Tom Clancy's The Division 2

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 has stuck its landing. Like other games of its ilk, it could do with learning a lesson or two from its competitors, but it has arrived playable, polished, and with so much stuff to do that most players probably won’t even reach its sizeable endgame — which, at this point, I’ve only read about — for weeks, if not longer. I’m not ready to give it a numbered score, but I do feel comfortable saying this is one loot shooter you can dive into with confidence on day one. [Review in Progress]

One of the things that has surprised me during my first hours in The Division 2’s ravaged Washington DC, is just how thoroughly competent it all is...If that immediately sounds like damning Ubisoft’s militaristic looter-shooter with faint praise, that isn’t the intention. Launching an persistent online game in the vein of Destiny et al and having it hold together is bloody hard. Just ask Anthem...Several hours later, I’m still enjoying a compelling, mechanically satisfying --if aesthetically uninspiring-- shooter. And that’s with very few technical hiccups, aside from the odd floating corpse and texture pop-in.

The combat and gunplay have also been quite challenging at times. The AI is some of the best I’ve experienced in the genre as enemies don’t always just run up to you in open space (though, they tend to do so at times) but also attempt to flank you while you’re trying to take down a sniper from afar. Movement and cover are key to staying alive. The “bullet sponge” effect does still seem to be prevalent with mini-bosses and bosses despite the new armor system which intended to make gunfights more strategic. I’m still holding hope for some more interesting boss battles later in the game.

The Division 2 is one of those unique games that I keep playing, and even enjoying, despite being very bored by it. It's compelling in its tedium...Deeply flayed, and suffering under the weight of its own "live service" requirements, The Division 2 can be quite fun, but the loot fatigue sets in quick.

At least it’s enjoyable to play, adding new elements to a shooter that broke the mold in a notoriously dusty genre. And when it comes to politics, they’ll always be there, and players will see whatever they want to see.