The Division is something of an oddity for the Tom Clancy lineup. While the brand is no stranger to shooters, it's rarely dabbled in the realm of RPGs - aside from a new upgradable skills here and there, Tom Clancy games are usually pretty straightforward.
That's all set to change in The Division - set inside a massive, mid-crisis New York City, players are tasked with clearing the streets and restoring order. That sounds simple enough, but The Division has added quite a few new layers to an otherwise standard formula - and it's all new territory when it comes to Tom Clancy games.
In all honesty, trying to wrap one's head around all the different systems in The Division can be a bit much, especially without getting the chance to play it yourself. Thankfully, Ubisoft has gone and released the next best thing: the latest trailer for The Division offers up a brief glimpse at what players can expect when the game launches in March.
It's not exactly the most detailed trailer - in fact, those who weren't able to make it into the closed Alpha test may not have any idea what's going on. That being said, it does give players a look at the overall structure of the game...it just doesn't go into much detail.
Much of the trailer focuses on the game's central hub - normally, this is a place where players could relax and upgrade their gear in between missions. While that's definitely a part of it, creating the safehouse featured in The Division requires a lot more legwork: players are going to have to staff and upgrade it themselves, and that means heading out into the mean streets of NYC to complete missions.
While you're out on said missions (or just wandering around, looking for trouble), there's a good chance you'll find yourself in the middle of combat. Depending on who and how many you're fighting, you may stumble across a new weapon or stronger armor - this is where The Division is most like a traditional RPG. If you've ever played something like Borderlands or Destiny, you'll feel right at home grabbing loot.
Finally, there's the multiplayer - at any one of the game's major social hubs (which are smaller and separate from the main safehouse), you'll have a chance to group up with random players. From that point on, it's up to you to choose what missions to complete...just be sure to keep an eye on your teammates, as it's entirely possible to betray your fellow soldiers during certain missions.
It can be hard to really understand what Ubisoft is going for with The Division without playing it - but, once you get your hands on the game, it just clicks. Upgrading your home base is great, wandering around the city can be thrilling and interacting with other players is tense and exciting. It's a bit of an oddity, especially for the Tom Clancy brand - but from what we've played, it's definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Tom Clancy's The Division is set to launch on March 8.
