Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Mixed reactions"

INTRO

Borderlands 2: sequel to one of the greatest rpg's of all time. Pandora's changed…with 100% more awesome…and with 100% more drawbacks. The deserts have now become ice fields, the oceans are frozen, and the midgets are whiny. So lets get to it.

THE GOOD

MEGA PERKS
Did you like the perks in the first one? That's good, cause now they're new, improved and more of them.

MORE GUNS
Due to a drastic overhaul of the revolutionary random weapon generating system, there are more guns, but this has a drawback as well which we'll talk about in flaws.

B@D4SS RANK
Apologies for the "txt t4lk" (over-censorship sucks). Anyhow...The BA Rank gives you skill rewards for completing challenges rather than increasing proficiency with a certain gun depending on how much you use it. For every so many rank increases, you're granted a token, which can be used to generate 5 random skills to choose from to increase. They range from health and shields to combat damage to elemental.

BETTER CUSTOMIZATION
Remember the first one? You got to color your hair, your shirt, and your pants; no details at all. Although you still don't get to go full on custom, it's still a huge one up from the first. Change your head and your skin. Unlockable Heads and skins give an extra incentive to keep hunting for that next one you don't have.

A MORE INVOLVED STORY
What was the big plot twist in Borderlands? "Oh, the Vault's actually a prison" Now...now you have a deeper story, first-person cut scenes, and you get to know the characters from the first one, plus if you find the ECHO logs, you can discover more about the current vault hunters.

FLAWS (BECAUSE LIKE IT OR NOT, THEY ALL HAVE 'EM)

YOU'RE GONNA DIE...A LOT
One thing that was easy to do in BL1 was become a certified BA. Got your favorite guns, got the best shield you could buy/find, and all the health and shield perks, you could run right into the heat of combat and kill everything (except most bosses of course). Borderlands 2 from what I've seen places more emphasis on using cover. Guns deal out better damage, and therefore leaves shields less efficient. ALL THIS LEADS UP TO...

CHEAP DEATHS
By now, some of you probably think "Man, this guy is just a sore loser". If that's you're thought, you've obviously never been downed by a BA (Shielded) Nomad or have the last living enemy shoot an elemental barrel next to you right before they die.

MIDGET MADNESS
Remember the Loot Midgets most commonly (yet rarely) found in the Knoxx DLC? You're about to find those a lot at higher levels. It's not uncommon past level 20 for 1 in 7 loot chests to contain Loot Midgets. Yeah, you'll find them way earlier, but the chances drop at lower levels. This means simply looking for ammo can turn into a BA fight...also, there are BA WAR LOADER MIDGETS. That's right, a midget version of the BA WAR LOADERS. Hope you've got enough ammo left playa.

KAMIKAZE
Used to, if you let a Psycho sit idle for long enough or damage him enough, he'd whip out a grenade and charge at you. Now, we have enemies solely dedicated to suicide. Midgets, Psychos and Loaders: there's a suicidal version of everything. This doesn't sound like a problem, but considering 2-3 of them flank you during most big battles, this can easily screw you over.

TOO MANY GUNS
OK, this is the flaw I mentioned earlier. When you upgrade a system to include more options, that doesn't just mean good options. More guns means your odds of finding that one awesome gun go up, but it also means you have to wade through the piles of crap first to get that one awesome gun.

MANY BOSS BATTLES ARE STILL A PAIN
ALL OF MY FRIENDS had 1 boss they had trouble with in Borderlands 1: Mad Mel. His big truck plus 3 other runners, when your car was gone, it was over (run over that is). Now MANY boss battles are like this. *SPOILER* Wilhelm was one such battle. A giant loader with a shield that doubles as a constructor bot and Hyperion reinforcements from the moon base. It was hard not to run out of ammo. Little tip that makes that one a little easier: Caustic Rocket Launcher.

CONCLUSION

Borderlands 2 is an awesome game! Sure, it can be a little frustrating at times, but it's got great gameplay, solo or co-op. I highly recommend this game for anyone that loves non-competitive play or just something with an escalating challenge.