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The Rick
July 13th, 2012, 12:38 PM
I didn't see a thread for these games. If there was one for the first maybe it got pruned.



I Have Four Important Things To Tell You About Borderlands 2
Kotaku link (http://kotaku.com/5925601/i-have-four-important-things-to-tell-you-about-borderlands-2)
byTina Amini Jul 13, 2012 8:00 AM


After draining the life out of Borderlands 1, every single downloadable content and all, I've always had a sneaking suspicion that Gearbox would steal my heart with its sequel. But I don't think even I was prepared to be blown away by how much they've outdone themselves in the several demonstrations I've played so far.

Gearbox Software, the minds behind Borderlands, swung by New York on Wednesday to show off a brand new questline complete with a brand new character in Borderlands 2. But that's not all I want to talk to you about. I discovered a lot more about Borderlands 2, so let's jump right in.
The Assassin Is A Smooth Killer

I hadn't gotten my hands on the game since playing as Maya a few months back, and I knew my time to experiment with a new character was overdue.

It's tough to decide between the four playable characters in Borderlands 2. Though, for me, any character with a semblance of magical abilities is the no-brainer, each character has its own appeal. The Gunzerker is a mean dual-wielder. Axton is the best defensive character, with many turret tricks up his commando sleeves. But Zero? Zero was the next in a line of skilled killers that I had to try.

Zero is an assassin, which means he's a nimble melee fighter as well as a sharpshooter. When Randy Pitchford was guiding me through my demo, explaining the various customization options in Zero's three separate skill trees, I didn't have to hear more once he summarized the "Dash" ability. Zero launches a decoy of himself, goes invisible, and can dash towards enemies for really cool-looking ninja sword slices. Level that tree up enough and you can chain those attacks together. Done. Sold. I crushed so many enemies combining my trusty fire-damaging pistol, corrosive sniper, teleporting grenades and swift sword slashes. Between the four playable characters, there are a ton of other amazing abilities you can unlock that prove to be a pivotal turning point for your character's fighting style. Like, to name one, nuclear explosions. Yep, nuclear explosions.

http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=33330X911644&site=kotaku.com&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.gawkerassets.com%2Fimg%2F17sm jnk0ol0w9jpg%2Foriginal.jpg&xguid=edf12bf421c7ea228a41b02de2f20389&xcreo=0&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fkotaku.com%2F5925601%2Fi-have-four-important-things-to-tell-you-about-borderlands-2

The Dash sounds powerful, right? Well it's even more powerful than you might guess. If you're skilled enough, you can pull off dashes into the air to knock down flying Buzzards, piloted by bandits. They're tough machines to beat, so being able to aim that dash at it is a useful technique. It's also incredibly gratifying to pull of an acrobatic move that feels like you're pushing the limits of the skill.
The Central Villain Is A Huge Jerk

This new demo took me into Sanctuary, where revolutionary fighters who are against the central villain—Handsome Jack—are holed up together. I wandered around the hub station for a bit, pressing X on random dwellers to see what they had to say to me. They all sounded terrified, or devoid of hope. It was the first time I felt anything close to a morbid setting in such a silly game like Borderlands, but it was an interesting touch.

Handsome Jack is, after all, kind of a dick, as Pitchford told me. As the leader of the Hyperion Corporation, Jack has pulled a few nasty moves and oppressed the people of Pandora, but always with a smile. Propaganda posters of him are spread throughout the planet, featuring him posing with open arms as if ready for an embrace.

