Whether that be Google map comparison, or just in terms of the feeling of being in New York, how is it? I've never been to New York, so I'm not entirely sure other than what I've seen on TV (Google maps), but regardless, I love the take on it myself. That also brings me to the question, for those that have been to New York, does it make it better or worse to you? For me, I live near Seattle and have been there a bunch, the last game to have Seattle was Infamous: Second Son. Sucker Punch is located here as well, and though they said they weren't making a Google maps, an exact copy of Seattle, I wish it did to some extent more, because it wasn't at all the Seattle I know in terms of where things are placed, nor the feeling of it. The closest thing was the Pacific Science Center entrance area where you walk around, though outside of it was all wrong, and that was unfortunate to me. I'm really enjoying The Division, and the setting is a big part of that. It's already one of my favorite takes of New York from the many games I've played that feature the city.

As someone who lives here, it's probably the most true to life representation of New York I've seen in a game yet, from the little I've played. It's pretty cool to be able to walk by something in the game and say "hey, I know that street" but I wouldn't say it super improves the experience for me.

As someone who is from New York and spent over 30hrs with the game so far, it's.. close enough? I think it definitely feels like New York, but unlike others I've never had a moment where I recognized something after simply turning a corner. I went to Bryant Park and yah, there is the sloping skyscraper and here is the park and this is the corner where Au Bon Pain is .. but I had to check my map a bunch of times to make sure I was headed in the right direction.

They did a great job with the feel of it; the accuracy is kind of hit or miss, especially when the map suddenly jumps you 10 blocks forward.

I've only seen videos and promotional content so I may be far off but generally it's well done. Technically, it's a modern game which is to say it's a great looking game. They successfully captured a part of Manhattan when it comes to the basic infrastructure and architecture, amid in a really condense form. Manhattan is massive. There is nothing like it. The thing is, Manhattan is filled with people. You can't get away from people. Also there is a smell, a bad smell. Those things along with the city itself really makes ny the ny it is. When I lived there, it was always just overwhelming. The city consumes you. You feel like nothing. You feel like a tiny parasite.

NY is absolutely the most photographed city. Everyone kinda knows what it looks like so people have really gotten good at recreating the city better than any other city and they've done a good job here too. That also mean though, the bar is so high and it's very hard to blow people away even if it's well done.

I think they added more back alleys then there actually are but it is really impressive, especially when you run into something you recognize. You can tell what part of the city you are in just by looking at the type of buildings / stores around. It's not 1:1 but they did a great job capturing the density of the streets and changes in architectural design from one area to another

it is real enough that people i'm playing with hear an endless stream of nonsense from me about places we are walking past :)

I never spent that much time in midtown Manhattan out of the decade I've lived there, so I couldn't tell you. Sounds like they did well enough of a job though. It'd honestly be kind of a surprise if they didn't given how they're simply modeling a part of one of the 5 boroughs of the city.

@turambar: Although it wouldn't be nearly as exciting I guess, but if they offered up all of Queens, Brooklyn and even.. sigh.. Long Island.... I think it would make for cool DLC. Just keep expanding the map. OH no the outbreak has spread to upstate New York, lets get on our quad's and race over that hellscape.

I lived in various boroughs of NYC over eight years and this is definitely the most realistic representation of the city. Even almost 40 hours in! You barely notice they condensed certain areas and the parts they needed to get right, they got spot on! It's really impressive!

Seems better than Infamous: Second Son's take on Seattle. Which is not even close for the most part.

It is not a 1.1 recreation of midtown but it might be the closes a video game has ever come. There are certain things that are off. Whether it's shortening distance between blocks, changing the look of the of building or objects (for example the Francis Duffy statute), alleways and subway entrance being in sections they shouldn't be at. But again other than those things it is a pretty close recreation of midtown Manhattan.