I’m ridiculously excited to get stuck into The Division 2’s new DLC, and part of that excitement comes from a frustration I’ve had for a while now. Nothing else has really managed to fill the shoes of The Division 2 and Destiny 2.
Those two games were absolute juggernauts. They brought together fantastic shooting, worlds worth exploring, character progression and enough reasons to keep coming back that they became much more than a game you finished and moved on from. They set a standard that, for me, still hasn’t been properly replaced.
That’s why Echoes of Central Park feels like such a welcome release. I’ve been waiting for something to scratch that particular itch, and here comes The Division 2 again, putting its hand up.
They made the whole thing work
When I say I’m missing a good PvE shooter, I mean that whole package. I want a world I’m interested in exploring, missions I actually enjoy playing, gear worth chasing and combat that holds everything together. A game can tick those boxes on paper and still leave me cold.
The Division 2 gets so much of it right. Its gunplay and cover mechanics are phenomenal. Moving between cover, finding an angle and working your way through a firefight feels good. There’s a weight to it, and an ordinary encounter can be enjoyable because the mechanics underneath it are so solid.
It’s just a fun-ass game to play. That matters an awful lot when you’re asking someone to spend more than a few evenings in your world.
Destiny 2 approaches combat very differently, but it has that same crucial quality. The shooting feels fantastic. Its weapons and abilities make fighting enjoyable before you get to the question of what reward is waiting at the end. Add its worlds and progression to that, and you can understand why replacing it is such a difficult job.
For me, neither game’s appeal can be reduced to collecting better equipment. The equipment gives you something to work towards, but I still have to want to play the game while I’m earning it. These two understood that balance so damn well.
I keep waiting for the next one
What frustrates me is feeling like I’m still waiting for something to take that experience forward. I want the excitement of discovering a substantial new shooter that can become that kind of game again. Instead, I find myself looking back at the same familiar names and hoping there’s another chapter left in them.
Destiny’s future has been particularly strange to watch. Bungie announced an end to new Destiny 2 content, then said in September that it was beginning work on restoring vaulted campaigns, destinations and raids. The studio also said it wasn’t done with Destiny, while continuing to develop Marathon. That leaves room for hope, but it doesn’t give me a new game to get excited about playing right now.
I understand why a developer would want to build something different. I’m interested in what comes next too. But a different kind of shooter doesn’t automatically fill the space left by the one I already loved. The particular combination that made Destiny 2 work for me is a high bar to clear.
I had similar hopes around The Division Heartland as a possible next step for that franchise. Ubisoft ultimately cancelled it in 2024, so that possibility never went anywhere. I can’t tell you whether it would have delivered what I wanted. I can tell you it was disappointing to lose another potential reason to get excited about where The Division might go.
Meanwhile, The Division 2 keeps coming back. From where I’m sitting, it has felt like a game approaching the end of its road more than once, only for another reason to return to appear. That’s a testament to how good the game is, even if there’s something frustrating about still relying on it to provide an experience I’m struggling to find elsewhere.
Maybe more Division 2 is exactly what I need
I don’t imagine building a replacement is remotely easy. A huge, detailed world needs places worth visiting and interesting things to do in them. Then the shooting, movement, enemies, equipment and progression all have to work together. Getting one of those things right is an achievement. Getting the whole lot right must be an enormous undertaking.
I’d love a brand-new game that pulled it off. But I’m also very happy to see a developer build on something that already works this well. There’s plenty about The Division 2 that I still want to play. Give those mechanics a substantial new area and a good campaign, and you’ve already got my attention.
That’s what interests me about Echoes of Central Park. Ubisoft describes an area covering Central Park and the Upper West Side that’s roughly twice the size of Battle for Brooklyn, alongside a new campaign and a replayable endgame experience. The darker atmosphere gives it another hook, but the prospect of having somewhere substantial and new to explore in The Division 2 is enough to make me eager to start.
I haven’t played the DLC yet. My confidence comes from how much I enjoy the game it’s built on, and I’m hoping the new content lives up to that foundation. A promising description can only take you so far. I want to see how it feels when I’m actually in there.
There’s a slightly ridiculous feeling to waiting for a great new PvE shooter and getting this excited about returning to an old one. But The Division 2 and Destiny 2 left enormous shoes to fill, and I’m still waiting for something else to fill them.
For now, The Division 2 has given me a new reason to come back. I’m really hoping it’s as good as it should be. Fingers crossed.
