Borderlands 2 Impressions

I haven't played Borderlands 2 for very long. Maybe it was just for a few hours or so. But I did experience enough of Borderlands 2 to tell you, yes it's a good game. Not exceptional, not great, just good. The game is more of the same Borderlands 1, which is great if that's what you're after. But it somehow didn't grip me as much as I thought it would. The story is still secondary to the loot. You won't really care about the characters more than you'll care about what they'll give you in return for your services. And there is so much loot on the battlefield that sometimes it's hard to concentrate on your enemy. Especially if you're playing with friends. Guns (the main focus of the game) are first come, first serve in Borderlands 2. So if you're late to the treasure chest party, too bad. You'll have to beg your friends to give you that amazing, stupendous, and radically cool weapon. This race for loot puts the game in a strange paralysis: Should I get the treasure chests first while my friends take on enemy fire, or should I protect my friends and then ask them to divvy up the loot later? Even if you're friends are the nicest people on the face of the planet, it's difficult to figure out if your gun is any better than one you already have equipped.

"Hey, I'm not such a bad guy. I just want you guys dead...that's all"

The main story is probably the weakest part of Borderlands 2. Which, in terms a of a video games, isn't too bad. But a great story is what turns good game in an amazing one. In Borderlands, you play as one of four "Vault Hunters" in a race across Pandora to figure out where and how to unlock to secret of the Vault. What is the Vault you say? It's the motherlode of all treasure piles and such...and stuff. Apparently, there is this girl who appears every so often to tell you other secrets of Pandora and the Vault. This is somehow tied into the main story, but at this point in time I have no idea what role she plays in this game. She was also in the first game and appeared in the same weird, ethereal, and no lip-moving fashion. She also talks to you about Handsome Jack, the self-proclaimed leader of Pandora who promises his people to use the Vault treasure to help sustaining the dying world the population currently inhabits. Of course Jack wouldn't like any competition upon reaching the Vault and will try every way to stop you. He's menacing, evil, and...well..sometimes comical.

Classes from left to right: Commando, Assassin, Gunzerker, and Siren.

I think the side quest stories make up for the weak main story, but completing them. I've barely played 8 hours of Borderlands 2 but each quest has either got me to kill a certain person or collect a a certain amount of item drops. Then you usually collect loot that is usually not better than your current equipment. Heck, if you play the slot machines in the town hub enough, you'll get the best weapons in the game. So from a gameplay stand point, the only reason to do sidequests is to get extra experience. The loot (which the game promotes itself so heavily) just becomes another for of cash. The cash you get from the loot becomes spending money at the slot machine. Get a better gun after spending a few hundred, rinse, and repeat.

This is why I don't think I could get into Borderlands 2 without some friends. This is where the game shines. The scaling of monster is great and the reward of playing with friends is great. Teamwork is almost necessary since some enemies just take so goddamn long to kill and do so much damage. I'd find myself going down only to be revived by teammates or by killing an enemy with the help of my friends. There are more pack mules to carry the loot you get. And fire fights feel chaotic yet satisfying. It almost seems like the entire game is meant for co-op.

Obviously, I haven't played the whole game. Some games take a while to grow on you whether it's the gameplay or the story. And, to give the game credit, it is getting better as I play through. The guns are pretty fun to try out. Whether it's a automatic sniper rifle or a shield that creates explosions while depleted, you'll always be trying new and different things in every mission. It's just sad that most of the time that equipment will be from a slot machine rather than a boss or secret chest. So we'll see what happens as the game progresses. I just know one thing: The game is definitely not as good when you're alone.

Sadly, the group was so focused on shoot icicles, no one noticed the monster behind them.