But Jack's handsome face and easy going demeanor only disguise his villain side for so long. [Not a major spoiler, but don't read if you prefer to keep the game's opening a surprise] After players found and opened the vault that seemed to only be a legend in the first Borderlands, Handsome Jack dedicates himself to finding the others. And one powerful one in particular. He "enlists" in the help of all vault hunters across Pandora. He wants to "hire" you to help him find it. If my exaggerated use of quotation marks hasn't tipped you off, I'll just come out with it: Jack is actually leading you into a trap, and players will find out just how evil he can be when they answer the call. [Ok, feel free to read again.]

http://go.redirectingat.com/?id=33330X911644&site=kotaku.com&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.gawkerassets.com%2Fimg%2F17sm jnk0ikjwijpg%2Foriginal.jpg&xguid=edf12bf421c7ea228a41b02de2f20389&xcreo=0&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fkotaku.com%2F5925601%2Fi-have-four-important-things-to-tell-you-about-borderlands-2

The New Enemies Are Really Advanced

The questline I followed for this new level took me outside the safe zone and into the half rock, half ice part of the planet infested by bugs, mech, bandits and straight lunatics. Borderlands enemies have always been interesting. The bugs are colorful and aggressive. There are ridiculous-looking midget bandits that are prepared for kamikaze tactics. Big goons are incredibly powerful. Mechs are dangerous, and sometimes even fly overhead, increasing the depth of the battlefield. And you're often fighting a lot of these things at once.

But the most important thing to take away from my recent Borderlands 2 experience is that these new enemies are advanced versions of your favorites from the first game. There are even crazier bandits and powerful goons. But it's not just their violent and odd nature that makes them crazy. Some of these enemies, both bugs and bandits included, will morph mid-battle. Shoot the bucket/helmet off of a Goliath and he becomes Raging Goliath, which exposes his shrunken head that dangles at the end of a thread of flesh as well as causes him to attack his own brothers. Bugs will enter a larva right in front of you, and if you don't burst it in time, it will evolve into a more powerful adult. Some enemies evolve to even achieve badass status, which in Borderlands language basically means a stronger, more elite enemy.

The most elite of enemies will even have a few stages of advancement. I encountered an incredibly powerful Loot Goon Goliath, who I am told is a rare sighting. I decided to piss him off a little. I shot at him a few times and watched him grow progressively more aggressive, slashing and stomping on the guys I was supposed to kill.

"Hey," I thought, "this is really cool." And it is. I'm facing new enemies before I can even turn the corner to a different camp. But if you aren't careful, these severely pissed off guys will turn their attention to you.

Morphing enemies like these also make for an interesting strategy, too. I often shot the buckets off of the Goliaths to have them pick at the other enemies, leaving a pretty pissed off and (granted) pretty powerful Goliath to deal with. The variety of enemy types gives you a variety of available tactics. The Nomad Torturers, for instance, have midgets strapped to their shields. Shoot of the ropes on the midgets and they'll attack their slavers for vengeance. There are just oh so many possibilities, and it makes every battle incredibly exciting. I couldn't get enough, and I wanted to see what other crazy evolving concoctions Gearbox came up with.
There's A New Quirky Character Waiting To Meet You

When I finally rid Pandora of the bandits and bugs crawling on its earth (you know, until the next spawn cycle, anyway) I traveled on my way to the diamond on the minimap. The diamond led me to Tiny Tina. As the self-proclaimed official Tiny Tina (my Twitter bio says so!), I was delighted.

Even more delightful is just how ridiculous this 13-year-old girl is. She has quite the...vocabulary.

First, some backstory. If you've ever watched Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?, you'll know of Anthony and Ashley Burch. And you might know that Anthony Burch is the lead writer on Borderlands 2. Tiny Tina is not only modeled after his sister's quirky personality, but she's even voiced by her. So you get the silliness of HAWP's female lead in the tough persona of a 13-year-old who grew up on a battered Pandora. And she wants one thing of you: the perfect tea party.

You'll gather badonkadonks for her bunny pals, as well as a few other stuffed toys—erm, excuse me, guests—as well as optional bonus items like crumpets. Once I tended to her party needs, after fending off those flying Buzzard-copters and a slew of other bandits and hissing bugs, the tea party essentially turned into a mini horde mode party, where bandits spilled into Tiny Tina's cave to thwart our partying desires. What party poopers.

