I finished the game about a week ago - and by finished I mean everything except the last side quest - and now I feel like I've had enough time to process everything I think about the game. The really short version? Borderlands 2 is amazing, easily one of the best games of the year, but it's not without flaws.
Ready for the long version? Okay, here we go! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Borderlands 2 is, at its core, better than the original Borderlands in every conceivable way. The game is longer, there are more skills, more monsters, more areas, more jokes, more story, more guns. The list goes on and on but if you wanted more out of the original Borderlands, you get it here.
For my playthrough I had originally started out as Zero, the Assassin. Unforuntately my save corrupted due to a bug with Steam's cloud saving and I lost all my progress the first day. Attempt number two was with Maya, the Siren, so that the first four hours of the game I was replaying could feel somewhat fresh. I think ultimately, that I enjoyed my time with the Siren class way more than I would have with the Assassin. The phaselock ability was magical, especially when fully upgraded.
The gameplay feels better than ever, even with the noticeable lack of medpacks in the game. Turns out you can only heal yourself at the shop now. Does this make the game harder? Yes. Does it make the game worse? Nope. A challenge is nice every once in awhile and at times Borderlands 2 was full of challenges.
The writing is - for the most part - better than ever. This is no small part thanks to Gearbox's new writer, Anthony Burch (of "Hey Ash, Watcha Playin'? fame). The little side quips of characters you pass by, to bandits who are conversing to each other, to the psychos who say the most random shit, Borderlands 2 is full of character. It's a lot of fun to listen to what everyone has to say, especially in the side quests, nearly all of which are amazing to play through. All the returning characters feel more complete than they did in the last game, making it fun to revisit these guys. The new characters thankfully, are just as fun (if not more so).
None more so than Tiny Tina. It's interesting how this character has become so divisive. You really like Tiny Tina, or can't stand her. There's no middle ground to be had. Personally, I believe that Tiny Tina is Borderlands personified. She's insane, completely out there in terms of humor, and about as spastic as the game itself.
The main story (yes, Borderlands 2 has one this time!) is... interesting. By the end of the story, I felt very confused. There are some amazing moments in the game, like when you visit the Wildlife Preservation Center to rescue Bloodwing, or when Jack is bombing Sanctuary and Overlook. Jack himself was a pretty good villain for most of the story. The trouble comes in the game's third act, when suddenly I realized that I have no idea why Jack is doing what he's doing.
This gets even more complicated when Angel's true nature comes to light. Why does he want the Warrior? Does he want to rule the planet? Does he see himself as some kind of savior? Did he want to become a god? Does he actually care about Angel or was he faking it the entire time?
By the end of the game, none of these questions are answered and it's... weird. For a game so complete it seems strange that there were all these questions remaining, especially about the game's villain. Also, why didn't we get to see Jack without his mask on!? Not a problem, but they harped on it enough to make me think there was going to be some kind "true colors" reveal towards the end of the game. Nope.
Aside from these issues though, Borderlands 2 is a fantastic experience that I would highly recommend. I never played co-op and had an absolute blast so don't worry if you don't have any friends to play online with. Now it's time to wait no so patiently for the DLC coming down the line.
What did you guys think about Borderlands 2?
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