As far as games have advanced in storytelling and acutely/creepily detailed facial animations, there’s an implicit joy in shooting hordes of enemies that will probably never fade away. The first “Borderlands” was built around this almost carnal activity, but its success depended on the utilization of an intuitive co-op system and the addicting search for superior loot.
“Borderlands 2” sticks close to this central tenet that made the first game so endearing, but blows out many features that were ignored in its predecessor. While the expansive enemy variety and impressive main quest line both represent large strides forward, “Borderlands 2” is deterred by a glut of uninspired side quests and a wealth of technical snafus.
Gearbox was well aware of the shortcomings of their mundane story in the first title and addressed these complaints with a far more robust storyline. Set five years after the vault hunters opened the vault unleashing Eridium on Pandora, a man named Handsome Jack has taken over the Hyperion Corporation and rules the planet from his ever-present base on the moon.
Although the story is much improved (mainly due to more fleshed out characters and a central antagonist), it’s still a fairly cookie-cutter tale that fails to thoroughly compel the player to actively pursue what may happen next.
The storyline’s main highlights are the actual quests and set-pieces that go along with players’ journey against the tyranny of Handsome Jack. Boss battles have far more depth and tact this time around, requiring players to be constantly aware of what the next assault may entail. Some minor set-piece moments also provide players a break from the linear shooting galleries that plagued so many of the first title’s missions.
Beyond the main storyline are a plethora of side quests that take place all across Pandora. While the sheer quantity is impressive, the quality is severely lacking. Most are repetitive fetch quests that some players may not mind, but in a world where no characters are particularly engrossing and the landscape fails to enrapture, these missions quickly become little more than mind-numbing chores.
Pandora itself isn’t particularly improved, but the enemies and their artifical intelligence is a giant step forward from the bullet sponges of the first game. Drones fly around to heal robots, skags provide buffs to their pup counterparts and bandits utilize teamwork to help their cause. As a result, combat is far more challenging and rewarding throughout the experience.
For most players though, the main draw of “Borderlands” is the never-ending pursuit of better weaponry and tools to improve their characters. This system is as addicting as ever, providing an exorbitant amount of weapon and armor variety that’s sure to keep players satisfied for months.
Playing solo through the campaign is enjoyable, but co-op is truly the optimum “Borderlands” experience, particularly near the end when solo play becomes frustratingly difficult.
One of the main appeals of the first game was the drop-in drop-out co-op that allowed up to four buddies to tackle the dangers of Pandora together. This user-friendly system returns and players can easily invite friends or find random games online through a match browser screen. Local co-op is also included but only two players are allowed on a screen and the user interface is still messy.
“Borderlands 2” is a far more expansive and fully fleshed-out title than Gearbox’s first effort, but their grander vision also brought along an annoying amount of glitches. Enemies clipped through environments in many firefights or they wouldn’t recognize me shooting while I was directly behind them. Two separate boss battles even ended with destroying their glitch-laden inanimate bodies without any retaliation.
It’s impossible to deny Gearbox’s response to the primary complaints from the first title. Enemy AI is far more complex and the storyline is much improved albeit still not overly moving. The technical issues are a hindrance but the primary problem is that Pandora isn’t compelling enough to buoy the monotonous fetch quests that plague the ancillary content outside the main storyline.
At the same time it’s hard to argue with the ever reliable shoot, loot and shoot again formula Gearbox has perfected here. With near limitless guns, new-game plus and four distinct classes, it’s a safe bet players will still be searching for their bazillionth weapon months from now.
Grade: B+
Did you get a thrill out of the quests in “Borderlands 2”? Tell Adam exactly what he is missing out on at arparis@wisc.edu.
