00:00Hello everyone, we finally have our first proper look at Echoes of Central Park, the next big expansion coming to
00:07the Division 2 and there is a lot to talk about.
00:10Before we get into everything, I want to say a massive thank you to Ubisoft and Massive for giving me
00:14early access to this preview and the opportunity to learn more about what they've been working on.
00:19In this video, I'm taking you through everything I have been shown and everything we currently know about Echoes of
00:25Central Park.
00:26The story, the new areas we're going to explore, the darker direction they're taking Central Park, our new companions, the
00:33end game experience, new gear and possibly one of the things I'm most interested in, six brand new skill variants.
00:40I'll also give you my thoughts along the way because there are definitely a few things here that's really caught
00:45my attention.
00:46So, what exactly has been happening behind the gates of Central Park?
00:59Echoes of Central Park is taking the Division 2 in a slightly different direction when it comes to storytelling.
01:05The idea here is that when society is surrounded by fear and nobody really understands what is happening, people start
01:11creating their own explanations.
01:13Stories spread, rumours grow and eventually it becomes difficult to separate what is actually happening from what people think is
01:20happening.
01:20This seems to be a huge part of what Echoes of Central Park is going for.
01:24There's a much darker mystery surrounding this expansion and our job as Division Agents is essentially going to be cutting
01:31through all of those rumours and stories to find out what is actually happening inside Central Park.
01:37Interestingly, the story is also being told as a flashback with a narrator guiding us through events.
01:43That allows the developers to play around with another idea throughout the story.
01:47Can we actually trust what we're being told?
01:50And Central Park is probably one of the best locations they could have chosen for something like this.
01:56We've known for years that Central Park was turned into a mass graveyard during the outbreak.
02:01But we've never actually been able to properly explore it.
02:04The park has effectively been sealed away from the outside world since the outbreak.
02:08And now the communities living nearby are starting to find signs that something seriously wrong could be happening inside.
02:16Bodies are being discovered, people are disappearing, friends and family aren't coming home.
02:21Naturally, people have started coming up with their own stories about what might be lurking beyond those gates.
02:27And now, we're finally going in there to find out.
02:30It is bigger than just Central Park.
02:33The expansion isn't limited to just the Central Park area itself.
02:38We're also getting the Upper West Side stretching from Lincoln Square through to the Dakota District, which acts as a
02:44staging area for the operation.
02:46This is where we'll see how everything happening around Central Park has affected the people living nearby.
02:53Fia has clearly taken hold of these communities and during the story, we're going to meet three unique companions who
03:00will help us with this operation.
03:01These aren't simply characters standing around giving us missions either.
03:05Each one has their own story and their own combat style and will actually be able to rally them during
03:11combat.
03:11Once we've helped them overcome some of their own struggles and restored their confidence, they can provide powerful support during
03:17fights.
03:18The three companions have very different backgrounds as well, ranging from a former division agent to a battle-hardened athlete.
03:26So, there's potentially quite a lot to learn about these characters as we progress through the expansion.
03:39So, what actually brings us to Central Park?
03:42The division intercepts a mysterious distress signal coming somewhere deep inside Central Park.
03:49We're then sent in with what initially sounds like a fairly straightforward objective.
03:53Extract a high-value target.
03:56Obviously, things don't quite go according to plan.
03:59Central Park has been completely reclaimed by nature.
04:01It's overgrown, isolated and surrounded by stories about what has been happening inside.
04:06The last known presence within the park has gone silent
04:09and there's now the suggestion that something much more dangerous could be hunting inside it.
04:15As we investigate, we're going to have to deal with the factions and enemies that have taken control of parts
04:20of the park
04:20or also try to work out how much truth there actually is behind the stories we've been hearing.
04:26The developers describe this journey shaped by fear,
04:29where our perception of what's happening can potentially be twisted by everything going on around us.
04:35There's also a new apex threat somewhere inside Central Park,
04:38exactly what that means is obviously something we're going to have to discover for ourselves.
04:43So when does Echoes of Central Park take place?
04:47Another important detail is where this fits into the division timeline.
04:50Echoes of Central Park takes place during the summer following Warlords of New York.
04:55It's a narrative-driven expansion that can be played completely solo or in co-op.
