Just Finished: Borderlands 2

[dpodblood]

This is one of the few games I was really looking forward to this year and I have to say it does not disappoint. I have heard complaints around the internet that BL2 is just more of the first game. In a sense I suppose that's true, but it improves on it so much in every single area that it can hardly be considered a criticism.

First of all the PC version of this game is exactly what a PC port should be. All the options are there. High resolution textures, AA, AF, PhysX, and most importantly an FOV slider that goes all the way up to 110. Controls are all rebind-able and feel completely natural on keyboard/mouse. This is one of the few games I can think of which were perfectly playable on day 1.

Graphically this game looks gorgeous both from a technical and artistic perspective. The cell shaded look continues to work in Borderlands favor, while zooming in on enemies, and NPC's will reveal detailed character models. The real star of the show though is the environments. They are extremely varied, and extremely detailed. From snowy peaks, to barren wastelands, to caves, to cities and towns, to volcanic hills. All the action RPG tropes are there, but they make it work in a modern way.

The comedy writing in this game is some of the best I've ever experienced. I ended up playing every little side quest I could find just to experience the hilarious stuff the writers had come up with. And it's not just isolated to NPC's and story quests. Even the generic "physco" enemies come out with some genuinely funny stuff. "You're gonna learn what it feels like to swallow your own throat!"

Game play wise this game works very well as both a single player and co-op experience. They made it very balanced for whichever way you choose to play. The minute to minute action tends to be very frantic, taking on multiple enemy types, sprinting, and switching weapons often. Getting downed is a frequent occurrence. Luckily you can res by either getting a kill while your down (second wind) or having a teammate give you a hand. Weapon variety in this game is amazing. They have done a much better job this time of making guns really seem different from each other. Each manufacturer has it's own personality. For the first 20 hours of the game I probably didn't see the same gun model twice. Enemy variety is equally good. There are tons of different types each one requiring a different tactic to kill. Overall the game does a really good job of keeping things fresh - you wont be slogging through the desert for hours killing skags this time around.

The one downfall of this game is it's difficulty. It's just plain too easy. You can easily get yourself back up using the second wind mechanic, and in co-op things are made even easier. Even when you do get killed it's simply back to the nearest respawn station, with a little cash penalty.

With that said I would still recommend this game to anyone who thinks they would enjoy a frantic shooter with a killer art style. Overall I'd give it an 8/10 - looking forward to my second play through and the upcoming DLC.

 

[KevinCU]

First playthrough was very easy unless you were underleveled towards the end. I was underleveled most of the game so maybe it seemed more difficult but I would regularly run across enemies with the skull by their name that would wreck me in a matter of seconds. Also there is a dedicated thread for BL2.

 

[dpodblood]

I know there's a dedicated thread, but I tend to like doing my own little mini-review. It's my thing.

 

[Elcs]

Too easy? Yeah, a tad. Walkthrough 1 was okay but Walkthrough 2 could have done with a bit of toughening up.

Weapon variety? Not enough. It feels very samey in the game, each and every playthrough.

Cutscenes/Quest chat. I'd have preferred it if there was an option to get rid of most of it after I've played one Walkthrough. Some of it is great but other parts are long and boring and won't switch up navigation markers fast enough to keep my blood pumping when I want to blitz more things! (read: I can get impatient )

Overall, the PC version of Borderlands 2 is a fine example of what a cross-platform game should bring to the table. With the exception of the inventory system, I thought the game was very done in comparison with MY general view of cross-platform titles on the PC. Good graphics options, I didn't encounter a gamebreaking bug, nor did I hear of any off my RL and Online Gaming friends, I didn't face any niggling bugs that I can remember, it also looked darn good and ran well too!

Better port than I expected
Better than #1, fixing most of what I didn't like about 1 and making it better (rare in any sequel)
Loads of fun whether playing SP or MP (God, I love those little 'The Last Stand'-style arenas)
So glad I pre-ordered, got the Wildlife Arena, Mechromancer for free and ordered myself the Season Pass

One of the best game purchases I've made this year hands down.

