Review: Borderlands 2 — It Gets Even Better!

Set five years after the original, Borderlands 2 enriches the world of Pandora with lush new environments, deepened characters, and a villain worth fighting. Betrayed vault hunters on Pandora must track down the egotistical, charismatic, and ludicrously wealthy Handsome Jack, antagonist and likable bastard both. The writing is spectacular (and filled with easter eggs); simple side quests aren’t boring — they enrich and develop the NPC’s like Moxxi and Sir Hammerlock. Each of the characters are supremely odd and enjoyable. I will never regret helping Claptrap throw that ballin’ party. The ease of cooperative play is icing on a thoroughly addictive and enjoyable cake that I’m craving at this very moment. Gearbox Software did a great job with Borderlands, but its sequel surpasses it in every way as cleanly as its cel-shaded presentation.

[yframe url=’www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCWJUSulnro’]

Voice acting is spot on for every single character. Whacked out quest-giving NPCs each have their own unique quirks and distinct personalities. Scooter is back from the first game, his voice haunting and familiar as ever, and also his sister, Ellie, makes her daring debut as a (debatably) unattractive female character, though her character is hilarious and earned, not just an excuse to respond to criticism of women in video games. Borderlands 2’s opening cinematic is reminiscent of the first, though more theatrical and somber, and it nails the mood, introduces a solid and real villain, and throws the characters in game into the loving care of a talkative and eccentric Claptrap. The world of Pandora feels real from the start; the polished cel-shaded style and specific humor cements the characters, whose voices sing them to life.

A picture of a robot spooning a human, both dead. Ahh, the stuff of poetry.

A nigh infinite number of statistically and stylistically unique weapons ensure that each player finds a personal favorite sighted, repeating, lightning pistol machine gun. Imagine: deluges of fresh loot flooding from exit wounds that fertilize each battlefield into an oasis of treasure, ripe for the picking. Sure, there are shops players can buy (and sell) weapons, but it’s just not the same as picking weapons from a bloody oasis of dead robot bodies. Some weapons have elemental effects that cause damage over time or simply explode. Between fire, corrosion, lightning, and explosion, players can also inflict a status ailment via slag weaponry that increases the damage said afflicted creature receives, though some monsters are resistant to some elements, while weaker to others. If players don’t have a weapon that’s strong against a certain enemy type, they can lure enemies into barrel traps or shoot elemental barrels near oblivious enemies.

The gameplay itself is incredibly smooth and constantly changing based on finding better and different guns. Four new characters/classes wield ridiculously apocalyptic weaponry. Maya, the new Siren, phase locks an enemy, which forces most of it into another dimension but leaves enough dangling through to take bullet damage. The sneaky assassin (and number) Zer0 creates a holographic double that darts forwards while he stealths to perform a sneak attack with increased damage. Axton brings back the Commando class, throwing down turrets to draw fire and disrupt enemy assaults. Finally, Salvador introduces the Gunzerker class, which can dual wield two guns of any type, like an acid shotgun and a machine gun that shoots fire bullets, fires much faster, and can regenerate ammo. A party of these four classes is an impressive sight, but it’s surely an even more explosive experience to be a part of. Just in case these characters aren’t good enough for you, the fifth class, the Mechromancer, will be available on October 16 (DLC, free for those that pre-ordered). Gaige, a young red-headed gadget nut, digistructs (summons), a literal killing machine to murder her foes while she leads by example.

Lethal killing machine coming soon!

Each of these classes play well together: Axton drops two turrets to suppress and shower incoming psychos with a steady flow of liquid lead, Salvador pulls out dual rocket launchers to obliterate a giant walking battle mech, Maya can isolate threats and force them outside of cover, while Zer0 can distract weakened enemies with a hologram and decloak with a finishing blade thrust. And that’s merely one example of team play. Different parties will almost always play differently. Oh, and even if they are a crack-shot sniper, don’t trust the driver to not turbo everyone into a disintegration ray.

Yes, matchstick is a psycho little person. Yes, I need to put him in the dragonfire.

Cooperative play is extremely simple via drop in/out play and the game’s visibility to others is equally easy to change. All players can contribute to quest completion, so the game moves a little bit faster, but  more players also means better loot, bigger experiences, and more monsters to slay. When additional players join a game, the monsters become stronger, more resilient, and are often accompanied by elite monsters that drop better loot. The game supports up to four players in a game, but each player’s characters are persistent and take their rewards and levels with them.

Gearbox already announced the Mechromancer as the first DLC, but this additional class is only a small part of the upcoming DLC. The Season Pass DLC is a bundle package for four large multi-course meals of content for players to throw their faces into, while smaller morsels of content separate from the Season Pass will also be available for addicted players to gobble up.

This cel-shaded successor succeeds at robbing my friends and I of any real contact these past few weeks. Gunning through lively and unique landscapes, jumping cars off mountains, and helping a (lying) A. I. core find a new body that promised it wouldn’t try to kill me are a few memorable moments of this expansive game. The world of Pandora, Sanctuary, the vault hunters, NPCs, monsters, each of these things express the mood and fit the style. Borderlands 2’s opening scene sets a curiously morbid and stylish tone with a snarky and constant razor-sharp wit that doesn’t dissipate. The writing alone impresses me, but the solid gameplay, sheer amount of treasure, and immediate desire to start a new game after completing the game are noteworthy. In fact, I’m going to go log back on now. If you’re looking for a fun cooperative FPS action RPG, Borderlands 2 delivers in almost every aspect and deserves your immediate attention.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d91Zvujs5g’]