Borderlands 2 Review
Played on Xbox One (base)
Developed by Gearbox Software
Released 18th September 2012
Played Co-op
The outlandish success of the original Borderlands was something that Gearbox really couldn't predict. While criticised for its paper-thin story, that game had so many standout things going for it, marking it as a memorable experience, especially with its release year of 2009 bolstering such giants like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted 2 and Assassin's Creed 2. It was able to distinguish itself from other post-apocalyptic shooters that grasped their targeted audience like Fallout 3 and Rage, and did it all while being a nominated runner-up for a Game of the Year award. So it was absolutely no surprise that a sequel would start getting developed and that its budget would grow to $30–$35 million, at the cost of relocating significant manpower from the other two distinct projects that Gearbox was simultaneously working on: 'Duke Nukem Forever' and 'Aliens: Colonial Marines'. I think it's safe to say, that the failures of those two projects were a small price to pay for such an incredible game. With the Lead Designer of 'Bioshock', Paul Hellquist, as the game's creative director, Jeramy Cooke as its art director and Anthony Burch as its writer, all of their experiences coupled together amassed, what I would recognise as, the best looter-shooter that will ever be.
Borderlands 2 can in a way be titled as a pinnacle of utilising player-feedback. Was the first game's story forgettable? What about creating a more diverse cast of characters with the antagonist serving as the driving force of the whole game, and focusing more on environmental storytelling than pure cutscenes? Was the art style dull? How about incentivising the art team to "break boundaries" with their creations? You get the point, that anything and everything that people complained about Borderlands 1 was tweaked to be seen as more favourable, from refining the navigation of the UI to experimenting with gameplay ideas that pushed further the chaotic nature of the series. And it all paid off. Other than a couple of controversies and claims of sexism and racism that were immediately cleared up, the game hit it big with its reception, securing the biggest launch for a game in the UK in 2012, surpassing the record previously held by 'Mass Effect 3'. It sold up to 5 million copies by November of the same year, and was nominated and won several awards ranging from 'Best Action Game' to even 'Game of the Year'. And this was in 2012; the same year that juggernauts like Mass Effect 3, Far Cry 3, Telltale's The Walking Dead, Black Ops 2 and Persona 4 were released.
Story
The story has improved the 'Borderlands' energy on all fronts. The main design philosophy they had writing out this narrative was to make it so crazy and ridiculous that not only could you not find it in any other medium, but it was too hard to critique and complain about. And they did as such. Thinking back to the tale of the game, it's hard to pinpoint flaws within it with how it focuses heavily on being a fun experience, becoming a great one as well. While the narrative undoubtedly works significantly better on a first playthrough, it still is an engaging and gripping journey throughout, even if its overreliance on "kidnap-and-rescue" plot devices gets noticeably tiresome on replays.
To give you a summary, you play as one of the four, new Vault Hunters who ally themselves with the Crimson Raiders, a guerilla effort led by the previous game's Vault Hunters, in an attempt to stop the megalomaniac Handsome Jack from accessing a Vault's power. The story never spirals too far out of control, remaining in the world of the possible (or as possible as the world of Pandora lets them), occasionally bouncing off of its confines to provide intense, delectable action like fending off against a horde of robots with a bandit leader or battling against the monstrous guardian protecting the Vault.
A great aspect of Borderlands 2 is how there seem to be barely any cutscenes. The game is always in perpetual motion and if you really want to delve further into the lore of the game, then there are collectables and voice recordings that add to the story. The main way the narrative is displayed to the player is through the dialogue between characters and them instructing you what to do. The presence of the characters is never too forceful and their exposition-dumping, humour and conversations are a great backdrop to the ongoing carnage happening on-screen. The only time there were fully scripted and directed cutscenes, was when a significant plot point was occurring like the introduction of a character or the death of one. This helped to retain the pacing and flow of combat from section to section, never sacrificing the player's immersion just for some dialogue exchange that could've otherwise happened in-game.
The deadpan, slapstick humour is also fantastic. The writing was genuinely enjoyable and it doesn't feel like there were any misses with its jokes, regardless of whether we're talking about the base game or the DLCs. Just like the original game, the abnormality of Pandora and its circumstances strongly provide this game with flexibility in its tone, and it feels like the developers really mastered that balance here with the darker, more mature moments being in tandem with the more comedic sections of the game, birthing that iconic, funny but grotesque personality that Borderlands is somewhat infamous for.
Gameplay
The gameplay easily displays Borderlands 2 as a fantastic FPS (First-Person Shooter) and as the best looter-shooter ever. Picking up from where the first Borderlands left off, the sequel is very similar to its predecessor, give or take a couple of quality-of-life upgrades. The shooting and movement are near-identical, the gunplay and how responsive each firefight feels is still the same high-quality, and the level design that provides the covers, flanking, sniping opportunities and more is still great. However, the biggest changes that occur in the sequel aren't in the "shooter" components of the series, it's in the RPG-focused "looter" elements.
