At the beginning of Tom Clancy's The Division, top-secret operatives are dropped from a helicopter into a version of New York City that has been crippled by a terrorist attack.
Central Park is a mass graveyard. Madison Square Garden is a makeshift hospital under siege. The James A Farley Post Office Building is being transformed into a base of military operations. The Lincoln Tunnel has devolved into a shooting gallery for looters and thugs.
While maintaining third-person shooter sensibilities, this ambitious new video game from Ubisoft seeks to tackle serious topics such as viral outbreaks, police brutality and the breakdown of emergency services. Isn’t gaming supposed to be fun?
"It's a dark and depressing scenario, but it's important that you can be the hero," says creative director Magnus Jansen after a demonstration of the The Division, which is due for release on March 8 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
“You can come in and make a difference. The important thing is that society has stumbled and it’s hanging by a thread – but you can prevent it from complete collapse,” says Jansen.
The developers are well aware that not all gamers will be interested in a shared-world shooter that meticulously envisions such a chilling scenario, but they are not apologising for their gritty look at what they call a “mid-crisis”.
“We have the greatest respect for [real-life] victims of anything that we touch on in the game, whether it’s an outbreak, terrorist attack or anything like that,” says Jansen. “We would never want to upset anyone with our work of art.
“That’s the risk we run by working on something that’s about a plausible clear and present danger. That’s also part of what makes it compelling.”
For decades, most military shooters sought to recreate real-life wars, and weapons, of the past and present.
In recent years, however, franchises such as Call of Duty and Battlefield have focused on depicting near-futures in which fictional conflicts are fought with laser weapons and mechanical augmentation to the human troops.
The creators of The Division were more interested in crafting a "realer-than-real" interactive experience based on what might actually happen if a biological threat was unleashed in Manhattan on Black Friday.
They were inspired by actual military simulations and responses to such disasters as Hurricane Katrina.
“My favourite part of working on the game was to look at New York and see how these landmark buildings would be transformed if a crisis happened,” says associate creative director Julian Gerighty.
“What was their original function and how would that change if the support systems in place fell? For example, we imagine a subway extension as a place to dump body bags because that could possibly keep disease from spreading.”
The chaos extends to the game’s approach to a multiplayer mode. While players can work together to rescue civilians and recapture landmarks, they can also enter a lawless Midtown territory dubbed “the dark zone”, where online players can team up or double-cross each other while hunting for prized gear.
“When we were watching players in the alpha [test], I expected people to be much more aggressive, at least when they first started exploring the dark zone,” says Gerighty.
“However, people were really hesitant to turn on each other, which is very much the emotional experience we wanted. I think that will evolve even further once the game is released.”
* The Associated Press
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
HAJJAN
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Company%20profile
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If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
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