There's no getting away from the fact The Division is the best open-world that Ubisoft has ever created, while the gameplay is consistently entertaining and cohesive. The deep RPG elements and tactical gunplay just add to that. Plus, the fact you can get so much enjoyment out of being a solo player, with that experience heightened by buddying up, is quite a feat.

Post-pandemic New York City is a terrifying vision, but it's not one that you’ll likely want to leave for some time.

Intelligent mechanics, intense gameplay, well thought-out mission structure and plotlines are all winners in our book. Bring on the endgame antics! [May 2016, p70]

I wouldn’t go so far as to say The Division is the online shooter experience that will usher the genre into a new golden age, but it is a worthy alternative for those who are looking for a more methodical and immersive experience than what games like Destiny can offer. There are still no guarantees about The Division’s long-term sustainability, but the strong out-of-the-gate showing it has already made is certainly a good start.

The Division is an immersive online action game that delivers an interesting story, impressive environments and great gunplay. The main question is how fun it will be in a month or two, but we have faith in Massive's long-term plans.

The Division is not a perfect game. There are flaws. But the flaws are mostly because it's straddling genres, and this is also what gives it so many different things to enjoy. There are complicated inventory systems, daft explosives, a big open world to explore, and incredible multiplayer, but you don't need to get invested in any of them to play the game. The Division is not a perfect game, but it's really fun. Which is sort of the point, isn't it?

Acknowledging its major flaws and noteworthy highlights, the whole of The Division is an average shooting game with online elements, loot progression, and some bugs.