With The Division 2, now upon us you may be wondering of this open-world extravaganza: can you play the game solo? You can, but you’ll need some help along the way.
The Basics
So, the answer is yes: you can play The Division 2 solo, but you’re going to need to approach the world a little differently than if you were to tackle it in a squad with friends.
The most important tip right out of the gate is that you want to try and keep as much distance between yourself and the enemy as possible. SMGs and Shotguns probably aren’t ideal out in the open, because you’ll be alone and so ideally you’re picking off enemies from a distance. Therefore, focusing on a sniper and rifle-based load-out is going to help you quite a bit on your solo endeavour.
You also want to utilise cover more than you would in a squad, because ultimately you’re not going to have the manpower or firepower to cover your back while you’re moving about the place.
A Harsh Truth
The Division 2 is designed for squad-based multiplayer. There’s nothing stopping you from playing the game by yourself — essentially “offline” — but it’s important to understand that the game was designed with squad-based play and progression in mind.
Once you understand that, you may find yourself having a completely different experience to what your friends and other players are having.
For one, dealing with the Black Tusk forces will be extremely tough alone, given they’re already tough work in a squad. Secondly, given you’ll have such a tough time taking down those big bosses and snagging that impressive loot, it’s going to be that little be tougher for you to find what you actually need to progress on your lonesome.
It’s doable, no doubt, but it’s going to need practice and patience. I completed The Division by myself for the most part, but did need to team up with others at points just to pass a roadblock I’d been stuck on for days.
Understanding The World
You’ll need to be accostomed to visiting and searching key areas more often when playing solo than when in a squad, because you won’t get as many opportunities to find good look.
Control Points spawn world events depending on who’s in control of these areas, and their supply rooms, once the point is capture, will prove to be an invaluable asset for you.
World Events won’t be easy when playing solo, but they grant you a tonne of experience and awesome loot once you’re able to get through them.
Safe House will be your go-to to restock and find out what’s next on the mission agenda.
Resource Nodes are keys to feed into settlements, so you’ll need to visit these frequently to ensure settlements are supported fully.
Embrace The Cover
This really goes without saying: if you’re playing solo, you need to work your way into battles slowly, and that means utilising cover as much as possible.
It’s a shooter and the enemies are tough, so this would be the case even when playing in a squad, but the urgency here to find and play behind cover is raised, simply because it’s all that stands between yourself and the bad guys.
Perk Up
The best perks to use when playing solo are the ones that will help (at least a little) in making up for the lack of squad back.
The XP Perk is useful, because it will speed up progression and help make up any lost hours in playing alone.
You Got Skills
The absolute must-have skill is the Fixer drone. This drone repairs armor over time, and you can even select it to patch up a friendly’s armor but seeing as you’re so intent on playing alone, it can follow you passively and repair your armor as you move. A must-have in the solo experience.
The Oxidizer also stands as a useful resource. It emits a chemical cloud, eating away at enemy armor and anything mechanical. Great for use at a distance, and on heavily armored enemies and bosses.
Black Tusk
Once you reach The Division 2‘s endgame — if you make it that far — you’ll find yourself battling it out with Black Tusk, whose strongholds present brutal force, but precious, exotic loot. It will be at this point that you’ll probably need to find someone — anyone — to play with, given the heightened difficulty.
Can You Play Offline?
Playing alone essentially means you’re playing offline: while the game will always technically be “online”, you can go at it alone, with the game’s overall difficulty adjusting depending on the number of agents in a squad.
Have any tips for playing The Division 2 solo? Sound off in the comments below!