If Borderlands fans' favorite NPC was Scooter—to pick one of the many charming individuals you meet on Pandora—then Tiny Tina has to be the next favorite. She has a dominant personality with many, many choice lines. Tiny Tina has the energy of a sugar rush, but the dark soul of a drug fiend. She's oddly upbeat and devious all at once. She's downright hilarious.

Tiny Tina led me on a fairly short questline that exposed a lot of the new qualities of Borderlands 2. Gearbox's sequel is still the same gun-crazy, personality-crazy game I came to love three years ago. The addition of extra atmospheres, extra gun manufacturers, new playable characters with even more diverse and intricate skill sets, incredibly advanced enemies, and an all new character to laugh with while she sends you on odd journeys builds on and even surpasses what made the first game so successful. September 18 just can't come soon enough.

The Rick
July 13th, 2012, 12:44 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvIh7cwmuDc&feature=fvwrel

The Rick
July 13th, 2012, 12:53 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQF7GQjTjsM&feature=related

Grimario
July 13th, 2012, 6:02 PM
I loved the first game but got in it after the co-op scene had died significantly on PC. Started playing with a mate who had spent a billion hours on it and knew where every single secret was, so it was basically me following him around collecting loot :(

As long as this one doesn't have a brain fart of an end game boss, I will be happy with it.

The Rick
July 20th, 2012, 8:12 PM
Borderlands 2 finished, Gearbox now working on DLC
gamespot link (http://www.gamespot.com/news/borderlands-2-finished-gearbox-now-working-on-dlc-6388153)
By Eddie Makuch July 20, 2012 11:48AM PDT


Borderlands 2 finished, Gearbox now working on DLC
Development finished on September-dated shooter 60 days before launch, now headed to certification; Gearbox shifting focus to add-on Mechromancer character class.

Borderlands 2 is finished, some 60 days before its release date. Developer Gearbox Software announced today that development on the project has come to a close, with the first-person shooter now headed to certification for release on the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on September 18 in North America and September 21 internationally.

Now that development on Borderlands 2 has wrapped, Gearbox is shifting its focus to post-launch content for the game. The team is currently working on the Mechromancer character class, which will be released as free DLC about 60-90 days after launch for members of the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club. Gamers can score access to the Premiere Club by preordering the game.

Borderlands 2 is the sequel to 2009's well-received loot-based co-op shooter. A recent game guide writer's playthrough of the title took 58 hours, with Gearbox calling the game a "hobby." For more on the title, check out GameSpot's latest preview.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vDO_aKcI_c

Bert
July 29th, 2012, 5:34 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nicvyhrmTDs

I got in on a 4 pack for $40. I knew I was going to buy it anyway, might as well save $20.

The Rick
July 29th, 2012, 4:29 PM
The original borderlands is such a great game. It can get a bit divisive though the multi-player though. I was playing in a 4 player party. Two of us like to explore every section and get all the loot. The other two liked to fly through the challenges and bounties to level up. It was a bit hectic until we got out of Fryestone. Once out we were able to split into 2 teams and while the other two flew through a couple of challenges. The other guy and I, picked one challenge and picked up everything. Once we reconvened we traded the weapons and mods over to who uses them the best. It is just such a great game. There is so much to do, and see.

Bert
September 17th, 2012, 4:45 PM
A little over 7 hours to go.

I love Steam.

It's going to be a fun night.

Go to work, come home, watch rest of RAW, an hour later game unlocks.

I'm going to use Zero, I'm addicted to sniping.

Alf
September 17th, 2012, 5:35 PM
Been playing it today. I didn't play the first one but I like this a lot.

It's mad how similar Rage is to this in terms of setting and how the missions/maps work.

I'm a decent chunk into it and it's now getting a bit over-whelming with the guns...

Funboy
September 17th, 2012, 6:20 PM
Is it imperative to play Borderlands before 2?
Or just advisable?

I've just finished Dead Island and got Spec Ops: The Line lined up next; but then I'll need a new game to play, and should be able to get the first one cheapish by now.

