Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 review roundup

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, the sequel to Ubisoft’s successful 2016 release Tom Clancy’s The Division, launched for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on March 15, 2019. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world that will be familiar to players of the first game. The events of The Division 2 take place seven months after the original game, in Washington DC, and involve players in a civil war between two groups that have survived the environmental virus released in the first game.

Expectations for the game were high, from players, wholesalers and retailers alike, but can The Division 2 match the critical and sales success of its predecessor? Let’s take a look at some of the major reviews of the PS4 version of the game to see how the game shapes up.

Metacritic: 82 of 100
Review aggregator Metacritic currently list the PS4 version of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 with a metascore of 82 out of 100. At the time of writing this score is based on 52 individual reviews and indicates “generally favourable reviews.” Of the 52 reviews, 45 are classed as “positive” by Metacritic and six as “mixed.” The fact that only one review fits into the lowest category, “negative,” suggests that the overwhelming majority of reviewers felt that the game had something to offer.

GameSpot: 9 out of 10
GameSpot were highly impressed with The Division 2 and awarded it a score of 9 out of 10. They open their review with a criticism, stating that they found the story underwhelming, but noted that a narrative of sorts emerges from the setting of the game itself. While Washington DC initially felt “homogenous” to the reviewer, over time a distinct personality emerged to the different districts. This, for the reviewer, laid “a very strong foundation for The Division 2 as a video game, creating an engrossing, believable, and contiguous open world.” Other positives for GameSpot included varied and exciting combat, an in-game rewards system that provided a strong sense of progression and “well-integrated” multiplayer that allows gamers to team up with friends to take on challenges.

IGN: 8.5 out of 10
IGN were also impressed by The Division 2 and awarded it a similar score: 8.5 out of 10. They echoed GameSpot’s observation on the sense of progression offered by the in-game rewards system, calling the game’s progression path the best of “any freshly launched shared-world shooter to date.” They did, however, note that right of the end of the game the rewards system disappoints, with no significant upgrades or challenges resulting from reaching the very highest tiers of the game. Nonetheless, with a “phenomenally well-realized” version of Washington DC, entertaining enemies (including a faction that resembles something from “Mad Max”) and a huge selection of weapons and upgrades to play with, IGN felt The Division 2 had much to offer gamers.

The Guardian: 2 out of 5
The Guardian weren’t nearly as impressed by The Division 2 and awarded it only 2 out of 5 stars. They acknowledged, like previous reviewers, that “post-apocalyptic Washington DC is splendidly imagined,” but amplified GameSpot’s complaints about the plotting of the game. They felt that the game’s “insipid, techno-thriller plot” was a thin veneer over the game’s real purpose: continually upgrading gear and abilities in a manner they compared, unfavourably, to the Destiny franchise. The Guardian reviewer did acknowledge that firefights in the game are “quite engrossing,” but clearly felt that the positive features of The Division 2 were unable to compensate for its unimaginative premise.

Conclusion
The critical consensus on Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is strong. Even the sole review rated “negative” by Metacritic, the Guardian’s 2 out of 5 score, highlighted the game’s impressive open world version of Washington DC and the engaging nature of its combat. This certainly isn’t the game to play if you’re a fan of riveting narratives and plot development, but if you enjoy shooters that allow you to build abilities and upgrade weapons Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 may well be worth a place on your wishlist.