Borderlands 2

Borderlands 2 (and Borderlands 2 Vault Hunters Edition) are for XBox 360 PS3 and PC. The game is a direct sequel to the popular first person shooter RPG, Borderlands, from 2009 and is set in Pandora five years after events which concluded the first chapter.

Evil Handsome Jack the CEO of Hyperion Corporation who is the main antagonist (very wicked but also bringing quite a humorous slant to the game) is threatening the local population and needs to be destroyed so peace can be restored. Players choose to play as one of four new character types, each possessing their own strengths, special skills and a unique competence with a particular weapon category. Take on quests assigned to you, search for treasures, gain experience points, obtain money, and equip your character ready for the ultimate battle. Choose from a stunning selection of grenades, shields, machine guns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, acid bombs, high tech and low tech demolishers and anything else you care to create (the sky's the limit here).

This is an intensely exhilarating, action packed, highly innovative sequel. If you enjoyed Borderlands then this may be for you. Borderlands 2 can be played in a team with up to three others.

• Andrew Highton June 25, 2013 PS3

  ****

  Welcome back to Pandora citizen! A whole new adventure waits. A funny script, entertaining and memorable characters, a cataclysmic array of weapons; sound familiar? Well that's because all the features that made the original so popular have returned and been juiced up to make Borderlands 2 one tasty BADONKADONK!
  
  Once upon a time there was a planet called Pandora, and on it were 4 vault hunters who sought to claim the spoils of the "mythical" vault. When any of these hunters managed to reach it, they encountered "The Destroyer" which was an almost indestructible anomaly. Once it was quite fittingly destroyed, the vault was sealed and it was locked for 200 years...BUT...fast forward 5 years and a new group of vault hunters have heard a rumour that and even greater and more secret vault exists. So off they go on their merry travels to find it and conveniently enough their train gets explosively derailed by the new Hyperion Corporation Leader, Handsome Jack. Amazingly your character survives (well they'd have to really otherwise there would be no game) and you're abandoned in the middle of nowhere with one character to aid you; Claptrap.
  
  The first Borderlands is like Captain America: The First Avenger to me. It had a decent story that built up with lots of terrific action and settings, a bit repetitive but thoroughly enjoyable. Then it dumps one of the worst endings I've ever known on me. After both credits I just contemplated impulse electroconvulsive therapy to remove the pain those endings caused me. They both left me with a taste so sour that I'd have to have gulp a 2 litre bottle of lemon juice to even come close to replicating the feeling again.
  
  Up till the ending however, Borderlands had been such a shock to me as to how great it was. The generic design of levels and certain missions were quite tedious though, but Gearbox have certainly tightened the gears and improved the newest game in every imaginable way and the story is definitely far more interesting and engaging; helped by its humorous script. Handsome Jack is basically a robot made to look like a human (because of his mask) and he has mined a ton of eridium, a mineral that was produced as a result of the destruction of the Destroyer, and now fronts the Hyperion Corporation with his twisted, sinister ways. He mercilessly removes competition and does it with an artificial smile.
  
  All the way through the game it's littered with character introductions at just the right time, some surprises for you along the way too, and they get the necessary characterisation so that they mean something and become an integral part of the game. Lots of characters return including favourites such as the Dexter-esque, unlicensed practitioner Dr Zed, the incestuous mechanic Scooter and everyone's favourite little annoying companion; Claptrap. But I do think some characters deliberately get less time than others to give them their own DLC adventure.
  
  It's impossible to think that a game could be so well written and funny throughout. Until now, Portal 2 was the funniest game I'd ever played. Stephen Merchant's portrayal as Wheatley was terrific and he had some hilarious dialogue that was consistent throughout the whole game. But Borderlands 2 has one-upped it by making EVERY character funny in its own particular way. From the protagonists to the antagonists, I know I should prepare myself for an incoming barrage of hysterics due to the profound words or paralinguistic features utilised by the characters. Whether it's a psycho in a flying contraption singing the Ride of the Valkyries tune in a crazy voice or even the guns you use as they try to impose their pacifist ideologies on you by suggesting that killing is wrong after every enemy you kill.
  
  You are just overwhelmed with characters all displaying their own comedic personality traits that make them unique, stupid and downright funny. Tiny Tina is a 13 year old bomb expert who I'm convinced never blinks, there is an enemy called a one-armed bandit who is literally a bandit with one arm and even has a one-arm bandit machine attached to his back (genius!) and the sarcastic bandit who *congratulates* you after passing an initiation test by walking, clapping and being sarcastic. Tip: Kill the repugnant annoyance.
  
