Exploring the vast lands of Pandora as a crazed Vault Hunter the second time around is just as addicting as the first.
THE GOOD
-Insanely fun dialog
-Addicting gameplay and loot system
-Excellent multiplayer experience
-Huge world to explore
THE BAD
-Frame rate issues
Welcome back Vault Hunters to the crazy world of Pandora. Five years prior, the original Vault Hunters of Roland, Brick, Lilith, and Mordecai found a vault and eradicated the monster trapped within. Upon the alien creature's destruction, a precious mineral called Eridium all of a sudden started to flourish around the planet. This caught the eye of the Hyperion Corporation and their fearless leader, Handsome Jack. Now, many miles away in a giant floating fortress, Jack ruthlessly controls the inhabitants of Pandora with an iron fist and mining this Eridium is paramount. Additionally, there are also rumors about a even bigger vault just waiting to be discovered which brings a new batch of explorers to Pandora. Among these adventurers are four new Vault Hunters: Axton the Commando, Salvador the Gunzerker, Maya the Siren, and Zero the Assassin. In order to become rich and famous these four saviors must not only find the new Vault but eliminate Hyperion's grip on Pandora. This won't be an easy task because Jack is furiously hell-bent on murdering anyone that gets in his way.
The story in Borderlands 2 is much more exciting and focused than its predecessor. Handsome Jack is an excellent villain and as you progress through the game his true psychotic colors are revealed in spectacular fashion. The four main characters are great but its the supporting cast that standouts the most like Tiny Tina, a crazed young girl who just happens to be an explosives expert, Scooter, a hillbilly grease monkey car mechanic, and of course everybody's favorite foul mouth robot helper named Claptrap. You'll also get a chance to team up with the original Vault Hunters and learn more about what they've been up to recently.
The dialog is absolutely amazing and highly entertaining. The clever tones offer many laugh-out-loud moments all throughout your adventure. The humor in Borderlands 2 is presented in many different ways. Sometimes the laughs come from slap-stick, in-your-face comedy while other times this game throws in some subtle, intellectual bits just to see if you are paying attention. With writing this entertaining you won't want to miss a single conversation. Unfortunately, there is a problem with having multiple people talk at the same time. Instead of making the more prevailing story portion louder than the others, it all comes off as an incoherent ramble, which means you may miss out on some bits and pieces of the story.
Borderlands 2 is an exciting first person shooter with many enjoyable role playing elements seamlessly woven in its core. The leveling system is extensive for each playable character allowing you the option to customize your hero many different ways. If you are not satisfied with your class build you can always redistribute your skill points at anytime for a small fee.
The four main characters are all fun to play either by yourself or with a group of friends; the latter being the preferred choice. Axton is a fierce survivalist with the ability to deploy a Sabre turret to shell out damage and soak up enemy attacks. Salvador is a tough weapons expert who can dual wield any two guns. Maya is a beautiful Siren and her Phaselock skill can immobilize most foes on the battlefield. Zero is a deadly assassin with the capability to deploy decoys and turn invisible for short periods of time.
Loot is king in Borderlands 2. The lofty item count is somewhere in millions. The extensive array of weapons, shields, and other accessories are dropped from fallen enemies, claimed from completing missions, and found by opening treasure chests. In the guns department there are assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and much more. You can preselect up to four guns to be quickly switched to at any time via the directional pad. What's nice is when you stumble upon some loot you can see whether the attributes are better than your current item by looking at the green and red arrows. This is a nice feature and limits the amount of time you have to spend in the menu.
You'll encounter many different types of enemies on your journey. The level of difficulty is based on your current objective for the area. Most scenarios in this game require you to take advantage of your surroundings in order to survive. Borderlands 2 brings a welcomed challenge meaning you won't be able to just stand in the middle of a group baddies and expect to Superman your way to victory. You have to take cover and running away from time to time is sometimes your best option. Additionally, the difficulty is scaled based on how many of your friends have joined you in your struggle. More people playing equals tougher enemies but also better loot.
Borderlands 2, although highly addictive, has its fair share of flaws. The frame rate takes a hit when there are to many things happening at once. The worst offender came when I was up close with a shotgun. There are some other minor glitches that happen on rare instances like items and enemies randomly floating in mid-air.
The areas explored on Pandora the first time around made it feel like the planet was just one big dust bowl. Borderlands 2 lets you traverse much more of this strange world guiding you through lush grasslands and arctic tundras and the cell shaded artistic style gives this game a unique look and feel. This greatly increases the fun of traveling off the beaten path and exploring every nook and cranny. Your current objectives are easy to toggle and the quick access teleporting gets you to the general vicinity within seconds. From there you can haul it on foot or pick up a vehicle. The lands of Pandora are a very dangerous place but can also be extremely rewarding.
Borderlands 2 is just as highly addicting as its predecessor. The shooting mechanics and leveling system seamlessly bring together the best of the RPG and FPS worlds. The overall story is entertaining but it's the small conversations that make this game shine. The vast amounts of loot to discover and a world that thrives on exploration will keep you coming back time and time again. Whether you are an RPG or shooter fan, this is a must have for Xbox 360 owners. Borderlands 2 oozes with insanity and this uniqueness is what will keep this franchise around for a long time.