At first glance, The Division looks like many other games out there. It's got cover-based, third-person shooter mechanics; it features a huge recreation of Manhattan, and players can roam around the city completing all sorts of quests.
Once you really dig into the game, however, it quickly becomes clear that The Division is more than just another open-world shooter. Systems that are usually reserved for MMOs or traditional RPGs are at the forefront of the experience, while traditional shooter tropes — such as dedicated multiplayer modes — are nowhere to be found. The Division may look like just another action game, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Given its deviations from the usual genre trappings, The Division can be a bit obtuse at first. There's a lot going on, and players who aren't ready for such a drastic shift might find themselves lost, even in the first few hours of the game. That's why we've put this guide together: if you've been stuck wondering what to do during The Division's opening hours, look no further.
Establish Your Base Of Operations
If you're playing through the game's main story, it can be easy to forget that The Division isn't a solo experience. The levels are designed so well that a single person (of appropriate level) can get through missions without having someone else by their side.
Even so, The Division is best experienced with other people. Enemies are tougher, loot is better and it's just more fun to play in general — plus, it's not so tactical that groups of random players are doomed to fail over and over and over again. What's even better is that, in our experience, matchmaking is generally smooth on Xbox One, so you won't have to worry about trying to join a game and getting stuck on the loading screen.
Avoid The Dark Zone (At First)
The Dark Zone, or The Division's walled-off PvP arena, is one of the game's biggest selling points. It's entirely possible to head in with a group of friends, take out some Rogue Agents, grab their loot and then betray everyone — something that's never been done on such a scale before.
Here's the thing: it's definitely not for beginners.
New players shouldn't even think of entering the Dark Zone until they've got a halfway-decent arsenal and a number of different Abilities from which to choose. Dark Zone PvP doesn't pull any punches, and if you try to run in at the beginning of the game, you're going to get slaughtered. Just take your time, complete some quests and build your character — then, think about hitting the Dark Zone.
The Division is a huge game, and there's quite a lot to it — hopefully, this guide will help you get through the early hours of Ubisoft's latest with the absolute minimum amount of headaches.
We'll be covering more of The Division as the community continues to grow, so make sure the check out our coverage hub for more!
