend this game highly enough, especially since the Global Events were fixed this past week. It goes on sale for quite cheap, quite frequently! Ubisoft absolutely COOKED with this one, and if you missed out on the game when it was new, it is still undoubtedly worth experiencing all of these years later.

If you want a solid source of information on the game, you can visit Livid Fray's YT channel. To my knowledge, she is one of the very few content creators still making content on this game, and her videos are all very informative and detailed! https://www.youtube.com/@LividFray

Great storyline, rich and well-balanced. I recommend it even in 2025.

i have over 400+ hours on my other account, would reccomend playing with a group though. Its way more fun if you have a group to go around doing missions and etc

Story is well made keeps you interested and coming back... Darkzone way better than Division 2... Played it on Xbox figured id give it a go on PC... so yea,,, ITS A GOOD GAME.

It was fun in coop for a while but... you know how Ubisoft likes these side-quests that might contribute to world-building but usually contribute nothing to the main story? Well, the whole game is like that.

All "main" missions are just killing bad guys at various locations. Like a big side-quest. As a character in this "story", you're mute and you're just doing your literal job. That's it. There are no NPCs that would actually matter a lot to the "story", because all they ever do are their own literal jobs (doctor, IT, police chief) at a predefined safe locations, sometimes working a second job of a typical ARPG quest giver.

I can tolerate enemies being bullet sponges - because this is not necessarily bad if you enjoy the shooting mechanics - but without any true campaign story this game is no different than playing Counter Strike against bots but in open world. It is fine if that's all you want - as I said, it is fun in coop - but two of us prefer some story progression to be present, not just world-building (of which there is plenty). And without coop it is plain boring to us.

I wouldn't recommend the Dark Zone, as there ARE cheaters there (high-risk/high-reward extraction type shooters attract cheaters), but the single player/Co-Op side of the game is amazing, and fun. Very well done. Worth playing, especially if you catch it on sale.

This game was great when it came out and is still fun to play today.

Good game to enjoy playing with friends, but a little too repetitive and a weak story.

This afternoon, I reinstalled Division 1 on a whim, and did some sidequests. And maybe its just nostalgia talking, but Division 1 is far more immersive for me; it genuinely feels like the apocalypse has just hit society, something that would be eerily prescient of the Pandemic of 2020. Maybe its that I find a big city in the grip of winter to be a more compelling setting than the the swampy streets of DC. Or perhaps that the Dark Zone, snowstorms, and subways in the first game were far scarier than anything in the second.

Note: completed the base campaign on Uplay.

Wish I didn't wait so long to play this game.
Never had a console or PC capable of playing this when it first came out, ended up getting the Division 2 years later when that came out and I liked that one enough to grab this game when it came up on sale. I would willingly pay full price for this now and have purchased the season pass for a nearly nine year old game. I can't quite figure out what it is about this first one, if it's the atmosphere, the setting, the different enemies, the story, the slightly different mechanics and UI or what, but this one is a hit for sure. It took me well over a month in the Div 2 to put in the same time I have on this one in two weeks, this game is gripping, addictive, and seemingly very polished at this point (as you'd hope to expect but it's ubisoft so you never know). There's ever so slightly more emphasis on the story in the base game missions of this one (although the second one seems to focus more on the story in the DLC than this one did) and it seems to flush out a lot more of why you're doing what rather than just "go here, kill this person or rescue this one" like the second one seemed to be like with little actual story or reason behind a lot of it. Also for a 2016 release the graphics in this game are STUNNING and I find myself often just staring at my reflection or a skyscraper's in a random puddle or taking in the scenery of a post-lockdown Gramercy Park covered in a nice layer of shining snow.
Overall 9.5/10, excellent atmosphere, graphics, optimization, mechanics, replay-ability, and no bugs at all so far. Only .5 off for having to be connected online to play it.

Possibly the most underrated game of all time... I said it. Many have never touched this game due to all the drama around the E3 showcase and release, and I understand that. I still remember in 2014 how big of a deal it was, but I am SO glad back then I actually gave Watch Dogs and The Division and others a chance... But again I understand if you didnt. But in an age where all of our favourite game companies have become corporate shills, this game stands out as a diamond in the rough. For a game released 10 years ago I honestly think the graphics not only hold up well, but beat many modern games, the graphics, lighting, and environment create a super believable depiction of New York City. A city that has been ravaged by the Dollar Flu Virus, an extremely flushed out and well developed and believable plague! I could talk about the division forever but to sum up, its an amazing game with an incredible story, and a super viceral environment! The Division, just like Watch Dogs 1, was seriously underrated and a diamond in the rough. The graphics I think are genuinely incredible and not only hold up well a decade later but beat MANY modern games! The lore and story I also find super interesting with a very believable virus and division agents being deployed its EPIC! Truly if you never gave this game a shot you are missing out. I HIGHLY recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

“Welcome to the collapse of society. Grab your gear, watch your six, and trust no one.”

The Division drops you into a stunningly detailed and hauntingly realistic post-pandemic New York City. As a sleeper agent of the Strategic Homeland Division (SHD), you’re tasked with restoring order in a world overrun by chaos, rogue factions, and betrayals lurking around every corner.

✅ What Works:
✔ Atmosphere & Setting – NYC’s winter ruins feel alive (or rather, barely alive). From abandoned streets to underground hideouts, the immersion is top-tier.
✔ Gunplay & RPG Mechanics – Satisfying combat, solid cover system, and deep character progression keep things engaging.
✔ Co-op & Dark Zone – Running missions with friends is great, but stepping into the Dark Zone? That’s where the real tension begins. Trust is fragile, and betrayal is always an option.
✔ Post-Apocalyptic Police Fantasy – If you love policing history, tactical ops, and watching society’s last line of defense hold the line, this game scratches that itch.

