The Division 2 Review: 10 Ups & 4 Downs

8. The Intense, Addictive Gunplay

Easily the strongest aspect of the first game was the gunplay, even though many (rightly) complained that enemies were too bullet-spongey for their own good.

Thankfully Massive has listened to this criticism and given enemy encounters a significant re-design.

For starters, the sponginess is massively tone down, with elite enemies instead coming to battle with armour which needs to be broken, after which they can be easily felled.

Even the game's most ferocious enemies are a good deal less of a chore to battle than the late-stage bosses of the first game, but thanks to mob A.I. that's both more aggressive and more intelligent, the game still poses a solid challenge even in squad play.

The moment-to-moment shooting feels weighty and impactful in a way so few games of this type can master, and that, above all else, is really why people will be able to lose dozens if not hundreds of hours in what The Division 2 has to offer.