 

[Aikouka]

I really enjoyed Borderlands 1, and I think that's part of what has shaped my opinion... Borderlands 2 just doesn't really deliver. The game isn't bad, but it really isn't anything new. I might be able to excuse some of this, but it feels like in trying to take a few steps forward, they also took a few steps backwards.

For example, people like to talk about how the story is a lot better in Borderlands 2. Yes, it's definitely better; however, beating Borderlands 1's story isn't exactly difficult nor is it much of an accomplishment. Jack is certainly a far better villain; however, how hard is it to beat Commander Steele from Borderlands 1 who appears near the end of the game and doesn't really do much. Anyway, Jack isn't a flawless villain because I never really grow to hate him much. I think the issue is that he doesn't feel nearly as evil, but throughout the game, he's presented as delusional and misguided (actually believing that he is the hero). It also doesn't help that some of the characters are rather annoying Borderlands 2... well, it's mostly just Claptrap. You don't understand how happy I was that he finally shut up after his failed birthday party. If I had to hear that stupid "wub wub" crap one more time! :twisted: They did add a few interesting new characters and breathe some life into old characters, but some of them seem haphazardly thrown in with Tiny Tina being the most egregious example.

In some ways, I also feel ripped off about the guns. Not only are they not as good as in Borderlands 1, but apparently, some super nerds calculated that there are actually less of them in Borderlands 2! Although, chances are that just like in Borderlands 1, about 99% of the guns won't matter as most people will default to certain ones anyway. *coughConference/Maggie+Beecough* Oh my, I might need to go grab a Halls! Probably the worst change between Borderlands 1 and 2 has to be the menu system. It is just awful on the PC.

I've stated this before, but I think I mostly agree with TotalBiscuit on the game. They were a little too safe with Borderlands 2. They didn't change much of the formula, and it really shows. Also, I think having to play Diablo III three times to reach the "real game" has really stymied my desire to play Borderlands 2 over and over. I'm just really turned off by the concept of repeated playthroughs as a mandated aspect of game progression.

 

[dpodblood]

Funny how you and I had complete opposite experiences. I actually found Claptrap and Tina to be 2 of my favorite characters (minus Claptraps dubstep). I also found Jack to be quite detestable. He may have been misguided, but he was still an egotistical jackass throughout the whole game. I don't think the story itself was necessarily "good" but the writing certainly was and the characters were much more fleshed out.

As for the guns, I'm not sure if there are truly more or less, but the variety is much better. They all feel distinct rather than slight side grades from one another.

 

[darkewaffle]

BL1 felt dead to me as soon as I beat it originally, I only managed to trudge through one of the DLC. Frankly I think the story, dialogue and characters are what make BL2 work because without it it really just is an arrow comparison engine. At least to me, loot alone is not content nor does it make a game fun or interesting. At all. Take the loot component out of BL2 entirely and I'm still going to enjoy the humor and ECHOs and the characters.

Take the story out of it and double the loot? I don't even want to play. I think because it's "Borderlands" the story and "lore" get kind of shortchanged, but some of the ECHOs are genuinely interesting and add a lot to the game imo. Caustic Caverns history of the Dahl Corp was pretty cool, the Preserve's ECHOs give you a glimpse at Tina's past, and a couple of the late zones also tell the back story of Salvador/Axton/Maya/Zer0; the Sheriff telling you about Brick is another good one. Oh and somewhere you hear about Jack's rise through Hyperion and his family; I still think "Jack's Story" would be an awesome DLC.

Maybe it's because I was going in expecting none of that to be there, like BL1 where it was an afterthought at best, but ultimately that's what surprised me most and I've enjoyed the most in BL2.

 

[imaheadcase]

I played it for like a hour. I only enjoyed the dialog, but it was not fun besides that.

I think it was the art style that really was annoying to look at. I was half expecting willy coyote to run by.