❌ What Could Be Better:
✖ Bullet Sponge Enemies – Some enemies take way too many hits, making encounters feel artificially difficult.
✖ Endgame Grind – While there’s plenty to do, loot-based progression can get repetitive.
✖ Story Feels Underutilized – The world is rich with lore, but the main narrative doesn’t always take full advantage of it.

🎯 Final Verdict:
If you love tactical shooters, post-collapse scenarios, and the idea of being the last line of order in a lawless world, The Division is a must-play. The game shines in co-op and PvP tension, but expect some RPG grind and bullet-sponge combat. Still, exploring a devastated NYC, surviving the Dark Zone, and restoring order in true SHD fashion makes for an unforgettable experience.

🔹 Recommended – Especially with friends.

**2025 Review**

PvE: - ✓ – Still enjoyable and relatively active, but the player base is rapidly declining. Matchmaking for legendary missions is usually the only reliable way to find a group, unless you can gather enough players from social areas.

PvP: - ✗ – Rampant cheating and severe gear imbalances make it unwelcoming for new players. The Dark Zone remains playable but expect occasional instant deaths from cheaters. Skirmish matchmaking appears completely inactive.

Avoid purchasing Last Stand DLC! — Matchmaking is entirely dead, with no active player base.

This is easily one the best games I have ever played. Obviously, played it on xbox first when it released and decided to get it again and play through it all AGAIN. Never once has this game disappointed me, especially like 2 did. Ubisoft will probably never make a game as good as they used to and definitely not as good as this one again. PEAK UBISOFT!!

Honestly played the heck out of this game I loved everything from the atmosphere to the world building and game play. Definitely a classic game well worth the money

good game, only bad part is going to the dark zone alone since people just 4 stack and camp extraction points other than that the graphics are nice and the gameplay is good

Even in 2025 the game still looks and plays amazing. However one major thing has changed playing this game. The fact that an actual pandemic has happened in the meantime.

This game is about a deliberately caused pandemic during Black Friday using a pathogen that is smeared onto bills and spread the disease as such. The disease in question looked like the flu and started off not too worrying. However, as time progesses it becomes clear that the disease can be deadly and most likely is. Almost like... how COVID-19 started in real life.

Now the game itself is total anarchy and you basically play an FPS game with bullet spunges of enemies. But it is still fun, it still looks amazing and the story is great! Also fun with friends!

it's a fun game. lots of hiding behind stuff, but still enjoyable.
what sucks is there are no steam achievements.

Recommended, when on a high discount and only the base-game.
DLCs used to be not even 3 bucks back some years, are about 6 to 9 now and most critics are extremely negative.


The game:

In this game, you face a quite realistic, pandemic extinction (set to our Earth-realm and -time) and have to play private investigator, to figure, how it all went down, who's responsible, involved and raised among the happenings and of course, stop the bad guy(s).

You do this in the style of a lonesome wolf or in a squad of up to 4 people (playing with friends is highly recommended, just because of reliability and matchmaking in some instances like Darkzone and Incursions [endgame-content]).

Looting and shooting your way through Manhatten, gathering collectables and helping the JTF and civilians, to cope with whatever is struggling, is your daily, monotonous business (nearly like a real job).

Each player has his/her own Base of operations, for which they collect one-time scores (repeating and helping others won't offer another time rewarded with scores) on completing missions and encounters.
Determined by the color (green, yellow, blue) the scores can be used, to unlock upgrades in the B.o.O.'s wings (medical, technical, security), which provide new abilities, perks, talents and ingame-features (read carefully, especially at the beginning).

Once the story is done, you might start completing some collections or just end playing, if you don't want to blow out money for expensive DLCs.

So far about the story and the basic mechanisms.


PRO:
- neat visuals/graphics, referring to the age of the game;
- different controls, compared to other games, but they turn out ergonomically, once you learned them;
- mostly nice playerbase, which can help you out once in a while, especially with tough missions, in the Darkzone and in the
endgame-content at the Piers/Resistance/Incursions;

CONTRA:
- depends on permanent internet connection;
- depends on Ubisoft's own launcher-app (might need a workaround, to activate the Steam-version, Internet is helpfull
there);
- can be remotely sabotaged (NPCs can be rigged and make the game really struggling);
- some content still is buggy, even after at least 8 years after release and a part 2 up and running for ages as well already;
- very expensive and probably barely worth being played DLCs;
- some ingame-collectables are held behind either tough grind- or even worse DLC-paywalls;


So, the positives defentitely outweight the downsides on a very cheap base-game-purchase (used to be about 10 bucks once, no idea, why it has skyrocketed), which is, why it still can be recommended, for fans of loot-shooters.

Couldn't recommend it to anyone, who doesn't like 3rd-person-loot-shooters at all.

A modern day post apocalyptic shooter rpg with great storytelling behind it. A rare breed.

The Division excels at making combat more than just shooting—it’s about positioning, timing, and synergy. As a cover-based shooter, staying mobile and using your environment strategically is essential. What sets it apart is the RPG layer: enemies aren’t easily dropped with a single headshot; instead, success relies on proper gear, skill use, and loadout synergy. Experimenting with abilities like deployable turrets, seeker mines, or healing stations adds depth and allows you to tailor your approach to solo play or co-op missions.

The world design is equally impressive. Manhattan is brought to life with painstaking detail—streets filled with snow, abandoned cars, and haunting remnants of a world lost to chaos. Every area feels alive, with environmental cues that tell silent stories of survival and tragedy.

After all these years this game is still so good. Even better now on the Deck 👌. Must replay if you have not tried DLCs