Review: Borderlands 2

The first Borderlands was a game that came out of nowhere to surprise me. I wasn't expecting much from it, but a friend recommended I pick it up, and I did. I had an absolute blast with it; it was fun, it was funny, it was stylistic, and it had guns coming out of the wazoo. Now the second coming is upon us, and in returning to Pandora, things have changed a bit. So is this game as good as the first, or is it more on par with their Duke Nukem Forever offering?

I will note I'm currently still on my first playthrough of the game, and have yet to finish it. I'm playing the Xbox 360 version, mainly in two player co-op.

First up, I'll cover some of what's changed. The first game was known for its guns, millions of guns. Well, the second continues this, but this time around, the designs have been revamped. Guns have differing looks depending on manufacturer and abilities, and these more distinct looks are a definite plus, with guns actually being interesting to look at, as well as use. Each manufacturer has more of an identity now too, from the old fashioned Jakob guns to the elemental damage dealing Malawan pieces.

The characters are slightly different from the first game, but the gameplay still feels familiar. This means it's easy for series veterans to jump into with ease, but you still get to play characters with a slightly different feel. As for the NPCs, there's a lot of familiar faces, and the characters are still as weird and funny as they were. If anything, this game takes it up a notch. The first had a slightly subdued feel at times, like they weren't quite sure how far they wanted to take the funny and satirical aspects. They drifted more towards the weird and wacky in the DLC for the first game, and in the second, it's very evident. There's a lot of funny dialogue and visuals, and the game has nearly as many pop culture references as tvtropes. Personally, I like this, and I think if you liked the (often black) humour of the first game, you will too.

The game also features a revamped challenge system; instead of experience, you earn badass rank and tokens, which you can exchange for various permanent stat boosts, which apply to all your characters. This has the effect of making the challenges more noticeable, and completing them somewhat addictive. I mean, who wouldn't want a higher badass rank?

Combat-wise, things have changed up too. Enemies are a lot smarter, they dodge, try to get better positions, attempt to flank you. Different enemies actually feel like they have different AI. It's a nice change from the first game, where most enemies would just stand still, or charge at you. I find the combat more enjoyable this time around, especially when playing co-op. Which raises a good point; do yourself a favour, and play this in co-op. It's a decent and fun game playing solo, but in co-op it's something entirely better. I'd recommend playing with friends though, not strangers, or else you run the risk of finding someone who just takes all the loot, or refuses to co-operate.

A weak point of the first game was the forgettable story, and the less than varied locations. Both of these have seen a much needed boost in the sequel, with a more varied range of environments, and a much better story, at least so far as I've played. The antagonist 'Handsome Jack' is very much a presence through the game, frequently contacting you to taunt you, which puts a face and a clear goal on the game, something the first lacked at times.

Cosmetically speaking, it has the same stylised look as the first game, and it works just as well here. Character and enemy designs are fun and well executed. Furthermore, there are now various skins available for the characters and vehicles, and it's always fun to find or unlock a new one, and see what you got.

So in conclusion, it takes the fun of the first game, improves upon almost every aspect to some degree, and makes up for the few disappointing flaws of it to boot. This is a definite must-buy for me, and could even be a Game of the Year contender. It gets a full 5 out of 5 stars from me. If you don't have it, get it. If you do have it, why are you reading this when you could be playing it?!

Some Recommended Podcasts

Over the past year or so, I've taken to listening to podcasts quite a bit. There's some fun, informative, funny stuff out there, but there's also a lot of crap. So with that said, these are my favourite few podcasts, though I'm sure there are many out there I have yet to discover.

Major Spoilers/Critical Hit/Top Five
These three are lumped together because they're all run by the same site, and feature the same hosts (with a couple of extra in Critical Hit). Major Spoilers is a podcast about comic book news and reviews, and has led to me reading a lot of stuff I might not otherwise have found, as well as helped me with last year's christmas shopping. Critical Hit is an actual play D&D podcast, and is not only an interesting story with a great DM, but inspired me to start a regular game up with some friends. Top Five is exactly what it sounds like; a show in which the hosts give their top five in the episode's chosen topic. What makes these three shows great is the hosts, they're knowledgable about the subjects, have a good presence and personality behind the mic, and are usually pretty funny to boot. I recommend giving any of these three shows a look over at Major Spoilers.

Filmsack
Join Scott Johnson (of Extra Life fame), and his fellow hosts Brian Ibbott, Brian Dunaway, and Randy Jordan as they mine the very depths of film entertainment. Each week, they pick a film (usually from Netflix, though as the UK lineup to Netflix is different from the US one, it doesn't make a difference to me) and watch it, they then discuss it at depth, often going off on random tangents. The podcast is great for film fans, and it's obvious that the hosts are all film buffs, but it's also a funny show with lively and enjoyable hosts. Check it out here.

The Nerdist
This podcast, hosted by Chris Hardwick, is generally based on interviews with various celebrities, nerd icons, and interesting people. Interview might be the wrong word though, as they feel more like a conversation, and often wander off in odd directions. Worth a listen due to a great lineup of guests, and some really interesting stories (such as the time Penn Jillette, of Penn and Teller fame, once wrestled a naked little person in a pool of corn starch). Find it here!

Talking Toons
Talking Toons is hosted by Rob Paulsen, voice of Pinky, Yakko, two of the Ninja Turtles, and a whole host of other characters. It focuses on interviews with his friends in the voice acting industry, and has had some really interesting and funny guests. The behind the scenes stuff is fascinating, the guests are interesting, and since they're all his friends, the tone of the show is very relaxed. Check it out over at Rob's site.

Hypothetical Help
Another Scott Johnson podcast, this time with co-host Turpster. The two of them answer three listeners requests for advice on almost any situation each show. The advice is often funny, sometimes tongue in cheek, and surprisingly also manages to be sound advice, most of the time. I like that this podcast does something different, and the hosts have great chemistry. Check it out here!

Those are my picks, and I urge you to go give them a listen. If you have any podcasts you enjoy, please give them a shout-out in the comments, I'm always looking for new podcasts to feast my ear-tongues on.