Also available for PC and XBox 360
Released 21/09/2012
3.5/5
Borderlands II is the much anticipated sequel to the first shooter of the same name.
Taking place on the cell shaded planet Pandora, which is populated by wild beasts, thugs, mercenaries and hunters players are treated to a game with extreme action, wacky humour and a fascinating world.
The game’s opening sequence sets the tone for the rest of the experience. Don’t skip it, it’s good.
Once that’s done, you can choose your class from the standard Commando, the mystical Siren, the skillful Assassin or the all-guns blazing Gunzerker. Set up their look and their name and you are ready to play.
A little droid called Claptrap greets you and guides you through the basics of the game, getting you used to the control scheme and some other elements of gameplay. He’s most definitely the type of character that will grate on some people, but his purpose is to be funny. You also have a very pretty A.I. giving you an extra helping hand.
The game is primarily a shooter, but as with many games of recent times, RPG style levelling up and using points in skill trees is also involved. Depending on your class, your abilities will be different, which allows for a good excuse for multiple playthroughs.
Completing challenges such as killing a certain amount of enemies will also reward you badass points and tokens which can be used to give your character an extra buff.
The sequel is bigger than the first game and has a deeper story to tell. You are presented early on with an enemy to go after who is very keen on seeing you destroyed.
His dream will take some doing to accomplish however as dotted around Pandora are checkpoint machines which save your progress and reincarnate you should you be shot down.
A unique point of this game is the multiplayer option. You may play the game solo, but at any time you can join other players and live out the same story as a team. Missions completed in multiplayer will be available in single player, but become optional once beaten.
This can be a bit confusing if you wish to separate your solo game from your multiplayer experience, but on the other hand, you can always create two characters – one to use in each mode. This may be worthwhile, as multiplayer gamers tend to dislike waiting about while you listen to quest givers chat away.
Another feature of multiplayer is the enemy levelling. The more members in your group, the harder the foes will be to defeat. As players drop out or join, the enemies will adjust to compensate.
Whichever way you play, the game is full of side missions, rewards and loot. Boxes full of money, ammo and weapons are littered around the world as though there are just too many to go around. You will even find plenty of powerful guns flushed down portaloos.
A point which probably works better in multiplayer but becomes frustrating in solo is that enemies respawn. You may clear out an area only to return later and find it fully populated again. Of course this allows for a lot more experience and loot gathering, but can be irritating if you simply wish to walk through on your way elsewhere.
The game has plenty of scope for you to use varied tactics. The different player classes, each with their own strengths suit different playstyles. The Assassin is good for sniping and hand to hand combat, while the Gunzerker is a bullet blazing tank.
They all function perfectly in single player, but also greatly complement each other as a squad in multiplayer.
The game is just the right level of challenging, not too difficult, but on the other hand, not making it easy for the player either. Tough enemies are present from the beginning and it is up to you and your skills to survive. The game strives to be a great shooter, with wacky humour and enough action to get your heart pumping. It manages this, but somehow not to the extent it wants to. There are better shooters out there and funnier games. As one of the titles that chooses to put these together, this is a front runner, but each ingredient alone falls short of being fantastic.