The weapon manufacturing and randomised gun generation have been given a more distinct style, in which, each in-game weapon manufacturing company has a "trademark style" that would not only appeal to different players but also feel more differentiated from one another. For instance, the Maliwan brand features weapons inspired by sci-fi technology, while the Dahl brand offers weaponry more grounded in reality. The randomisation of the loot was incredible as the variety didn't just apply to the visual design of guns, but to the more meaningful parts of them like; their reload types, how their projectiles worked, and what elemental effects they could apply. It all felt vastly unique and the "17,000,000 different weapons" that the developers flexed for the release of the first game, feels more truthful here than it did back in the 2009 title.
The 4 new classes (6, if you count the DLC-added characters) were also a blast to play, whether it was with Cyborg Ninja Zer0 and his holographic clone or with Salvador's rapid dual-wielding ability, each character's entertainment value was perfectly moulded. The statistical-boosting skill trees have also been redesigned to better fit into the high-customisation that the player has, by having each skill tree diverge into 3 paths, each for a different playstyle. For example, with Zer0, you could head down the Sniping skill tree route which would bolster you impressively lethal critical hit damage boosts and other Sniper Rifle advancements. Meanwhile, the Cunning tree gave you access to an electro-exploding clone and Death Marking kunai, and the Bloodshed tree would make you a melee menace with a Dash attack as a melee override and a near-infinite clone duration. The build variety you have essentially triples because of this gameplay design and it makes you wonder why this obvious feature wasn't present previously, given how greatly significant it was in providing a much more engaging experience.
The enemy types have also greatly improved; their more memorable appearances and intriguing gameplay mechanics fed into the whole betterment of the gameplay cycle as it made each firefight against them much more entertaining. Borderlands 1 now feels like a plain FPS that is still stuck in its beta-testing stage, in comparison to this title, and while that is mostly due to the new gun generation and upgrade possibilities, the enemies now having mechanics unique to themselves and their factions are an important factor as well. Shooting off the arms of a Loader to incapacitate its firing ability or headshotting a Goliath to berserk it against its kind, were wonderful ways in which the game makes you attentive to the firefights you were faced against and prevents the player from going on 'autopilot'. The variations these basic enemies also developed on harder, 'new game plus' difficulties was another enjoyable way of retaining that freshness of battling a new enemy group.
Borderlands 1 had quite a few issues given its 14-year age, and they were all essentially fixed with this instalment. The level difference and artificial difficulty scaling weren't as severe and instead felt fair, even if you had to do a bit of 'optional' content to get the credits rolling. As mentioned earlier, the random gun generation and upgrading were fixed to a top-tier state. Finally, the mission design was also greatly improved, being more expansive and diverse in its objectives.
Not too long ago, I played Assassin's Creed 2 and heavily praised how great of a sequel it was with how much it revolutionised its series. But, putting that game besides Borderlands 2, it's painfully obvious just how much better this game is than AC2, in terms of being a successful sequel. Though with having a retrospective view of the game, it's obvious it isn't perfect. The movement is still fairly stiff in comparison to how fluid and rapid the FPS scene has become (no doubt due to 'Doom' and its 2016 re-emergence), and its RPG customisation can feel quite "basic" compared to the grand assortments of abilities and upgrades that other RPG shooters have accomplished. But the game is nowhere near the stage of being "outdated" as its quality still stands triumphantly above the rest.
With all of those pros and cons, the 100% journey I had is something I have to recommend. Even though some achievements are slightly tedious due to having to grind out the spawn rates of certain NPCs/enemies and in-game challenges, I had an absolute blast playing it. Even with 90 hours on the game, I can still see myself going back and doing challenge runs, trying new characters and more, simply because of how impeccable the gameplay is.
Bossfights
Onto the boss fights, they were a significant step up from the previous game. For Borderlands, I could not name any boss fight other than the final one from that game, because of how forgettable they have become. This sequel, however, has many standout encounters for me. Wilhelm, the BNK-3R, Terrormorphous the Invincible and Bloodwing are some of my favourite encounters due to how memorable their duels were; from incredible designs to aggressively enjoyable movesets, these bosses are the ones that I subconsciously await to fight again on every replay playthrough. Even the lesser bosses that border the lines of "mini-boss" like Saturn or Knuckledragger are fights that leave an impressionable memory on you. A major reason why so many of these fights feel greater is because they're grander and wilder. Massive mechs and robots, Eridium-pumped wildlife, and charismatic bandits with distinctive traits are the types of foes that you deal with in this game, and I would not have it any other way.
However, as with any other boss fight in any other FPS, their difficulty, and thus their memorabilia and impact, can be undermined depending on how good the player is and how much of a bullet sponge the boss ends up being. While I don't think any boss battle here is a bullet sponge, over-levelling just by a bit can make the fight feel less threatening and even less entertaining. I was fortunate enough to be able to give every boss multiple tries at being fascinating due to my enjoyment of the game leading to replays, but for players who will only experience this once, it wouldn't be all that surprising if they walk away from the game thinking of the bosses as mass-AOE (Area of Effect), damage-dealing, stationary targets.
