Good: Teamwork, Strategy, Communication
The choreographed trailers that were shown during press event were at times cringeworthy because of the way that the team communicated during the fight. ‘No one talks like that while playing an online game,’ was what most people were probably thinking as they watched it.
There is something to The Division’s Dark Zone though that makes that kind of teamwork, strategy, and communication feel natural. Often times I would find myself asking my squad if they had eyes on a target that entered the area, setting up ambushes behind walls for unsuspecting loot carriers, and recommending a retreat when the fight got a bit too hot.
In the same way, The Division makes its cover system both easy and rewarding to use. It is a cover-based shooter after all, and the game does not lie when it says that death is imminent for those who don’t adopt it quickly and well. That fact rings truer than ever when facing off against other agents in The Dark Zone. Ducking behind cover to get relief from a hail of bullet, and suppressing the enemy in order to open the flank from teammates are just a few of the ways The Dark Zone require the player to use strategy when playing.