05:00It's also designed so existing players can obviously jump straight into it,
05:04but newer players aren't being left behind either.
05:06There's going to be a level 40 boost included,
05:09meaning someone who hasn't spent hundreds or thousands of hours playing the Division 2
05:13could still be able to jump in and experience the expansion.
05:17One of the more interesting things about the expansion is how our relationship with Central Park
05:22apparently changes as we progress.
05:24When we initially enter the park, we're on the back foot.
05:27We're ambushed.
05:28We're being hunted by unknown ravagers,
05:30and the priority is basically survival while we try to understand exactly what we've walked into.
05:36But completing the main story doesn't mean we're finished with Central Park.
05:40Once the campaign is completed, that balance of power changes.
05:44Instead of being ones trying to survive,
05:46we'll be able to return to Central Park and start taking the fight to the enemies ourselves.
05:51We'll be able to pursue enemies on our terms,
05:54take on new challenges and earn exclusive rewards.
05:56So Central Park isn't being designed as somewhere we simply complete the campaign,
06:01finish the missions, and then never have reason to visit again.
06:04There's a dedicated endgame experience built around the park,
06:08and that's apparently one of the lessons the developers have took from Battle for Brooklyn.
06:12They've looked at making the overall playable area larger,
06:16increasing the quality they're targeting for release,
06:19and importantly, giving us more reasons to continue playing the content after finishing the story.
06:24For me, that replayability aspect could end up being one of the most important parts of the expansion.
06:35It wouldn't be a Division expansion without new things for us to chase.
06:39Central Park's main threats have their own unusual abilities,
06:43and by defeating them, we're apparently going to be able to take some of that power for ourselves.
06:47There are six new skill variants with abilities inspired by the creatures or horrors that we encounter throughout Central Park.
06:55They're described as having almost beast-like abilities,
06:59which sounds very different from the traditional Division skills we're used to.
07:03On top of that, we're getting new gear to farm.
07:05That includes a brand new exotic weapon, a new gear set, and additional items.
07:09So between the campaign, the new location, companions, new enemies, six skill variants, new gear,
07:15and the Central Park endgame, there looks like there's going to be quite a lot to dig into.
07:21What interests me the most about Echoes of Central Park is that it doesn't sound like they're simply giving us
07:26another area of New York with some missions scattered around it.
07:29They're clearly trying to give Central Park its own identity.
07:32You've got the rumours surrounding the park, the darker atmosphere, the unreliable nature of the story we're being told,
07:38people disappearing, this mysterious apex threat,
07:42and the fact that we're entering somewhere that has effectively been sealed away since the outbreak.
07:47And considering Central Park has been sitting there on the Division's map for all these years,
07:51without us being able to properly explore it,
07:53finally getting beyond those gates could be a real interesting moment for the franchise.
07:58The big question is, what has actually been happening inside Central Park all this time?
08:04And I'm definitely looking forward to finding out.
08:08And that is everything I can share with you right now about Echoes of Central Park.
08:12From finally getting to explore Central Park after all these years,
08:16to the darker mysteries surrounding what's happening inside,
08:19the new companions, six new skill variants, new gear, new endgame experience,
08:23designed to keep us coming back after the story is finished,
08:26there's a lot here that I'm looking forward to getting my hands on.
08:29Obviously the big question is going to be how all of this comes together when we actually get to play
08:34it,
08:34but now I want to hear from you.
08:36What are you most excited about with Echoes of Central Park?
08:39Is it finally exploring Central Park?
08:41The story and the mystery?
08:43The new skills and gear?
08:44Or are you more interested in seeing what this new endgame experience is all about?
08:49Let me know in the comments because I'll definitely be reading through them.
08:52Once again, a massive thank you to Ubisoft The Massive for giving me access to this preview build
08:57and allowing me to share all of this with you.
09:00And you already know, when Echoes of Central Park arrives,
09:03we're going to be covering everything.
09:05Guides, builds, secrets, farming, the new skills, gear, endgame, and anything else we can find.
09:11So if you want to keep up with everything The Division 2 and Echoes of Central Park,
09:15make sure you subscribe with notifications turned on.
09:17And thank you all for watching.
09:19I'll see you in the next one.
