The Division 2 Private Beta Xbox One X Preview

In order to prepare for this sequel, I recently ran through the first game with one of my friends. This was a few weeks back at this point and I'm in a zone of excitement for this game. The Division 2 private beta was a good way to get a taste for things and since I'm apparently focusing on the Xbox One X enhanced portion of this I'll give some context there. The game is a native 4k resolution with HDR support and the results are incredible.

Just like the great update for the last one to boost the quality, this one just launches with it and the game looks remarkable. The destruction, garbage and growth over Washington, DC is grand. There's a lot of scale here as you sink right into the congested city blocks and it's fantastic. I didn't notice any performance issues, but some disconnects were present. This is expected in this situation as they work on the servers. The game is also clearly a follow-up as the core structure feels similar to what I had just experienced, but with various enhancements to mechanics. I'd say gameplay wise, at its core this is similar though they do take it further in some ways.


This really all starts at the improved base of operations which are spread out and grow over time. These areas are filled with things to do, people to speak to and of course feature a distinct location. The general structure for how you engage in combat is similar. There are things to do when on patrol including enemies to fire at or side missions that pop up. I noticed the civilians seem more engaged in this one, felt like you had more people fighting back to re-take regular control of the city. Missions are fairly standard, get some cutscenes and a location to battle at. You'll fight through both narrow and larger environments as you clear rooms from any enemy presence before pushing forward.

There's a lot more to it than that, but it gives a quick idea of what to expect if you're coming from the last game or even new to this. The enemies move around through cover and this is a cover focused experience. You need to place shots well, damage hits hard and you have to be careful as death could come at any point. This is deepened by the further developed Dark Zones that are present and the many factions present. Keep in mind that some enemies sponge harder than others and take many more bullets. The Division 2 private beta was a good tease for the game and I'm looking forward to the full experience that we believe we'll be covering come launch as The Division 2 releases March 15, 2019. You can read our thoughts on the E3 experience of the game below or view the franchise hub for additional coverage on the title.

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The Division 2 Private Beta Xbox One X Screenshot
Gamerheadquarters Reviewer Jason Stettner