The Division came out a little too half-baked for my taste. It seems like a lot of people felt that way actually, and while Ubisoft could have let it rot, much like several other recent franchises under their wing, they slowly chipped away at it until it became a more presentable prospect.
Although you’re effectively starting over, the sequel is partially a result of all of that hard work: complete with several of the same mistakes.
Source: Destructoid Review in Progress: The Division 2