TOM CLANCY'S THE DIVISION: BETA

As this is a Beta, it’s not going to go too in-depth. I’m going to focus on the Beta itself, and leave all the story parts for the actual game review.

For a Beta, The Division is actually pretty big. You can’t access the entirety of New York, but you can wonder round a fairly large portion of it. In the Beta, you’ll find two major rescue missions, both of which will reward you with XP and upgrades, both cosmetic and game-changing. Other than that, there are lots of little activities to do, including a sort of murder mystery thing.

There are two sections of New York you can explore. There’s the main bit which is good old New York, and there’s the Dark Zone. You really don’t want to go in there until you’ve levelled up in the normal New York. In the Dark Zone you’ll find better upgrades and gear, but with the disadvantage that any other player can turn against you at any time. It’s fun, but make sure to watch your back.

Customization is a big part of the Beta, and you get access to a good amount of stuff to change, whether it be body armour, weapons or clothes. It looks like a lot more is being held back for the actual game, so that should be a good thing.

Other good things about the Beta include some fairly good graphics, and the ability to play in ‘team mode’. I think you can have something like four or five or your friends play alongside you, which all in all make the game a bit more fun. Don’t worry though, playing solo is great too.

My only real issue with it is that some of the movement mechanics take a while to get used to, but that might just be me being slow. Combat can get a bit repetitive, but there’s always new ways of killing the nameless, faceless enemies.

All in all, The Division’s Beta is actually one of the better Betas I’ve played, and gives you a good taste of the whole game. I’d recommend it, but the Beta ends tomorrow, so you’ll just have to play the whole game.

7.5/10

33

2

5

6

7

8

11

15

19

26

30

32