Em Tom Clancy's The Division 2, the player takes on the role of a special government agent who must work with a team to restore order and government in a United States ravaged by a pandemic and civil war. Doesn't seem like an easy mission, does it? But believe me, Ubisoft has done an amazing job of mixing an interesting storyline with frantic gameplay that captures the player's attention with every shot of their rifle.
Now, the company promises to further expand the stunning world created in The Division 2 with the expansion Warlords of New York. As its name says, the action now changes from Washington DC to the heart of the “Big Apple”. With new weapons, new gameplay modes and a story worthy of a Hollywood movie, the expansion promises to draw even more players into this exciting adventure.
Ubisoft provided Techlifers with a PlayStation 4 digital copy of the base game. The Division 2 and the expansion Warlords of New York for testing, and after a few weeks of intense, adrenaline-pumping gameplay, we present you with a complete analysis of this additional content that highlighted the great qualities of the game and showed that The Division 2 is an action-tactical game that players who looking for a good dose of adrenaline, they can't miss it at all.
A shattered metropolis
Thanks to Green poison, a biological agent of high mortality, New York now it's just a shadow of its glory days. The city is abandoned, with factions of mercenaries, terrorists and survivors fighting for control of the metropolis and the scarce resources it can offer. But even in such a hostile environment, the Warlords of New York expansion has a lot to offer the player.
The expansion features some of The Division 2's best missions and paves the way for new seasonal multiplayer content. However, even with a diverse content and providing several hours of gameplay, Warlords of New York maintains the same flaws that made many players abandon the original game in the first weeks.
Warlords of New York takes players back to the heart of Manhattan, returning to the setting of the first game in the series, where your main mission is to hunt down the terrorist Aaron Keener. The problem is that getting to our villain is not an easy task, as he is surrounded by four lieutenants who are just as dangerous as he is. Their aim? Unleash a lethal biological agent more potent and deadly than Green Poison.
Okay, but there's not much news so far, is there? We can admit that the plot is well structured and the fantastic setting that Ubisoft created for a post-apocalyptic New York is amazing, but other than that it seems like a very cliché story. However, this is all just a backdrop for the main element that captures the player's interest: the frantic hunt for Aaron Keener's lieutenants to capture the chief terrorist.
“The expansion features some of The Division 2’s best missions and opens the way for new seasonal content”
It seems to be one of Ubisoft's trademarks in its games, but in Warlords of New York players also found a giant map of Manhattan covered in a mysterious fog that prevents them from seeing much of their surroundings. Called “Fog of War” this visual barrier can only be removed by traversing and investing more locations on the map (as in Assassin's Creed games).
However, this fog doesn't prove to be a big obstacle for the player, as the map's GPS will always point you in the right direction of your next objective. Also, the hunt for Keener doesn't have any special mechanics that differentiate it from a standard The Division 2 mission. The only special touch is that the player can choose the order they want to attack each of Keener's 4 lieutenants, without worrying. with leveling as enemies now follow the player's level, keeping the entire game experience well balanced.
The Division 2.5
With a well-established goal from the beginning, Warlords of New York is much better structured than the main campaign of The Division 2. Each of the lieutenants has a specific mission with varying duration. Once everyone is defeated, the final Keener Hunt quest will become available. The problem with this exaggerated focus on the extra campaign is that it takes away any opportunity for the player to explore New York's devastated environment and the secrets it hides.
In the expansion, New York is just a backdrop for the plot to develop. Warlords of New York has such a heavy focus on missions that the city ends up being forgotten. The sets are much smaller and there is a constant sense of claustrophobia (something we don't see in Washington DC in the main campaign). It's a shame the city has been so neglected when there is such a well-done job on the setting, making every corner of New York have a story that will never be told.
While the structure of each mission in the expansion isn't new, they're still a lot of fun to do (despite being very familiar to what players have seen in The Division 2 at various times). However, it's the boss battles that are the icing on the cake of Warlords of New York. These clashes against each of Keener's lieutenants make the player really feel like they're playing The Division 2.5.
“In the expansion, New York is just a backdrop for the plot to develop”
Each of these combats has a unique set of mechanics, as well as rewarding teamwork with other players. This last feature was something that was lacking in the original game, when the multiplayer experience seemed to jeopardize great combats because the game didn't know how to deal with the varied actions of different players. Now, you need to coordinate with your team of friends or other players to defeat the bosses, as trying to take them down on your own is practically suicide.
Upon defeating each of Keener's lieutenants, the player will receive a new ability in the form of a Division tech that you can customize to your preference. All abilities are a collection of offensive and defensive tools that have, among other items, a shock trap, a plastic incendiary bomb and, the most interesting item of all: a holographic projection of yours that you can use to distract your enemies. The fun is in the various possibilities that exist to combine these items to achieve your goals.
Warlords of New York: An Optional Expansion
The Warlords of New York expansion is far from revitalizing the original game, something the developers had clearly in mind for The Division 2. The extra content has a great campaign, but it doesn't feature any content that series players aren't already familiar with. The equipment has all been modified (both in terms of the attributes of each object and how they are displayed in the inventory) and now the attributes can be added to another type of equipment, if the player wishes.
In addition, the expansion has improved some features of the Dark Zone (the game's multiplayer arena) to encourage more gameplay in the PvP (Player vs Player) with experience bonuses that yield points that the player can spend to improve their personal attributes. The problem is that none of these new features makes Warlords of New York's multiplayer more attractive than the original mode present in The Division 2. It's like playing the same game, only with a few more “embellishments”.
Perhaps Warlords of New York's biggest contribution to the game is the addition of seasonal content. Just like other multiplayer games do (Destiny 2, Overwatch, Diablo 3, among others), The Division 2 offers specific periods when players can gain more experience in multiplayer matches. Likewise, the game will also receive seasonal hunts in the same style as those present in the expansion. From the games we were able to play, there wasn't much that was new, but it was definitely more exciting to fight other players and work as a team when you had more rewards at stake.
In short, Warlords of New York try to sell The Division 2 as an action-tactical game with a dense and immersive plot. However, even with the incredible post-apocalyptic setting of New York, the game still falls into cliché territory. The risk is high that, like me, the player will lose interest in the expansion once Keener is captured in the final mission.
“It's like playing the original game, only with a few more 'embellishments'”
The action, multiplayer and strategy elements were taken to a higher level in the expansion, and if it was a revamp of the original recipe that generated such good results, it's the suggestion that Ubisoft care more about turning The Division into a pure franchise. action and combat than trying to craft an Oscar-worthy story.
And you, reader, enjoy The Division 2 and want to try the Warlords of New York expansion? Leave your opinion in the comments!
