One game that I always keep coming back to for some fast-paced shooting and looting is The Division 2. After all, few titles have the atmosphere of this one paired with amazing gunplay and an addictive gameplay loop. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw that Echoes of Central Park was the next big DLC for The Division 2. After getting some hands-on time with it, I am extremely pleased. Beyond delivering an excellent new endgame experience, it also brings one of the best post-launch campaigns, with unparalleled world-building and a gripping narrative.
Into a Forgotten Landmark
Of all the locations in The Division universe, one many of us have been eager to visit is Central Park. Some may even remember how the first title described it as a mass grave, full of bodies, and shut off to everyone—or so we thought.
Without delving into spoiler territory, a distress call sends our agent to Central Park, which many thought was an abandoned landmark. However, we soon learn that it wasn’t the case, as there’s something sinister and quite creepy happening in this area. With a quick introductory battle, you arrive in Central Park to meet the new cast of characters and follow the leads of whatever mystery has been creeping upon those living in this harrowing zone.
While I would love to talk about the story, as I feel it is one of the strongest in The Division 2 since its launch, I don’t want to ruin the surprise for fans out there. What I can talk about, however, is the amazing world-building Ubisoft has done for this DLC.
As soon as you step inside, you come across yet another desolate landscape, a war between two factions, and plenty of creepy areas full of environmental storytelling with hints of a survival-horror title, which I loved. If you’re someone who’s been a fan of how The Division has built its universe and lore, the payoff in this DLC is great, and among the best I’ve seen in any type of post-launch content Ubisoft has done.
But since many are still all about the looting and shooting, well, there’s plenty of that, too. For this preview, I had access to a max-level character, armed to the teeth with powerful weapons and armor. Even then, I was struggling to face these two new factions.
On one side, you have the Cleaners, a group of cult-like members, using flamethrowers with sniper-like precision. If I had to rank both factions, this is the one that gave me the most trouble. Normally, I’m used to taking enemies from afar without difficulty, but I don’t know what type of tech they have in Central Park that makes every flamethrower have more range than my marksman rifle. It may sound like a complaint, but it isn’t—I loved the challenge. I was extremely comfortable with the build Ubisoft provided, so it was fun to try a different approach when facing these new foes.
The second faction, Black Tusk, felt more like a drone-focused mercenary faction, which wasn’t as challenging as the above one. While some had a few gimmicks, such as launching several drones at me at the same time, handling them was a breeze. Still, I often had to swap my equipment depending on the mission just to not die at the hands of these Central Park denizens.
And while I could’ve met my end several times, I didn’t, thanks to the new companions that join you for the ride. After the tutorial, you get to bring any of the three new NPCs alongside you. You have Brayleigh Callahan, the sniper, Elwood Franklin, the medic, and Morse Feeney, your assault character. All of them have a specific story, which, upon completion, gives each companion some combat buffs.
Initially, I brought Brayleigh for all my exploring and quests, but quickly swapped to Elwood as his healing kit was just too good to pass on. Still, it is great to have these three companions to pick from inside the new area, as each one provides different playstyles. On top of that, they are extremely memorable, from their storylines to their personalities when traveling alongside you.
Lastly, regarding gear and the endgame experience, I don’t want to go into details because talking about some of it would spoil a few things from the story. However, I liked the approach Ubisoft took to bringing new gear and weapons to the game, as well as giving us something to do after the DLC’s narrative.
For instance, some of the gear you get in missions has some excellent set bonuses, all of which cater to different playstyles. Some favor skill usage, while others just focus on raw weapon damage. For the endgame part, I was glad to see just how well it tied to the story’s conclusion, as well as leaning toward the many threats in Central Park. There are two modes, both with increased difficulty, and as someone who is always looking for an added challenge during runs, I’m happy with what the DLC achieved here. Also, there are some neat skill variations you can get as rewards, which can vastly modify your build in some interesting ways.
An Addictive DLC
As someone who has been waiting to step into this iconic landmark, The Division 2: Echoes of Central Park did an amazing job of bringing this once-forgotten locale from the game’s lore to life. Beyond delivering an excellent endgame mode, it also has one of the best narratives I’ve seen in the franchise, thanks to its strong world-building and memorable companions. All I hope now is that Ubisoft continues pumping out content for this looter shooter because this DLC is one of the best post-launch additions we’ve seen, and one that sets the bar real high.
