Is The Division 2 too hard? I keep dying, but I still find it just right. What is your opinion on this topic?
If you hang out on the Division subreddit and in other forums, you’ve likely come across discussions over the past few days focused on the difficulty level of The Division 2.
- Some say the game is way too hard and needs to be simplified. Particularly single players are having a hard time in Washington D.C.
- Others, however, argue that the developers shouldn’t lower the difficulty just because a few players are complaining.
This is my opinion on the matter: I clearly side with those players who find the difficulty just right. So far, the tough opponents have motivated me much more than they have frustrated me.
This is how I play The Division 2: I’m one of those players who level quite slowly. I’m still quite a ways from World Tier 4.
I prefer to examine everything closely and “enjoy” the campaign, the lore of the collectibles, and the hidden details in the world before the tough endgame grind begins for me – which I won’t really start until World Tier 5.
Additionally, I have only played The Division 2 solo so far. This is because
- I wanted to experience the main missions myself without having to rush behind other players who are speeding through
- my long-time Division buddy was on vacation and he also wants to reach the endgame solo.
That’s why I find the difficulty okay: Last week I had a pretty frustrating moment in The Division 2. I wanted to finish a story mission in time for the kickoff of a national team soccer match, but the boss fight held me back for ages.
I had to take down a big flamethrower boss who was extremely well-armored. His flames dealt massive damage to me, and their reach was so great that I died multiple times pathetically.
And as the kickoff of the soccer match drew nearer, I became more reckless and frantic – and died even faster.
After I hit my innocent couch twice, cursed the flamethrower dude, and was about to quit the mission, I decided to take a calm and thoughtful approach once more.
I revamped my tactic, proceeded more cautiously than ever, and voila, suddenly the armor was breached and the flamethrower guy was on the ground. I missed the first 10 minutes of the soccer match, but I was still satisfied.
I recall that a year and a half ago, I only died once or twice during the entire campaign of Destiny 2. It didn’t present a challenge; meanwhile, flamethrower guy was an entirely different caliber.
And I think that’s awesome! I want games that challenge me. That aren’t a walk in the park from the start, but rather say: “Tom, step it up, or it won’t work!” Destiny 2 bored me during the campaign; The Division 2 does it much better.
The difficulty in The Division 2 is not only about whittling down massive amounts of health points from bosses. Instead, it’s the intelligent AI that challenges you, flanking you skillfully and can appear right behind you out of nowhere.
Right here, I definitely don’t want to compare The Division 2 with Dark Souls or Bloodborne, but those were also games I loved for their tough challenges. Because when you master those challenges, you know you’ve accomplished something truly special.
In short, The Division 2 provided me with some challenges as a solo player over the last few days that I gladly accepted, which motivated me, forcing me to proceed slowly and tactically. For me, it was a welcome change from the fast, shallow games that are easy to digest.
The community has mixed opinions on the difficulty level
What agents who find the game too hard say: In the Division forum, a user incredulously asked the developers: “What’s wrong with you?” Because The Division 2 is “unplayable” for solo players.
- The difficulty is way too high
- You are just a single agent and have to face many, many enemies. 15 vs. 1, that’s a joke
- In some missions, you are in a room where enemies come from all sides. This is seen as unfair.
- The user cannot believe he paid 100 dollars for a game with “impossible” difficulty
- He emphasizes that The Division 2 was advertised as a game for multiplayer AND single player. And to master the game, he sees no choice but to play it in a group.
- Division 1 had appropriate difficulty; part 2 does not at all
- He is upset that he now has something for his money that he cannot use.
A developer has already responded that they will forward this complaint to the team.
What users who find the difficulty okay say: A reddit post with over 4400 upvotes states that Massive has done a fantastic job regarding the difficulty during the campaign for solo players. Massive should not listen to players who want an easy game.
The Division 2 is indeed challenging in some places, but if you proceed slowly and tactically, it is quite manageable. People are just too lazy to engage their brains during combat. And this is no reason for the game to be nerfed.
On the contrary: These challenges make The Division 2 interesting and motivating for solo players. If you die, you just have to learn the combat sequence, get better each time, and then it works out.
But what do you think? Do you find The Division 2 too hard? Participate in our survey. The difficulty relates to the campaign for solo players:
Feel free to share your detailed opinion in the comments.
