Good: The Atmosphere
The Division’s Dark Zone is an exercise in caution and teamwork that many games aspire to create but often fail to. From the very first step taken after vaulting over the wall a sense of uneasiness starts to settle in. Every person the player comes across may have nefarious intentions, and there is absolutely no way of knowing if a player intends to engage.
In my first experience in The Dark Zone, I came across another agent who was eyeing me slowly and cautiously. As we both aimed down-sights at one another and assessed neither of us were threats, I decided to be on my way. He joined me as we loot-lessly wandered The Dark Zone. That was until we came across an agent carrying loot on his back (denoted by a yellow pack underneath his backpack). Without even thinking twice, the player traveling on the road with me went rogue, downed the other agent, and looted his body.
That’s the beauty of the Dark Zone. Tension and uncertainty can define it. With other human-controlled players wandering around, The Dark Zone gives players that “anything can happen” feeling quite regularly.
