A to Z 2016 : FAYE & FRIENDS

You may have scum nipping at your ankles at every turn and agents who decide to shift loyalties, but that doesn't mean that you're completely alone. You will always have allies watching your back, even if from afar, from the safety of your Base of Operations (BoO). Earlier in the A to Z when discussing your personalized BoO, I mentioned three separate wings that needed to be restored from their defunct state. Each of these sections are managed by a lead character in The Division. They will provide you with new skills, mods, and perks... once you, you know, rescue them. But first...

Faye Lau

Faye Lau is a member of the Strategic Homeland Division (SHM), and your acting commanding officer. When in route to the quarantine zone in Manhattan, a terrorist attack left her too wounded to assist in the field. She helps maintain the Base of Operations, and acts as your handler, debriefing missions and delivering intel.

Despite her current state, she is fierce and passionate about restoring the infrastructure to New York City and if she could be in the thick of it, she would.

"...we are the Wolves."

Jessica Kandel

Jessica Kandel is an extremely intelligent, determined doctor, with a touch of feistiness. She is humble, but her confidence and excellence in her work is very apparent. Dr. Kandel leads the Medical Wing of the Base of Operations. You will be assisting her in administering medical aid, collecting data on the virus, and some personal errands.

She is adamant that she can find a cure for the virus and is working as fast as she possibly can to do so.

Paul Rhodes

Once you locate and rescue Paul Rhodes, he will be managing the Tech Wing of the Base of Operations. Rhodes is a former member of the Last Man Battalion (LMB) who joined the Joint Task Force (JTF) after the outbreak. He's incredibly cynical, making him fairly off-putting to others, but he always does whatever needs to be done. He knows his role, and doesn't shy away from it.

He is in charge of keeping the lights on and will be putting his engineering skills to good use for the cause.

Roy Benitez

A stubborn, relentless former NYC police officer, Roy Benitez now leads the JTF and heads up the Security Wing in the Base of Operations. He will be issuing missions that largely revolve around interacting with enemy factions. Rescuing hostages and taking back the neighborhoods from the roaming lowlife scum who think they own them.

Partially fueled by a recent personal loss after the outbreak, Benitez will go above and beyond the call of duty to do what he believes is right.

You've Got a Friend In Me

Most of these lead characters are fairly entertaining in their own way, especially Dr. Kandel and Rhodes. One is a quick-witted smartass, the other a no-bullshit hardass. Their attitudes and personalities come to life during cutscenes and through in-game communications.

However, one thing that I find disappointing is that the game lacks any continued interaction beyond that. You can't even talk to them whenever visiting your BoO and they repeat the same lines over and over. Though, all of the NPCs pretty much act that way too. It's not exactly atypical in RPGs, but I think it would be nice if they at least had a few random commentary options they cycled through.

Then again, there are NPCs who snore and cry 24/7, sooooooo... yeah...

Do you have a favorite lead character in The Division? If so, who and why?