I like the look of the game - good art style.
And I love all things apocalyptic.

me = http://imgur.com/r/fallout/ZNnyp

The Rick
September 17th, 2012, 9:44 PM
I shall download this on the morrow. It just looks like great fun.

Bert
September 17th, 2012, 10:32 PM
Is it imperative to play Borderlands before 2?
Or just advisable?

I've just finished Dead Island and got Spec Ops: The Line lined up next; but then I'll need a new game to play, and should be able to get the first one cheapish by now.

I like the look of the game - good art style.
And I love all things apocalyptic.

me = http://imgur.com/r/fallout/ZNnyp
There's no need to play the first one. There's little things that are nods to it but you're not missing anything really.

Alf
September 24th, 2012, 4:58 AM
Preeeettty bored of it already.

I just can't get into these types of games anymore. There is nothing really original in them. The setting is fantastic and all that but the missions are all cardboard cutouts of every other open world game "Go to A and kill X then go to B".

BORING.

The Rogerer
September 24th, 2012, 6:06 AM
I like the idea of Borderlands, and I always start playing it about once every 6 months, and then dry up. The thing about the first game is that I kept waiting for it to kick off, but you get to the next zone and it's a desert wasteland, and then the next zone is the same, and nothing ever happens. It's also a great idea to have a wide variety of guns with so many variables but you're constantly having to compare statistics and often they are presented in weird, deceptive ways with +300% this and -95% that. Add to this that the shooting feels a bit floaty and a lot of it is just backpedalling while someone runs at you, or getting into revival loops if playing with another player and winning things with a war of attrition.

It's a very seductive game but I'm getting too old to be tempted by a game that's just all about loot. It throws too much at you and doesn't tease it out. Saying that, it's nice that it's on PS+ and people can have a blast when they feel like it. I know people who are trying to get everyone else to buy the Borderlands 2 so they can play it together and I've seen it all before, it'll be lucky if it lasts a week before people get bored. It's what happened with the first one.

Bert
September 24th, 2012, 3:56 PM
The fun for me comes from playing with friends.

I beat it with them a few days ago though. I'll try the new game+ mode eventually but right now all my focus is on Torchlight 2.

Bert
September 24th, 2012, 4:02 PM
I like the idea of Borderlands, and I always start playing it about once every 6 months, and then dry up. The thing about the first game is that I kept waiting for it to kick off, but you get to the next zone and it's a desert wasteland, and then the next zone is the same, and nothing ever happens. It's also a great idea to have a wide variety of guns with so many variables but you're constantly having to compare statistics and often they are presented in weird, deceptive ways with +300% this and -95% that. Add to this that the shooting feels a bit floaty and a lot of it is just backpedalling while someone runs at you, or getting into revival loops if playing with another player and winning things with a war of attrition.

It's a very seductive game but I'm getting too old to be tempted by a game that's just all about loot. It throws too much at you and doesn't tease it out. Saying that, it's nice that it's on PS+ and people can have a blast when they feel like it. I know people who are trying to get everyone else to buy the Borderlands 2 so they can play it together and I've seen it all before, it'll be lucky if it lasts a week before people get bored. It's what happened with the first one.

The environments change a lot and are a lot nicer than the first game. The devs admitted they went a little heavy on the shades of brown the first time and learned from their mistake. Their are a few confusing variables with the weapons but I don't think they're as bad as before either. I usually just field test them to see which I like more and which kills enemies faster. I don't think floaty applies to the PC version so I can't really comment on that. You can at least walk when you're down now, it helps you to line up a shot to get that second wind you desperately need.

The Rick
October 7th, 2012, 2:23 AM
I'm really enjoying this game right now. It is still the FPS loot game that many fell in love with, and many of the complaints have been addressed. The writing is far better, the environments are far more varied too. More enemies, and different mission types keep the game fresh. The "fast travel" system makes backtracking far less tedious. The characters are better, and the skill trees are pretty cool. I'm currently playing as Zero the cyber ninja. He has 3 skill trees. One tree focuses on sniping, one focuses on stealth, and the last focuses on melee. I have concentrated on the latter two skill trees that compliment my playing style.