  If you're thinking "Oh golly gosh there has to be a flaw somewhere in this game. Perhaps it gets boring like its older brother did". WRONG. Gearbox has put together a package of varied, entertaining fun. There is a whole host of side missions which are excellent and offer a very nice distraction from the main game. You have 2 arenas with 5 rounds of increasingly tougher waves of enemies to fight, plus of course the main story missions are always enjoyable and they progress the ever interesting story; plus the kickass badass ranks!
  
  Badass Ranks are a nice addition that helps to extend the length of the game if you see fit. The game has big list of challenges for you to do e.g getting so many kills with a weapon. When you complete enough challenges then you earn a badass rank which can be used on sub-abilities such as slightly increasing accuracy or gun damage. By gradually progressing through the game you'll amass a lot of badass rank points which will make you an even better killing machine.
  
  Along with your usual cast of super soldiers to choose from, the game has a proper bad guy this time round and he's a strong and perhaps even likable antagonist; kinda like The Joker. He's smart, he's funny, you like him, yet he's a violent sociopath with a long history of violence. But the story is something that you actually WANT to progress through and find out what happens, to see what perilous activity Jack causes. Along the way you find so many unusual quests that can make no sense, last seconds and of course leave you in an uncontrollable whirlpool of laughter.
  
  In common day conversation you can find yourself exchanging intelligent quips with another fellow human. You may employ include some light hyperbole by telling someone to go "jump off a cliff. Well in Borderlands 2 you actually have a quest that lets you either: be a coward and do nothing or literally jump off the edge of a cliff and die to gain XP and rewards. For those who aren't familiar with the health system, if you die in Borderlands then you get respawn at a near-by checkpoint for a handsome (no pun intended) fee. It doesn't tread the ground of easier platform games of recent times because say you were facing a boss and you had battered it down to 50% health; then you die. You will have to start again upon respawning and work on the whole bar once more. I can't argue as it's a satisfying system that encourages you to make your character excel in combat, discover the weaknesses and strengths of enemies and use this to your advantage.
  
  This leads me nicely onto the gameplay of which I can't regard any higher because we get to see Borderlands 2's tougher and meaner side. If you waltz into a battle with normal powerful weapons then you could get squashed within seconds, this is why you also need cunning you meandering Neanderthal! Gearbox have continued with a system that wants players to use their brain and realise that a weaker corrosive weapon will serve them much better against a robot instead of a very powerful, but ineffective, fire weapon. Brains will get you far, all out over-the-top brawn will have you locked up in Guantanamo Bay for outright stupidity, well it won't but if you use that approach then you deserve to go there quite frankly. I myself walked into one boss fight with stonkingly strong but elementally weak weapons, which I BADLY needed, and I got pwned miserably. It was like walking into a fist-fight with Stallone with brass knuckles when in actual fact I needed a frigging bazooka!
  
  A lack of races or mini-games disappoints me however. There is even a race track on the map too and games like RAGE had races to change the pace of the game and have variation. Borderlands 2 has variation but racing in some off the modded vehicles you get to use in the game would've been nice. There are no mini-games either which is again disappointing, in a world like Borderlands, I'm sure we could've had some downright outrageous mini-games to savour. A Psycho shooting gallery? Dr Zed's Slapstick Surgery? Tiny Tina's Terrifying Tic-Tac-Toe? (Take note Gearbox).
  
  Borderlands 2 has a truck full of new enemies which makes you think twice about how you approach combat. Bullymong (big gorilla type creatures), Varkids (BIG WASPS) and the Goliaths. Goliaths are very tall and large figures with little to no intelligence and they are a rare breed of enemy because if you attempt to blow their head off then it will be met with severe consequences. When his head flies off, you'll stifle him for a few seconds, hear a terrifying screech and he'll become a Raging Goliath! He's now angrier, tougher to kill AND will kill anything in his path (including other enemies). If he successfully does then he'll level up with every kill becoming a hard to kill Fatal GOD-Liath. This is an example of the depth of enemies and how battle is more strategic in Borderlands 2 I feel. I like to utilise a Goliath as an unintentional ally and let him bulldoze everyone else before his epic confrontation with yours truly; exemplifies strategical aspects of the gameplay.
  
  The gunplay is as addictive as it was in the first game as the random gun generator is now capable of FAR MORE than the 17,750,000 guns possible and you can have so many combinations. One of the combinations includes the new "slag" element, although in Borderlands 2 it's less of a derogatory term and more a useful means of inflicting more damage due to the fact it weakens the resilience of the enemy. Along with the returning elements such as corrosive, electricity, explosive and fire, you also have the same weapons types from assault rifles to SMG's to sniper rifles etc. The old rating system applies, white being the least rare equipment all the way up to orange being the rarest; doesn't mean best though so bear that in mind.
  
