Loss of Diversity
If you’ve never been to NYC, you may not know that it consists of five separate boroughs. Each of the boroughs brings a unique flair with Manhattan being the more iconic, metropolis-like area. Brooklyn is the more industrial region of the city, although it’s also home to some affluent neighborhoods and sections with towers that rival those found elsewhere in the city.
In video games set in New York, players rarely get the opportunity to leave the center of the city. The Division offered not only a chance to leave the confines of an area that’s been used to death in gaming, but it offered a painstakingly detailed creation of the new area – different structures, a departure from Manhattan’s crowded streets, large parks, beautiful areas located under around the bridges keeping the city connected, and more. There’s also the opportunity for The Division to showcase more landmarks other than just the Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower.
Fighting your way into the city from a borough other than Queens (which has had its fair share of game representation) would have made the first in-game view of the now-barren skyscrapers of NYC all the more special.
