Tom Clancy's The Division 2: Warlords of New York

The return to New York, where everything started, is surely welcomed, but when everything is said and done and the new campaign is over, what we have is more of the same -surely not bad, but just more of the same.

Warlords of New York won't change your mind about The Division 2. If you weren't a fan of the open-world cover shooter with loot mechanics, the expansion does nothing to convert you, even if the simpler changes to loot stat readouts is appreciated. The return to New York is nice, as is the more open-ended approach to how you get to the final boss, since it gives you some strategy about when you want to get your new toys. The plans for the endgame future are the most intriguing, since we'll get to see whether it'll be enough to get people to stick around. In short, there's enough content in the Warlords of New York DLC to keep fans happy for a little while longer.

The Division 2 Warlords of New York is the cherry on top of Massive's looter. The return to New York is a confident one, where overhauled systems improve and clarify build diversity. While the new play space is underutilized, forward-thinking endgame content will surely drive engagement for the long haul.

Mechanically, Warlords is a great addition to The Division 2. Conceptually, many of the issues that have plagued the game are still present and sometimes worse. But there’s no denying that The Division 2 is an incredibly competent shooter, and it feels even better to play with the changes made to the loot/gear system. On top of that, the loose story threads used to create the new endgame makes me actually want to participate in it. Warlords of New York provides the best entry point to date for new and returning players. I really enjoyed my time with it but make no mistake, if you didn’t like the core game, this is still The Division 2. But it is easily the best version of itself.

In addition to the quality content that Warlords of New York delivers upfront, there is an entire year of further additions planned. The Division 2 looks like it is going to be following the seasonal model that had become so popular recently, and players who purchase Warlords of New York will have access to Season 1 content for free, with later seasons requiring additional purchases. The knee-jerk reaction might be a bit negative, with the paid seasons splitting a lot of gamers 50/50, but if they continue to deliver quality content updates like they have with Warlords of New York, the paid seasons will probably end up being more than worth it.

Warlords of the New York is a rich expansion pack for The Division 2, which relies on a magnificent environmental storytelling and great boss battle, but also on a over-used and over-spoiled game structure and a lackluster narration. The end game revolution works, but the collection of rinse and repeat mission is something to work on. Overall, anyway, it's a good expansion pack for die hard fan of the game.

A fun, fairly brief campaign that offers plenty of memorable scenarios and a suite of improvements that turn The Division 2 into a true contender for the looter shooter throne.

Quotation forthcoming.

We fail to see how The Division 2: Warlords of New York is supposed to rejuvenate the looter shooter's playerbase. New York might be so much more interesting to explore while the missions themselves are smartly designed, but what you're actually doing there remains very much the same. Coupled with a copious amount of bugs and glitches, this is an expansion the vast majority of players can very safely skip.

Warlords of New York is just more of The Division 2, and while that may sound appealing to some, there's little here to entice new or lapsed players to return to the run-down streets of the first game.

Warlords of New York can only be recommended to the most diehard of Division fans. Constant bugs, exhausting combat, and a weak main villain leaves much to be desired.