E3: The Division Behind Closed Doors Demo

At A Glance:

• Persistent open world
• Companion (tablet) gaming plays a key part
• One of the best-looking games of the show

Another behind closed doors demo at the Ubisoft stand, VideoGamer got to see more of one of the games of the show, The Division.

Giving us a more in-depth look at the infection – spread via the industrial complexes and irrational impulses that ensure we’re all boned if a pandemic took hold – it also explained what The Division actually is: a black ops team who’s mission is to control the spread of the virus.

Like a lot of big hitters this E3 (Destiny, Titanfall) persistence is key. First impression make it feel like Freedom Fighters, if that game had you fighting a virus scare instead of a Red one. Assaulting a police station showed a combo of cover fire and action RPG style gameplay, as the Division takes on a gang of survivalists. There’s no denying the graphical grunt of the Snowdrop engine – procedural environment deformation and impressive lighting (dynamic global illumination) combine to create one of the best looking games at the show.

Set ‘mid-crisis’, there’s a tangible need to help people as well as kill them, as you’ll be rewarded for actions such as rescuing cops with loot, which then feeds into the rest of the game’s systems.

Like the rest of Ubi’s offerings, The Division is focused on ‘companion’ or asymmetrical gameplay – tablet players can provide tactical assistance via overhead drone, increasing the damage output of the boots on the ground. Another strong showing.