Characters
The characters are phenomenal. One of the aspects that the developers wanted to focus on when approaching the sequel was to make a more diverse and unforgettable cast of characters, to better define the identity of the Borderlands world - and that they did. Nearly everyone is noteworthy in some regard due to each of their charming, hilarious personalities. Regardless of whether they're new or returning, this group of personas were all given a fresh coat of paint to stand out among one another and were essientally given a chance at redemption if they failed to entice the audience in their first outing. While writing this review, I genuinely believed that Scooter and his endearing hillbilly idiocy first made an appearance in Borderlands 2, before finding out he didn't. Or the opposite way around with how perfectly Sir Hammerlock fit into the context of Pandora. Characters who were more obvious with their returns like Claptrap, Lillith and Marcus made for some fantastic re-appearances as it felt like they were heavily refined into being more captivating with their designs, dialogue and significance to not only the story but what we can come to expect from the Borderlands world. New characters like Tiny Tina, Ellie and Mad Moxxi (who technically made her first appearance in the 'Borderlands' DLC), gave off the same impression - funny, iconic and well-written. An issue that I pointed out in my review of the first game was that, even though each character was great, it wouldn't be hard for you to lose interest and memory of them due to how little of a splash they make narratively or visually, yet, if this problem were to occur in this sequel, then that must mean you had to of been actively disengaging yourself with the characters because every single one of them was pivotal in providing an alluring experience.
Now, I wanted to reserve talking about this character and save a whole section for them, similar to what I did with the Malenia boss fight in my Elden Ring review. Handsome Jack is one of the best-written antagonists ever. Am I exaggerating? Maybe, but there is no denying how brilliantly written he is. I mean for crying out loud, not only did he receive a whole game to himself to explore his backstory (Borderlands: Pre-Sequel) but as I'm currently playing through Borderlands 3, his influence on how Gearbox now approaches the writing of villains is essientally that of a blueprint. Handsome Jack's egomaniacal, megalomaniacal and deranged presence is so well-executed. His constant taunting of the players, the constant assault & barrages on them and their allies, and the slow descent into insanity and hatred that he has is nothing short of bittersweet, something that I think every antagonistic force should strive for. A character that is so well-written that you can't do anything but be mesmerised by them and adore their performance, but is also so good at building a dynamic that thrives off the animosity between the player and character. Dameon Clarke did a fantastic job voicing this character as the on-screen presence was not only felt but bottled many of those mixed emotions that players should direct at beguiling villains like himself.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere has been improved greatly and it still holds up to this day. In contrast to the bleak and dull colour palette of the first game, the sequel replaces all of its visual deterrents with backgrounds that are vibrant in colour, lush with life and complementary to the history of the environment. The Natural Selection Annex and its torn-down, overrun, high-tech buildings clashing with its mutated creatures and Hyperion security is incredible. Or Lynchwood's industrialisation blending with that classic aesthetic of a "Borderlands" desert to create an optically immersive setting. The variety in not just the areas, but also the enemies, characters, weapons and vehicles are all crafted in a strong, artistic manner that, when fused with the cell-shaded style, is hard to tear your eyes away from. These comic book-esque visuals not only make every object in the world pop more with its boldness but also make the game look timeless as the worry of hyperrealistic graphics in other games doesn't cause a need for concern in Borderlands 2.
As for the audible journey, it's good but simply doesn't stand out as much as any other component in the game. The soundtrack does a brilliant job of capturing Pandora's 'wild west' personality and fills each track with this bumpy energy that, whether you're exploring the tundra or fighting against a legion of robots, succeeds in raising the player's adrenaline to the same level as the OST. However, you never really notice it blatantly. In what it strives to accomplish, it does so subtly, but I don't think I can walk away from this game with its soundtrack embedded in my head regardless of whether I put 20 or 200 hours into it. This doesn't mean it's bad or forgettable or anything of the sort, it just means its impact scales down, in comparison to the highlights of the rest of the game like its visuals, writing or gameplay. The same could be said for its sound effects. The explosions and gunfire are excellent, and the discreet ambience of the levels or the enemy's distinct voices or roars are engineered great, but it just doesn't have that "oomph" that will be imprinted on my memory of the game.
As for the technical aspects, there were a couple of low-key issues here and there as expected with a playtime of 90 hours, such as; disconnecting from the host (server-side) or an achievement not unlocking when it should've. Other than that, there wasn't anything that could cause someone grief or harm their experience with the game.
Story - 8.5/10
Gameplay - 9.5/10
Bossfights - 8/10
Characters - 9.5/10
Atmosphere - 8/10
Near Perfect
The best looter-shooter to exist, and a strong contender as one of the best shooters ever made.
