As online-focused games continue to become more and more popular in our industry, the pushback by single player audiences also becomes fiercer. Not that the two can’t co-exist- I personally believe there’s a lot of fun to be had in both kinds of games (though I do prefer single player games more). If you’re the kind of player who’s looking for a balance between those two sides, though, The Division 2 might end up appealing to you.
We recently spoke briefly about The Division 2 with the game’s associate creative director, Chadi El-Zibaoui, and we asked him if the game would have any kind of content that could appease those players who’re looking for a solo experience, or if it would be a wholeheartedly online experience. Of course, being a shared-world co-op game, we weren’t expecting much by way of single-player content, but El-Zibaoui’s answer ended up pleasantly surprising us.
“The game is completely playable solo, even in-game activities,” he told GamingBolt. “There will be certain activities, like the eight-man raids- of course, for this type of challenge players will be grouped with friends. But we have a very robust campaign, a deep narrative, lots of mysteries. So, if you’re solo player, you’ll have a lot to explore in the campaign. From day one we’ll really be delivering content for all kinds of gear. Not just for the hardcore fans, but even if you’re a solo player.”
It’s encouraging, for sure. I mean, it’s not revelatory- most shared-world experiences allow players to play the game alone, even the first Division did that. But we’re hoping Ubisoft will balance it well enough that it doesn’t end up becoming a significantly less full-featured or enjoyable experience if you play it alone. Of course, a lot of the content in the game – such as the raids, the Dark Zone, the PvP, and what have you – is going to have to be online-focused, so there’s that as well. It’s good to know, however, that the campaign is going to be more solo-friendly than it was in the first game, at least based on what the developers are saying.
The Division 2 launches on March 15 for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC. We recently had the chance to play it for ourselves, and we came away quite impressed. Read our impressions here.