The Division Resurgence, Ubisoft’s mobile spin on the Division franchise, has received its first gameplay walkthrough. No release date was revealed, but registrations for the closed alpha are live (opens in new tab) and the end of the trailer shows the game is “coming soon.”
While The Division Resurgence takes place in New York City as the first game did, its campaign is entirely original. It will be mechanically similar to the other titles, with a focus on cover-based shooting, tons of loot, upgrading skill trees, and exploring a modern setting constantly at war. All gameplay shown in this video is in alpha, which probably explains the less-than-optimal framerate.
The walkthrough opens with the player running around their base of operations in New York City. Classic staples of the series have not gone away, with the player walking by stations for crafting armor and weapons. We’re also expecting to see the equipment-based skill tree area and extensive modifications to most items.
It’s completely open-world, with the player able to set markers around the environment that allow them to follow the path without much confusion. Taking a quick glance at the user interface, it looks like a lot to get used to, as these little buttons on mobile appear to take up most of the screen.
Players will have to quickly tap on the screen to shoot, change bullet type, crouch, reload, vault, roll, aim down sights, switch weapons, and select equipment all while moving. Presumably, there will be a way to connect a controller to the device, as I’m not a fan of a crowded UI getting in the way of the world. Having to press all along the screen will block much of the game’s assets with my fingers.
It’s also hard to imagine performing as optimally on a mobile device, especially when the biggest appeal of The Division 2 was playing on harder difficulties. If the controls are nowhere near as smooth, will the game do away with much of its challenge to compensate? Regardless, we can only hope the game gets these kinks ironed out as it comes closer to launch.
