Last week I mentioned that I would soon be talking about the new Tom Clancy game “The Division.”  While playing the closed beta I was able to experience a little of the game play that we can look forward to on March 8th.

The majority of the game is still a mystery. The parts of the beta that I want to talk about this week include the loot and gear system, combat, and the mysterious Dark Zone that we’ve heard so much about.

LOOT & GEAR:

To start things off I thought that the loot system in The Division took some pointers from Borderlands in the way it allows players to know the rarity of the gear that dropped as soon as it’s generated. Once you walk over to look at a pile a summary of the gear pops up with quick options for you to decide if you want to pick it up, equip it, or leave it. However, with the price of merchant goods in the game I’m sure that we’ll all be taking all the loot we can to the virtual pawn shop.

The other part of the loot/gear system that I want to mention is what you do after picking up your gear. As expected you can get better armor and weapons like other RPG’s out there through completing quests and getting enemy loot drops. However, the unique system of having a separate type of loot devoted to aesthetic gear is something that I believe sets this game apart from other similar RPG’s. I love how you have gear slots for hats, jackets, shirts, pants, and boots that don’t affect your characters stats. I’m really looking forward to more exotic aesthetic gear when the game comes out.

COMBAT: 

I’m not going to talk extensively about the combat of The Division because other than the limited use of the beginning skills and weapons, we didn’t get a very detailed preview of combat. What we did learn was that each level of upgrades in the HQ will unlock different skills, perks, and talents in the wing that we choose to upgrade. The majority of the combat is similar to other Tom Clancy games in how cover is used, but the one difference that I saw is how interactive the surroundings where. Granted it’s not a  fully destructive environment, but the fact that car doors will shut as you go past them gives another layer of realism to the game play.

THE DARK ZONE:

The Dark Zone is The Division’s most noticeable difference from other games on the market. The way that the Dark Zone functions is that each player has a “Dark Zone” rank that they need in order to buy better gear that is available through the Dark Zone merchants.  The game is structured so that even though you can reach max level without going to the Dark Zone the best gear in the game will require you to risk the PvP element of the Dark Zone.

Speaking of which, the Dark Zone’s most interesting feature is how players can attack other players in an attempt to take their loot away. Players will be able to get loot like normal, however the difference is that players have the option to go to extraction zones to empty their inventory into the stash so that players can’t steal their hard earned gear. My only response to this is to make sure to take a party member or two with you when venturing into the Dark Zone. Not only are the NPC’s stronger in the Dark Zone, but your enemies aren’t just limited to NPC.

Next Week I’m planning on sharing an item from my Wish-List. Specifically, what kind of high budget fantasy movie I would love to see in the future. I believe that  a D&D movie is just what the doctor ordered.