Latest Screenshots for The Division Explore Post-Pandemic New York, Dynamic Weather System Detailed

Long-awaited shooter The Division is inching closer to its March debut, and developer Ubisoft Massive has began detailing the finer gameplay elements within the post-pandemic title.  

Powered by the company’s in-house Snowdrop game engine, The Division has players compete with one another for resources in a ravaged version of New York City, with loot and territorial control filtering into the core experience. 

In a lengthy podcast, Massive dove into the weapon system and how the in-game arsenal will be tailored to suit a variety of play styles, while there was also mention of player stats and the rarity of certain weapons in particular. Ultimately, though, it’s the fabled Dark Zone that will offer the most in terms of end-game content, “where [players] will be competing at the highest level for the best equipment in the game.”

Expanding on this was the game’s Associate Creative Director Julian Gerighty, who spoke to IGN about the core RPG sensibilities at the heart of The Division

The key to our RPG experience are the choices around weapons, skills, talents and mods. Do you want to build yourself out as a particularly lethal long range sniper agent who is able to push forward in that one challenging late game mission or are you going to step in the shoes of a healer with your group to make sure that your entire squad makes it? These decisions, as well as the progression choices behind the equipment involved, make The Division stand out in the Clancy line up.

In a separate interview with Forbes, Sebastian Lindoff and Chad Chatterton — Lead Environmental Artist and Technical Art Director, respectively — offered some insight on the dynamic weather system that the Snowdrop game engine affords. 

You can choose when to play any of the missions, night or day, with clear weather or during a snow blizzard. We only restrict some of the heaviest fog settings in some missions because it could adversely affect too much the combat balancing, but all the other weather settings can have an impact on how you approach an encounter, varying the levels of visibility for you and your enemies.

The Division is due to launch for PS4, Xbox One and PC March 8, 2016. Ubisoft is also hosting a beta test across all platforms in early 2016, with those who pre-ordered getting instant access. If you haven’t secured your copy, you can join the waiting list for a chance to secure a beta key. 

[Sources: IGN, Ubisoft, Forbes]

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