Since its launch,The Division 2has received numerous title updates, the most recent of which is set to release later this year. The latest offerings from theFar Cryfranchise in comparison seem as though they’ve been neglected.Far Cry 5andNew dawnreleased a year apart (withNew Dawnarriving the same year asThe Division 2), but whileThe Division 2continues to receive new content, neitherFar Crygame has seen a content drop since the year of their release. This isn’t to suggestFar Cryis being left behind, nor is it the type of game to receive this same type of support, but maybe it would benefit from a similar treatmentThe Divisionis currently receiving.
Outside ofTheDivision 2, the franchise has more broadly been subject to a torrent of exciting announcements of late. It’s been known for a while now thatThe Divisionis set to make its theatrical debut with a Netflix movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain, but this isn’t the extent of the upcomingDivisioncontent. Ubisoft has recently announced two brand newDivision-based projects:The Division MobileandThe Division: Heartland, a free-to-play game.No release date is known yet, but the mobile game is set to release afterHeartland, which Ubisoft announced will arrive in 2021-22.
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A Closer Look At The Division’s New Content
Perhaps the two larger-scale projects are the Netflix movie along withHeartland, as these are likely to receive much of the fanfare. It’s impossible to talk aboutHeartlandwithout looking toDestiny 2, another live service turned free-to-play game.Destinysaw quite the resurgenceupon switching to a free-to-play model, an upturn that was based on merit as much as it was clever marketing decisions. The main difference between the two games is thatHeartlandis set to be an all-new game, whileDestiny 2was simply made available for free after launch. This is a difference that holds significance insofar as it will appeal to new players and hardcore fans alike.
Fans can also be excited about the upcomingDivisionmovie. It stars the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain, whileRed Notice’sRawson Marshall takes the reins as director. A release date is as yet unknown, yet it has been in development since 2018. One of the details that has been made public is thatThe Divisionwill premiere on Netflix.
Aside from free-to-play games, a hot trend as of late is to produce mobile alternatives to mainline titles. Recently, the likes ofMario, The Elder Scrolls, andCall of Dutyhave received a mobile installation, each receiving a good deal of success and earning their own fanbases. Exactly what a mobile version ofThe Divisionwill look like is still unknown, yet Ubisoft will surely looking to keep intact the gameplay loop present in the mainline games.
What Can Far Cry Learn From The Division?
Far Cry 5andNew Dawnhave each seen little love since launch, whileFar Cry 5received 3 DLC packs. All were released within a year of the game’s launch. Furthermore, thelaunch ofFar Cry 6seems far offfollowing a delay from its original February 18 release date, leaving fans of the franchise pining for a newFar Cryexperience.Far Cry 6does look to be a game to watch out for, as the trailer heavily featuredBreaking Badstar Giancarlo Esposito and gave fans an insight into the Cuba-inspired revolutionary setting of the game. However, fans of the franchise may be left wondering what they’re to do until the presumablye late 2021/early 2022 slated release date.
While it’s clear thatUbisoft has big plans forFar Cry 6, it may be a good idea to expand the franchise in a similar way to how it is expandingThe Division. So long as the mainline releases were not affected, the idea ofaDivision-styleexpansion of the series may go over a treat, with movies, mobile, and more diverse releases.In particular,Far Cry’sbase raiding gameplay would lend itself well to a free-to-play entry. While it may seem blasphemous to suggest strippingFar Cry’sstory element, even for a spin-off, one of the main draws of the franchise has long been its high-octane gameplay. An expansion of the franchise such as this would certainly give gamers something to chew on while they await the release of the next main entry, whenever and whatever that may be, and it would provide an excellent vessel for consistent content drops.
The viability of a silver-screen adaptation of theFar Cryfranchise could be questioned; however, the post-apocalyptic setting ofNew Dawnmay translate seamlessly onto the big screen. Likewise, a mobile game version ofFar Crywould definitely be an interesting sight. Regardless, it seems Ubisoft has bigplans forThe Divisiongoing forward, which spells good news for fans of the series.
The Division 2is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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