While many The Division 2 players are struck with nostalgia at the title, Warlords of New York, other newer players may be wondering if the expansion is not only worth their money but their time as well. 

Going back to New York in Ubisoft's title game may be nothing new for veteran players, but if your introduction to Tom Clancy's The Division was the second game, then heading to New York may garner a great new experience. 

Even if players are familiar with the first game and have been hesitant with the expansion, well then we're going to offer you an unbiased review of the story, gameplay, extras of Warlords of New York.

About

The Division 2 launched back in February 2019, and many players were excited, with the game being received well by critics and fans alike. Eventually disappointment settled among players as many expected changes to the game over time. There was a lack of new content, and many time-consuming builds were "balanced" which ultimately weakened the player's stats. 

The game eventually began collecting dust until March 2020 when Warlords of New York was released. Ubisoft attempted to listen to the complaints of its players and utilized them into making the new expansion. They hoped to hop on the nostalgia train and take their players back to New York City, where the first game took place. 

About six hours long, depending on how you're playing as well with side missions, the expansion does not necessarily have a narrative to it as you can complete the main missions in any order you want. Which I'm sure has saved Massive some time, but can be boring for some players who are invested in the story. 

You are introduced to new villains and some old ones, as well as some familiar friendly faces as you venture to Lower Manhattan and try to hunt the one and only, Aaron Keener. 

Story (Spoilers)

Warlords of New York takes the player from Washington D.C. back to New York City, where it all started.

Aaron Keener, the man who started it all, is on the loose in somewhere in Lower Manhattan and it is up to the player to track him down and take him out. Do not get too excited, finding him will not be easy (for the game's sake), but his crafty henchmen will for sure heat up the trail. 

Former First Wave Division Agents Vivian Conley, Javier Kajika, James Dragov, and Theo Parnell are working with Keener and are the only leads you have in getting him. That is not the only thing you have to keep your eye out for. The Cleaners and the Rikers are still rampaging Lower Manhattan and it is up to you, and a handful of former JTF soldiers known as the Peacekeepers to try to keep them in line as you try to keep up with Keener. 

There is not much to the story as there is to the gameplay. As you take down each of the rogue agents, you damage Keener’s leadership and supply chains that bring you closer to Liberty Island, where you take on Keener. 

With the sporadic help of Agent Kelso, you go to get rid of Keener once and for all on Liberty Island. With his dying breath, he reveals the betrayal of Faye Lau running with the Black Tusks and activates a new wave of rogue agents. 

Gameplay/Combat

As for gameplay and combat, nothing changes drastically but players have noticed an extra challenge especially when playing solo. There is also a new progression system in place as well. 

Excluding Title Update changes, the gameplay and combat is still one we're used to within a different yet familiar environment. 

Control points are still a factor in Warlords, although there are fewer factions that must be dealt with. As opposed to dealing with the Hyenas, Outcast, True Sons, and the Black Tusks, players are only dealing with the Rikers and Cleaners. That excludes the Black Tusks you have to deal with towards the end of the expansion's main campaign. 

As for the new progression system, it is still familiar to the one that was present when you first started The Division 2 main game, with the max reaching Level 40. 

*Note: Once you’ve started your journey through the narrative campaign in Lower Manhattan, you will be unable to return to Washington D.C. until the campaign is completed.

Mission System

• There are five investigations threads, each linking the main and side missions together and leading you through the narrative.
• 5 Main Missions
• 8 Side Missions
• Main missions and side missions are now linked together.

Graphics

When it comes to graphic settings, this previous article should help in general:

The Division 2: Best Graphics Settings For An Advantage

For those who are new or returning after giving Warlords some time to solidify itself, this video can help for both console and PC players:

10 DIVISION 2 SETTINGS YOU NEED TO CHANGE FOR NEW AND RETURNING PLAYERS (CONSOLE & PC)

Pros: New environment, added difficulty, new progression changes, better loot.  
Cons: Boring narrative, no huge gameplay changes, bugs, and glitches that haven't been fixed. 

If I were to rate it out of 10, I would say a solid 7.5/10. I have found it to be an enjoyable expansion to a game that needed some tender loving care when it first came out. Although there isn't very much to the narrative, the added difficulty to gameplay made it worth it. I would say for the price that it is at right now, it would not be a complete waste. 

Price: $29.99
Initial release date: March 3, 2020
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Series: Tom Clancy's The Division
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

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