The Division 2: End Game

Level 30, World Tier 1. What?! The Division 2 did the impossible, and kept me engaged, when I didn’t expect it would.

I’ve finished the story and hit max level in The Division 2. As with any kind of MMO, that means I’m now in the “proper” game, right? This is where you get all the good stuff, the exotic loot, the special end game missions and quests.

Being honest, I wasn’t sure I’d get here after playing the first Division game, but I made it! Problem is, I have no clue what’s going on.

Suddenly there’s a new faction called The Black Tusk and the world map has gone back to shit.

Guess it’s time to roll those sleeves up and get dirty again……..Washington D.C. belongs to VasDown now, not these new pretenders to the throne.

 

World Tiers

Introduced in the first Division game, world tiers are a clever way to escalate the difficulty of the world, whilst retaining the world itself.

Harder enemies and encounters, additional areas unlocked and new activities available for that all-important higher-level loot.

My knowledge of World Tiers and the purpose of them is minimal. So to see The Black Tusk coming in and taking the map was a weirdly pleasant surprise. Having some context to it, and not an arbitrary “you’re max level, so now we make it harder” level gating.

As soon as you end that last stronghold at level 30, you’re treated to a cinematic of everywhere being re-overrun.

Seeing the old gangs being kicked out and The Black Tusk taking over. It’s quite high-drama, and really set me back on-edge after I’d gotten quite comfortable in the run up to Tier 1.

The are currently 5 tiers to work through, and thankfully it isn’t half a big a grind as I’d anticipated.

Two story missions that have been “invaded”, (new enemies in place of the old, and slightly different encounters) and one of the strongholds, and you’re eligible to hit Tier 2.

The Division starts to resemble other shooter MMO’s here though. Making you make sure your gear is high enough level to push through the content. Think of it as Destiny’s light level, and you’re on the right track.

Each tier means harder encounters and higher levelled loot-drops. All so you can push to the max score and take on the raid.

 

What to do, what to do….

You’re in the same map, you’ve got the same missions, albeit it slightly harder and altered. Is it worth the effort?

The Division, to me, is a team game. I truly couldn’t be arsed to go through all the tiers just for the sake of doing it solo.

Playing and keeping up with friends is where it really shines. Unlocking your specialisation is a great touch, and gives you that further impetus to carry on and get stronger/better equipped for what’s to come.

Being honest, with all the drama from the clip and everything in the map reverting to red, I was quite intimidated. Seeing all of your hard work gone, and trained mercenaries coming in with tanks and drones…..it’s almost like starting again.

There is an expedition and a raid to take part in, and there’s additional content being released for the first year. So far, there’s plenty to do, but more of the same that I’ve already been doing for 20+ hours.

I’m not bothered enough to play solo, but playing with friends, helping each other hit higher levels and go through everything is great fun.

It’s perhaps not enough “end game” content in my opinion, but it’s a live service game that will increase in content as it lives and breathes over the next couple of years. So we’ll see how it looks in 12 months time.

 

Division specialisations

One of the saving graces for the end game in The Division 2 is the addition of Specialisations.

You can pick from one of 3, and it’s similiar to being put into a “class” system. Where you get a new special weapon (grenade launcher, sniper or crossbow), with very limited ammo.

New perks come from your specialisation, and you have something new to level up, now that you’re at the max player level (30).

I chose the “survivalist” option, solely to get myself a crossbow that fires exploding bolts. So far, I haven’t been disappointed at all! Big explosions, new incendiary grenades and some new XP bonuses, I’m having a good time just playing through stuff thanks to this added dimension.

It’s worth noting, too, that you get a full outfit to match your specialisation and the Crocodile Dundee-style outfit is EXACTLY what I needed in The Division 2!

Note: The are 4 specialisations in The Division 2, with the new “Gunner” being added not too long ago, and with additional requirements to unlock it. This was a part of the season pass, but can be accessed for free, now.

 

Just keep going

Playing The Division 2, I’ve invested more hours than I realised. Having just checked, I’m sat at 37 hours already.

It hasn’t been a drag. In fact it’s been so much fun that the time has literally flown by. Practically 40 hours in a game is a big deal for me. What with the self-importance of thinking I have to write about as many games as possible, all the time.

Solo isn’t my thing (although it is better than the first game), but co-op is an absolute blast. Because of that, I’m more than happy to just chug along with everyone else.

We’ll hit tier 5 one way or another. Will we attempt the raid? Who knows, but I know I’m game if I get the chance.

Let’s see what getting to tier 5 takes out of me and if I’m still having fun at max level.

DC will be safe again, one day.