As we’re still waiting for The Division 3, Ubisoft did finally launch The Division: Resurgence a few weeks ago. For those unfamiliar, Resurgence is the latest entry in the series that launched on iOS and Android worldwide on March 31.
Resurgence’s launch has been a long time coming. After all, the game was initially announced in July 2022, with an initial Fall 2023 release schedule. The game was eventually delayed multiple times, though it was not canceled. Now, we finally have the game, and while it’s a mobile entry, it promises to be a true Division experience instead of a watered-down port.
In many ways, Ubisoft succeeded in bringing the series’ core experience to mobile. Of course, given the limitations of the platform, there are compromises to some parts of the game.
A Proper Division Experience While on the Go
Instead of being a multiplayer spin-off (as is the case with other mobile game spin-offs of big game IPs), Resurgence is a third-person action game set in an open-world New York, albeit a smaller-scale world compared to the full Division games. To be exact, Resurgence’s map is essentially half of the main game.
As for its story, the prologue begins with the player as a Division agent who’s sent to New York as part of the first wave following the Green Poison outbreak. After the prologue, the player goes into a coma and wakes up in a safehouse. At this time, the events of the first Division game have already happened, and while the big threats have been dealt with, the player still has plenty to do.
Once the prologue ends, the player will find themselves in a main hub, after which they can proceed to complete main missions. Aside from these missions, there are also various side missions to do throughout the game’s open world, though most of them are fairly simple. Players usually just need to fetch specific items or go through combat encounters.
Thus, the game has plenty to do for solo players, and while players who want to play by themselves can do so, there are various modes where others enter the fray. In the game, players can embark on missions with friends or try out the PvP mode. More excitingly for long-time fans, the Dark Zone is back in this game. Yes, that means you can experience the series’ signature PvPvE gameplay on your smartphone or tablet. And while the Dark Zone in Resurgence is a bit more basic, it should still offer plenty of tense moments. Note that you’ll need to progress through quite a bit of the game before you get to explore this.
Whichever game mode you choose, you’ll need to master the game’s combat system. In this regard, Resurgence does a pretty decent job of bringing the Division’s cover-based third-person shooter mechanics to mobile. Of course, the mechanics are a bit more streamlined to account for touchscreen controls, but for a mobile game, the shooting mechanics are definitely above-average. It also helps that enemy AI can be quite smart, meaning for the game’s combat encounters, you have to be careful not to get flanked by groups.
What also adds some depth is the class system. In Resurgence, players can pick a class, including Bulwark, Demolitionist, Tech Operator, and Combat Medic. Each class has a specific specialty, and this aspect shines when playing with friends, as a balanced squad works best.
As for how it feels to play, I found the game to be playable on touch controls, though I would definitely recommend grabbing a controller for this if you can, as the combat just feels better on a gamepad. Thankfully, the game has good support for popular game controllers.
In many ways, Resurgence feels a lot like a full Division game, but as you play, you won’t forget that this is still a mobile game.
Its Mobile Aspects Can be a Bit Much
There are plenty of fun mobile games, but it’s fair to say that their progression systems and monetization systems aren’t for everyone. I have to admit that I’m not exactly a big mobile gamer, as I find things like daily quests and various progression elements to be a bit distracting.
In this regard, Resurgence has plenty of these. While you can go through the earlier Main Missions fairly quickly, at some point, you’ll run into missions that require you to be at a certain level. Because of this, you’ll need to increase your level by doing dailies, side missions, and replaying the main missions. As such, parts of the game can feel a bit grindy.
There’s also the fact that Resurgence, as with most mobile games, has a ton of menus, weekly quests, battle passes, and various currencies. Mobile games have these to keep players hooked, and for those coming from the main Division games, these aspects of Resurgence can feel overwhelming.
It’s not a 100% fair criticism though, especially as Resurgence is a free-to-play game at the end of the day, so these elements are essentially a requirement for the game’s monetization to work. If you can look past these and are fine with a bit of grind, you’ll still be rewarded with a fun experience, but you have to temper your expectations a bit.
Aside from these, Resurgence being a mobile game also means it can look a bit rough if you’re playing on a lower-end phone. On the one hand, it’s good that the game can run on even mid-range hardware smoothly. On the other hand, if you’re playing on a device that can only run the game on Low, it’s not exactly the best-looking game out there.
Also, because you’re playing on such a small screen, it can be a bit hard to see what’s happening at times, especially in hectic combat encounters. You will get used to it, but it might take some time to acclimate to it.
The Division: Resurgence Final Verdict – 7.5/10
Ubisoft delivered on its promise with The Division: Resurgence, as players indeed get a proper Division experience instead of a more watered-down version. Here, players can enjoy good third-person shooter combat (for mobile standards), as well as series signatures like Dark Zone.
Still, this is a mobile game at the end of the day, meaning it has an almost overwhelming amount of recurring quests, progression systems, currencies, and more. If you’re not a big fan of these, Resurgence probably won’t convince you. But if you’re already an avid mobile gamer, or if you’re a Division fan who’s willing to look past these, you can have fun in this game.