  The game is lovely to look at which is something I couldn't always say about the first Borderlands, locations are more varied and utilise multiple contrasting colours to create awesome looking environments. The environments vary from nice icy cold winter tundra to a rather gritty industrial factory setting. Character models look prettier, elements also look great as your foe perishes in front of you or as you give them a good hard slagging. Cel-shading is always a contentious issue with games because unless you are Stan Lee, they are best left to another format. Still, Gearbox pulls it off and use the cel-shading to their advantage to make these rather authentic looking locations and people. All the characters use rough-edges to give the characters additional detail and differing coloured textures to add personality.
  
  At times I did unfortunately find myself wedged in between those dashingly dastardly pixels as the game glitched several times on me. The map was also a mixed bag as its massive and open but a couple of locations overlap severely and it's easy to lose track of where your objective really is.
  
  But Borderlands 2 is a colourful game in more than just the graphical sense. Its exuberant style of quirky characters and missions has more than just the looks; the soundtrack is just brilliant and always enjoyable. I've listened to the 2 pieces of music from the battle arenas more than I dare to count and the music accompanying most of the settings is just bafflingly good. The tracks are catchy, sometimes simple; but so effective. I've already harped on about the script enough...
  
  I will say that the longevity of the game is something to be marvelled at though as the game is like your traditional big-time RPG's as it has incredible replay value. Once you complete the game with one of the characters available, you can attempt a second playthrough called "True Vault Hunter Mode" and in this mode you can carry on with all your equipment from the first playthrough. Aside from starting all the missions and story again, the difficulty has had a few lumps of coal thrown onto the fire of supreme difficulty as the enemies are all scaled to pretty much the same level as you. But loot is far greater now and you got truckloads full of XP for completing quests to help you level up quickly to match the unstoppable ferocity of later enemies. It continually extends the game and keeps you plodding along to reach the haven of maximum level capacity. A bonus quest is also available once you finish the game but I think I'll leave you to stumble upon that sick nightmare.
  
  Pro's
  -Very funny script with humour aplenty
  -Gripping and expansive gameplay with good customisation
  -Great soundtrack to keep your ears entertained on the journey
  -Much improved story
  
  Con's
  -Lack of races and mini-games
  -Slightly convoluted map
  
  So maybe you're weighing up the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that...OH MY GOD SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE!! I'd say it's worth getting the game just for Face McShooty alone but I guess you can't really hype a game based around one psychopathically twisted side-mission character with a bullet-to-face fetish. In many ways, Borderlands 2 is the perfect partner. It's great looking, fun to play with, doesn't annoy you (much), makes you laugh and it cannot be complimented enough. Gearbox have taken all the bad from the first game and improved it and they've taken all the good and bettered it. Glitches can occur, opportunities are missed for additional fun when they should be a certainty and the map is like finding Davey Jones treasure at times. But the game is brilliant and worth playing multiple times and is a must-have..so.....Claptrap dubstep. WUB WUB WUB WUB!!
  9/10

• Charlie Myers December 26, 2012 360

  ****

  Borderlands may not be the best first person shooter, but it is certainly the funniest. Whether it be the annoying robot Claptrap or the most insane 12 year old Tiny Tina, the madcap cast will keep you entertained for hours. So will the game play, which is hugely rewarding when clearing out an area or completing a mission. There is plenty of side missions along with the main story. The only downside to Borderlands 2 is that although it is an open world game, I never seem to want to explore, I fond it more of an inconvenience rather than enjoyment. That said this is made up by the incredible co-op which makes the game much more enjoyable. Overall it is an amazing game which is even better in multiplayer co-op.

• Matthew Harris October 28, 2012 360

  ****

  Yes, yes indeed! Shooter fans, your search is over. Here is THE game that will fix your insatiable desire to blow things up with guns!
  
  Welcome to Pandora, again
  
  For those unfamiliar with the arid wastes of Gearbox's loot-em-up, Borderlands is a loot-centric co-operative first-person shooter with a cheeky sense of humour and a worrying addiction to explosives. With role-playing elements such as experience points, talent trees and active skills, it provides a sense of depth and customization at a level rarely found in the genre.
  
  And so the story goes: Handsome Jack, leader of the Hyperion Corporation, has control of Pandora. In search of a vault beneath the planet's surface, Jack has unleashed an army to wipe out those who get in his way. A group of Vault Hunters - a quad of individuals with unique talents - also have the same goal. Naturally, conflict ensues.
  As a premise, Borderland's story gives the game enough ammunition to make things interesting. What's more, it rewards players of the original, integrating the characters of both past and present in a way that puts the player in a position of hero worship - moment's that'll make you say 'yeah, that's pretty awesome'.
  But as a story within the context of a single-player campaign - combined with ability to roam around and complete side quests on a whim - its story can feel largely detached. Although it helps justify the murder of countless things whilst weapon hunting, it won't be the sole purpose to play for many.
  