 

[Rakewell]

"Let's make face gravy" yelled by a low-voiced mutant made me laugh uncontrollably.

So did "I just bought this hat" after head-shotting a psycho.

 

[Aikouka]

Funny how you and I had complete opposite experiences. I actually found Claptrap and Tina to be 2 of my favorite characters (minus Claptraps dubstep).

I never stated that Tiny Tina was a bad character, but rather that she's just not used well enough in the story. I'm a sucker for a good narrative with tons of badassery and heroics, and I'm not sure if there's much of that in Borderlands 2 (there certainly wasn't in the first one).

Claptrap's annoying dialog in Sanctuary made me despise the character, and this is coming from someone who paid $40 for the Claptrap screenprint from Gearbox's store. :|

I also found Jack to be quite detestable. He may have been misguided, but he was still an egotistical jackass throughout the whole game. I don't think the story itself was necessarily "good" but the writing certainly was and the characters were much more fleshed out.

It's really the nature of him being misguided that makes it hard for me to hate him. Yeah, he does a lot of bad stuff throughout the game, but it's always in the back of your mind that his overall motivations are actually good. That may make him a more complex and possibly interesting character, but it makes him a less motivating villain. The only time that a complex villain like that seems to really work if it was more of a brainwashing situation, so their intent is evil yet the character isn't necessarily evil; Golbez from Final Fantasy IV is a good example of that.

As for the guns, I'm not sure if there are truly more or less, but the variety is much better. They all feel distinct rather than slight side grades from one another.

I think part of that hooplah over the outcry of less guns is because Gearbox said there were more guns, and people usually don't like being lied to. I assume the cause is because of what you talked about... there are more than likely less part choices that define guns, which leads to less variety. I'm not 100% sure without looking things up, but it does seem like there are more unique variants of guns.

BL1 felt dead to me as soon as I beat it originally, I only managed to trudge through one of the DLC.

I actually had no problem going through the original Borderlands a few times, but I think the lack of story helps with this for crazy, OCD people like me.

Frankly I think the story, dialogue and characters are what make BL2 work because without it it really just is an arrow comparison engine. At least to me, loot alone is not content nor does it make a game fun or interesting. At all. Take the loot component out of BL2 entirely and I'm still going to enjoy the humor and ECHOs and the characters.

How many times is the story going to help you play the game? It's not common for me to be able to watch a movie more than once even if I enjoyed the movie. If a movie is really good, I can watch it more than once even though I know what's going to happen. To give you an idea, I would say that I've only watched about 5% of my movies more than one time. What does that tell you? ...that I really ought to stop buying movies! :biggrin:

the Preserve's ECHOs give you a glimpse at Tina's past

I was going to mention something about Tiny Tina above when talking about the story, but I think it fits better as a response to this.

It just dawned on me, but one thing that I would have preferred to see was a meeting with Tiny Tina's parents. Now, I found all of those echos that you referenced, and that's why I think it could have been (as Tina would say) suh-weet! Just picture having to go with Tina into some area, and eventually confronting these weird monstrosities that turn out to be Eridium mutated versions of her parents. The only negative aspect could be that it would be a little too much like what happens with Bloodwing in the Wildlife Exploitation Preserve.

Maybe it's because I was going in expecting none of that to be there, like BL1 where it was an afterthought at best, but ultimately that's what surprised me most and I've enjoyed the most in BL2.

Well, Borderlands 1 may have been following the Diablo mantra a little too strongly, and I think Torchlight II falls prey to this as well. I talked about it in some thread, but I recall seeing a comment made by one of the original Condor Studios (Blizzard North) guys about how the story really played second fiddle to the gameplay in Diablo and Diablo II. Honestly, if you never told me this, I never would have been able to guess. The stories may have been a little thin or long in the tooth at points, but I found them rather enjoyable. You can see how Gearbox realized that a story is nice as Zombie Island of Dr. Ned and Secret Armory of General Knoxx had far better stories (the latter being better of course).