It's Time to Talk About... Borderlands 2!

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?

Metro 2033 Review (PC)

Though it isn’t clear at first, Metro 2033 suffers from a severe identity crisis. The game starts out cohesive enough introducing you to the FPS mechanics of the game and giving to the basis of the story. Unfortunately as the game goes on things start to unravel. Random turret levels are suddenly forced upon you and near impossible stealth sections throw any sort of patience you once had out the window.

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic Russia. Because a nuclear event that happened years ago, the citizens of Moscow were forced to live in the underground metro system. Roughly eighty-five percent of the game takes place in that metro system. The environments here are well detailed and feel very “lived in”. You can’t engage in conversation with many of the citizens in the various cities you’ll come across. But there are the few that will give you pieces of lore, or even a side quest. 

The tunnels of the metro look as though they’re designed to frighten you. It’s damp, dark, and the sounds of the unknown echo throughout. It all looks like something out of a horror game. Unfortunately Metro 2033 is nothing like a horror game. Though it tries to be atmospheric and haunting at times, the game up ends all the tension by constantly throwing waves of enemies at you. It’s like they were trying to frighten you but couldn’t figure out how so they just had everything attack on sight.

The fact that half the time you’re fighting humans doesn’t help either. During these sections you have the “option” of trying to “stealth” your way through or by opening fire on everything you see. This choice is an illusion though. There are several sections of the game that practically require you don’t be seen. Anything short of that leads to a quick death from all angles. All in all it’s rather frustrating because you’re given very few tools to work with and those barely work as it is. Silenced weapons can still be heard (even from afar) and throwing knives randomly connect with the enemy.

Above the ground you’ll find the winter wasteland that Russia has become. It’s beautiful in a haunting sort of way. These sections are few and far between though and you are usually unable to explore because you’re being hunted by a winged mutant. It’s a shame these areas were expanded on a bit more.

Another mechanic of Metro’s is the gasmask and stopwatch. When you’re above ground, or in areas with polluted air you’ll be required to wear your gasmask. When you wear it, your character will set his watch. This indicates how long the filter will last before needing to be replaced. Sounds like an interesting idea, no? Alas, you’re given plenty of filters throughout the game so there’s never any danger of running out. The only thing you have to worry about is getting in a fight that could break your mask, but it’s unlikely to happen. My mask only broke once throughout the entire game.  

As you continue on your journey throughout the tunnels of the metro, you’ll come across several of your fellow Russians. Most of them are well voice acted, but there are a few (especially the children) that sound absolutely fake. There’s nothing worse than listening to two people talk to you with accents of opposite quality.

The goal of Metro 2033 is to save your station from these mysterious people called “The Dark Ones”. Not much is known about them in the beginning of the game and by the end even less if known. There are two endings to game and one of them explains a bit more than the other, but nonetheless you’re left completely confused about who you’re fighting and why.

Metro 2033 seemed interesting enough at first, but it suffers from trying to be several different games at once. It’s certainly a good looking game and plays well enough, but you’ll become frustrated by forced stealth sections and awkward vehicle turret levels.  All in all, I would pass on Metro 2033.