  It's easy to get lost in descriptive mire when trying to describe the jillions of guns in Borderlands 2. But it's just as easy for the experience to get lost under the weight of this single, not-over-exaggerated-in-the-slightest marketing motif. It's easy to miss the stunning vistas, the comedic characters and the numerous mechanical improvements in the sight of things that go 'bang'. And so this addictive focus on loot comes at a price. It's possible to roam the world for hours and not find a notable upgrade. If, like me, your sense of progress is inherently tied to your weaponry, the game seemingly 'stalled' in these dry spells regardless of the developer's chosen pace. Shotguns, sniper rifles, pistols, machine guns, sub-machine guns, rocket launchers, energy weapons - Borderlands 2 is clearly a 'kill'em till they drop' experience. If the idea of killing to your heart's content in the name of discovering a new weapon doesn't light your fire, then perhaps this isn't the game for you.
  To describe these by their generic names does them no favours, really. Pistols can shoot explosive pellets, shotguns can have scopes, everything can seemingly posses almost any attribute. Borderlands 2 pays little attention to the standard weapon set of the typical shooter. Weapon variation manifests itself in a number of ways. A gun can be imbued with elemental properties, such as corrosion or fire. Aspects we take for being set, established values in other shooters - such as reload speed and fire rate - can vary wildly from weapon to weapon. And so a 'better' weapon is typically a weapon more suited to your tastes. You might choose to sacrifice fire speed for accuracy or opt for additional critical hit damage. Take these considerations with the myriad of attributes across each of the four classes, and a dedicated group could conceivably spend lifetime in search of the ultimate set up.
  
  With up to four player co-op, Borderlands 2 is clearly intended to be played with other Vault Hunters. Having spent some hours playing alone, it's clear that the formula loses something. That spark. There's nobody to discuss your latest toys with. With others in play though, every new find triggered a frenzy of discussion and demonstration. Whether they'd offer it up for trade, or talk us through its stats and capabilities, a new weapon was a shared experience. Play alone, and something is lost.
  
  Speaking of classes, Borderlands 2s various roles take the form of the Soldier, Siren, Assassin and Gunzerker. Each with their own unique ability and three talent trees, each class can be taken through to a level cap of 50.
  
  Gearbox has found Pandora's sense of place. What essentially used to feel like an outside dungeon, the world feels like a inhabited and historic planet. Creatures feel like they're part of an ecosystem, instead of being entirely dedicated to the barrel of your gun. Sanctuary, a hub city where characters give quests, is ostensibly ran by the people of Pandora; it feels alive. And the inclusion a day and night cycle and the various changes that entails finally transforms Pandora into a world in strife. Gearbox ostensibly made a conscious effort to introduce us to Pandora in an arctic tundra, an environment far flung from the dusty rocks of play times past. Greens, reds, blues - Pandora now taps into a much wider environmental palette. Pandora's topography is punctuated with ups and downs, and everything about this new take on a troubled planet was obviously designed with exploration and diversity in mind. And the word 'diverse' is best suited to describe Borderlands 2, particularly in relation to its prior. Everything from the weapons and environments to the enemies and the boss fights keeps that simple premise - to kill things and collect bigger and better guns - from ever becoming stale. When framed in that context, it's undoubtedly a success.
  
  
  In loot speak, Borderlands 2 is truly "Borderlands +1". Almost every aspect - bar its driving, which is still as bland as it ever was - has markedly improved. From its visual design to its world and weapons, Gearbox's vision has finally had its day - it's clear that its predecessor wasn't a stroke of good luck, it was a stroke of good design. Despite its technical and mechanical proficiency, though, it's a difficult experience to recommend to lone Vault Hunters. If you plan to play in split-screen, system link or online, the game - as both a means of enjoyment and spending time with others - multiplies infinitely. There's more laughs to be had than guns - and that's at least a hundred, million bazillion, and one.
  And though it's easy to gawk at the big things - the number of guns, the landscapes, the skybox - it's the little things that count too. The ability earn Badass Tokens, for example, by completing challenges at any time, which provide an incremental but universal stat boost to all your characters provides incentive to play with newer players, as playing as a new character still provides a benefit to your 'main'. Ultimately, this is an experience designed to be played with friends. Certainly, it feels that way. Should you have friends willing and waiting to play, Borderlands 2 is a sure fire purchase.
  

• Borderlands 2 - Wimoweh Trailer (Pre-order now) 360PS3PC | 02:10 Play Trailer
• Borderlands 2: Get Ready to Joy Puke Your Face Off 360PS3PC | 03:02 Play Trailer
• Borderlands 2: Teaser 360PS3PC | 00:28 Play Trailer