The upcoming MMO shooter The Division has recreated parts of New York quite realistically. However, the developers want to distance themselves from real historical events in this world city.
The developer Ubisoft Massive aims to create a realistic recreation of parts of the city of New York as they might look in a post-apocalypse. The game world is supposed to feel like a real city – not like a haphazardly put together environment where you can frolic around. But how close does the game city come to its inspiration, New York City?
The setting fits
After reviewing the following video, you can actually find some places in The Division that should feel familiar to New Yorkers. However, in order to reach a final judgment, it is necessary to look at the entire game world in the final version of the MMO shooter.
The story has neither historical precedent nor a political statement
As realistic as this environment may seem, the developer distances itself from parallels to real historical events. The Division takes place in Manhattan, where the terrible terrorist attacks were also carried out on September 11, 2001. When asked by Kill Screen, Creative Director Julian Gerighty responded that there are absolutely no parallels between The Division and 9/11.
Of course, the MMO shooter also deals with a terrible theme, which is why the interviewer was surprised by this clear distancing. However, Gerighty emphasized that this topic was not even mentioned in internal discussions – at least not when he was present.
Gerighty adds that The Division has no intentions of addressing political topics. Since the virus spreads through money, one could at most interpret an anti-capitalist statement. But Gerighty also wants to rule that out.
“Ultimately, it is a video game, an entertainment product. It has no specific political message.”
The Division is set to release on March 8 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
More about the gameplay of The Division can be found in these articles:
