Skip to main content

First look at ‘Tom Clancy’s The Division,’ Ubisoft’s doomsday RPG shooter

1370900778_tc_the_division_teasing_image_130610_4h15pmpt_logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ubisoft announced Tom Clancy’s The Division during the last spot of its E3 Media Briefing, following the same formula it used last year when it wowed the crowd with Watch Dogs. While this is yet another Tom Clancy game, it doesn’t follow the typical Splinter Cell or Rainbow Six models, although it does rely heavily on Clancy’s signature “the nation in disarray” type of storyline. While the game was a last-minute tease and won’t be out for some time, it looked incredibly impressive. 

Story/Concept

1370900993_tc_the_division_screen_ui_map_web_130610_4h15pmpt
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Killer flu. Set three weeks after a pandemic brakes out in New York City during Black Friday, you are a part of “The Division,” a group of fighters who continue to operate even though basic government operations broke down. You’re part of the Directive 51 response to a national emergency of this level, which is an actual plan put together by the Bush administration back in 2007. Unlike modern shooters, this scenario has you responding as part of an elite soldier in kitted-out uniforms – you’ll more closely resemble an insurgent with a cobbled-together outfit. 

Recommended Videos

These fighters are meant to be hidden and embedded throughout the country’s infrastructure so that they can continue to operate even in the event of a total breakdown, and this is tailored a bit to the drop-in, drop-out style of this online game. As the nation itself has been tossed into chaos, based on an actual Operation Dark Winter exercise in 2001 that showed how something like this could cripple the country, the forces that continue to operate will no longer be able to do so using traditional methods, which would explain why squaddies would join you en route to your destination and mission objectives.

Gameplay

1370901007_tc_the_division_screen_water_street_view_web_130610_4h15pmpt

An open-world, online shooter. Although The Division is being billed as an online, open-world RPG, the gameplay revolves around the standard third-person, cover-based shooter model. Ubisoft mentioned that the game can be played solo but stressed that it’s meant to be played with other people. During our gameplay demo, a squad of two was exploring the near-ruins of New York City before engaging in a firefight outside of a police station. Joined by a third squadmate and a player on a tablet controlling a UVA, they took down a force of AI shooters fairly quickly. Using advanced tech like “Seeker Mines” that roll along like a smartball, they searched for hidden enemies.

1370900953_tc_the_division_screen_companion_1_web_130610_4h15pmpt
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The tablet player was able to pinpoint enemies behind cover for us and participate in the same game audio chat channel. During our extended demonstration, we learned they can also buff your squad’s armor, heal team members, and even build up XP to enable missile strikes and more. It was all shown in real time, with the tablet player seeing a live view from above featuring the exact same feed that the players themselves were seeing. The tablet integration here was fairly deep and does not feel like a tacked-on gimmick. Ubisoft is spreading this concept across all of its top-tier games, and you’ll see it in everything from the newly-announced The Crew and The Division to Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and Watch Dogs.

As Ubisoft is pushing the game as an RPG, it said that there will be a lot of loot to be found, which, in the case of our demo, was the discovery of a new assault rifle after freeing some trapped police officers who gave us the usage of their weapons cache.

Presentation

1370900979_tc_the_division_screen_police_station_shoot_out_web_130610_4h15pmpt
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Very beautiful. The Division is built for next-gen systems and is running in Ubisoft’s proprietary “Snowdrop” engine. It also looks extremely gorgeous and fluid. Part of the promise of next-gen systems is no load time, and during the entire E3 demo, things were smooth and solid, and the graphic impressed us at every turn. After a successful mission, your team can call for extraction with a signal flare, and you have to wait for the extraction to occur afterwards. However, during these  “extraction events,” you are vulnerable and can be attacked by other groups of online players, although this was only teased during our demonstration. 

Takeaway

The Division has a long way to go, and we would like to see a lot more integration with other players and see how the RPG elements unfold. Is it simply hunting for loot, or is there a deeper system in place? We got a quick look at a skill tree on the player’s wrist-mounted computer, but not enough to tell us how that system will work and if the game supports classes. One of the other players healed two of our squadmates, but does that relegate you to the healing role, or can you still dish it out in a firefight? We’ll be seeing more of this game in the months to come ramping up to a 2014 release for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and we hope it continues to look this good.

Kevin Kelly
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin Kelly is a writer and pop culture junkie with a fixation on video games, movies, and board games. His writing has been…
Wordle Today: Wordle answer and hints for November 23
Someone playing Wordle on a smartphone.

We have the solution to Wordle on July 16, as well as some helpful hints to help you figure out the answer yourself, right here. We've placed the answer at the bottom of the page, so we don't ruin the surprise before you've had a chance to work through the clues. So let's dive in, starting with a reminder of yesterday's answer.
Yesterday's Wordle answer
Let's start by first reminding ourselves of yesterday's Wordle answer for those new to the game or who don't play it daily, which was "PEARL." So we can say that the Wordle answer today definitely isn't that. Now, with that in mind, perhaps take another stab at it using one of these Wordle starting words and circle back if you have no luck.
Hints for today's Wordle
Still can't figure it out? We have today's Wordle answer right here, below. But first, one more thing: Let's take a look at three hints that could help you find the solution, without giving it away, so there's no need to feel guilty about keeping your streak alive -- you put in some work, after all! Or just keep scrolling for the answer.

Today’s Wordle includes the letter J.
Today’s Wordle uses two vowels.
Today's Wordle is something you might find in a donut.

Read more
NYT Connections: hints and answers for Saturday, November 23
New York Times' Connection puzzle open in the NYT Games app on iOS.

Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.

Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you're having a little trouble solving today's puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today's Connections puzzle below. And if you still can't get it, we'll tell you today's answers at the very end.
How to play Connections

Read more
NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Saturday, November 23
NYT Strands logo.

Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you'll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle.

Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There's no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you're stuck and need to know the answers to today's Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below.
How to play Strands
You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the "theme words" hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable.

Read more