New Division 2 trailer is directed by Drive’s Nicolas Winding Refn

Grim live-action short shows life in war-torn Washington

We are on the road to the release of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. To help knock the marketing out of the park for the tactical shooter sequel, Ubisoft has enlisted the help of artsy director Nicolas Winding Refn, known for the brilliant Neon Demon, the fantastic Drive and the ultra-divisive Only God Forgives.

In spite of, perhaps because of, its no doubt expensive director, it’s a pretty short preview. Still, it has a really haunting visual style, featuring some beautiful single shot setups. I do think the narration is a bit heavy-handed though, and the “story” would have been better told without it, and I’ve just realised I’m reviewing the trailer as if it was a movie… Huh.

Following up on Neil Blomkamp’s trailer for BioWare’s Anthem, it’s fun to see some of the film industry’s heavy-hitters signing up for video game ads, it’s like that time loads of Hollywood A-listers all started appearing in British comedy shows.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 launches on PS4, Pc and Xbox One March 15.