One class doesn't seem to be any more of an asset than another, and having two of the same character on your team can still be fresh depending how each builds their character. While I'm focusing on the later two trees, one of my friends is focusing on the first two. He plays distance and snipes from afar. When we have to enter tight arenas he uses his stealth ability to heal the team when needed.

Along the journey characters from the previous game make appearances in the game, and help make the game. CL4P-TP is far less annoying this time around, and can even cause a smile and chuckle here and there. The characters from the previous game will become your allies, and you will go on missions with and for them.

The biggest improvement, in my eyes, is the drop-in drop-out party system. At anytime a friend can join your game in progress as long as he is not too far behind you. No one has to go back to the opening screen, you can just hop in. The only draw back to an overpowered friend joining is, they will probably not earn much xp repeating challenges. Other than that it is very welcome in most instances to have companions for the journey.

I'm enjoying this game so much. I haven't finished the game yet, but I'm already pretty sure that I will be investing in the DLC.

Bert
October 11th, 2012, 4:46 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDeRIPTyV50

The Rick
December 3rd, 2012, 7:56 PM
Borderlands 2...played it, beat it, loved it. Captain Scarlet DLC... played it. beat it, was underwhelmed by it. Now playing, and loving


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDsTrzzMWxY

the writing on the Torgue DLC is funny as hell. There are so many things here and there that hit the perfect spots. I'm not usually into the arena battles, but I can enjoy it with this DLC pack.

Bert
December 3rd, 2012, 11:54 PM
I might give it a shot, does it raise the level cap? I never finished new game plus or whatever though. Just too many games to play.

The Rick
December 4th, 2012, 1:21 AM
I might give it a shot, does it raise the level cap? I never finished new game plus or whatever though. Just too many games to play.

No. The rumor is that they will raise the cap with the next DLC.

Sparky
March 6th, 2013, 5:52 AM
Words cannot describe how much I love these games. Absolutely incredible. Borderlands 1 had absolutely everything I looked for, and 2 gave me that, plus some. A bit disappointed at the addition of a "Gunzerker" over my favorite Berserker.

Grimario
July 1st, 2015, 8:29 PM
If anyone on PC doesn't have this yet, you should go and get 1/2 plus a bunch of DLC right now.

https://www.humblebundle.com/

~$7 gets you almost everything and $15 gets you absolutely everything including a 75% off voucher for The Pre-Sequel.

mr sabu
July 3rd, 2015, 4:49 AM
wish the pre-sequel didn't exsist :( i didn't enjoy it

Atty
July 17th, 2015, 10:23 PM
They have a set for PS4 with Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel. Having never played any of it, is this a series where I'd be lost skipping part one?

Grimario
July 18th, 2015, 12:19 AM
They have a set for PS4 with Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel. Having never played any of it, is this a series where I'd be lost skipping part one?

Not even remotely.

The Rick
July 18th, 2015, 1:17 AM
Not even remotely.

I concur with this. But I'd say that you probably need at least one friend to dive into this with you. Playing by yourself is fine, but playing with a friend or two makes the game.

Grimario
July 18th, 2015, 3:19 AM
I concur with this. But I'd say that you probably need at least one friend to dive into this with you. Playing by yourself is fine, but playing with a friend or two makes the game.

Yeah, a bit of co-op chaos is where it's really at.

mr sabu
July 18th, 2015, 6:00 AM
the story is techincally the same for 1 and 2... just that 2 is explanded a bit

Atty
July 18th, 2015, 11:27 PM
Ok cool. Trying to find games to play after surgery when I have to sit in front of the tv for a few weeks. Have some stuff lined up (New Story Plus in Arkham Knight, Ocarina on Wii U, etc) but really think I'm going to plow through everything fairly quickly. Borderlands seems like something I'd like if I played it.