Ubisoft made a big splash with Tom Clancy's The Division at E3 this year (it was one of our favorite things at the show), but aside from a gameplay video and some outrageous noise about the game possibly not coming to PC, real details have been thin on the ground.
Enter Ubisoft's official blog , with a huge pile of info about the upcoming open-world MMORPG. Communication Manager (and former PC Gamer Editor-in-Chief) Gary Steinman laid out a ton of specifics, so let's dive right in.
In the aftermath of a bio-terror attack, New York City is suffering through some...difficulties. “A big part of the game will be restoring the infrastructure of New York,” according to game director Ryan Barnard. “So the players will actually see the impact of what they do in the game. They'll fix New York, which is in this 'mid-crisis situation' where communication, law enforcement, power and water are all failing.”
The Division will feature classless characters, a massive relief for anyone who has ever been stuck in MMO-land without a healer or tank. Players will spend their upgrade points outfitting themselves for a certain style of gameplay, but those points can be changed later. “How your Division agent and mine work together is very important,” Baynard says. “Being open and not being class-locked will allow you to go back to your skills and talents and make adjustments.”
The full blog post explores Ubisoft's plans for “second screen” (i.e., phone and tablet) functionality that will serve as UAV support for players in the game proper, solo versus group play, PvP, group events and endgame content. Check it out if you're hungry for more information. If you're in the begging mood, that petition for PC support is still going around, with over 80,000 signatures so far.
