I'm only about half way through borderlands 2 but so far its awesome. I'm playing through as a siren in 2, the only class I didn't play in 1(I need to change that). Each tree has its own feel and is a viable option depending on your play style. For example the siren can be used for crowd control by turning her enemies on their comrades when they are phaselocked or pulling them all together. Or she can be the team medic, literally shooting her allies to heal them. Lastly she could be a harbinger of decay and be an effective elemental user. This is the particular tree I'm specced into due to my solo tendencies. I haven't had a chance to play co op yet but I can already tell based on skill trees that they've paid more attention to the co op aspect of this installment than the previous one. I love the new bad ass system which can keep a player interested in playing so long as the points keep racking up. The story line even improved from the first game and makes you appreciate the first games plot that much more. I won't go into details but its definitely an awesome storyline. Eridium is used to purchase storage upgrades which is an interesting concept. On the 1 hand if you love to open things up you'll have no trouble finding enough for the first two levels of upgrades for everything. Not everyone does that though. Eridium dropped by enemies comes few and far between.
One new feature I've found really cool is the ability to send items to your other characters. There is a 4 slot bank unit near your claptrap "master" over near zeds lab in sanctuary. If you pick up an item you've outgrown but still like to use send it to your other characters so you can keep playing with it.
The enemies in borderlands 2 are more carried. In addition to your bandits psychos bruisers midgets skags and all those other targets waiting for you. Pandora also shows off new inhabitants like stalkers threshers and bullymongs. The bandits have nomads goliaths who rage if you shoot off their helmet (letting a raging goliath kill its allies will increase the amount of xp you earn when you finally destroy him, the highest I saw was a super bad ass goliath) suicide psychos which explode if you let them get too close and midgets being used as a shield (pretty funny actually).
Don't think there aren't some familiar faces though. Roland, Lilith, Mordecai, and Brick are all working with you to stop handsome jack from gaining control of the warrior a powerful being inside the vault. You get to learn a lot more about the 4 heroes and what happened since angel had them open the vault so many years ago. I'd tell you what happened but then it wouldn't be as much fun when you actually met up with them. I haven't really fought alongside Roland yet but the other three joined in different fights (at different times) and they do not disappoint.
Pandora was my favorite part about borderlands 1 its colorful characters and bad guys made it a very fun and funny place to explore. Borderlands 2 takes it a step further by creating a variety of different places. From the frozen tundra of the southern shelf to the more familiar Pandora in places like the dust (a desert waistland where scooter's sister Ellie lives). I only wish they revisited some of the more iconic sites of Pandora. (I retract this statement after playing further I have learned that you revisit places like the arid badlands which includes fyrestone and even a side quest to see why exactly tk baha got killed.) However Handsome Jack has destroyed new haven and that whole area so it is legitimately explained why you don't go back. Not only is the scenery dynamic but so are the characters you interact with. Unlike tk or others who just sat in 1 place the characters in 2 walk around their area and seem more interactive. They are also much crazier. They all add to the experience of exploring Pandora.
My biggest gripe with the game is the pace at the start. It requires you to grind through the few side quests you have in order to get to a level high enough to continue the story. I felt like the game shouldn't have put you at a level disadvantage so early on. I understand you shouldn't just run through the game and not worry about side quests if you do that then you will be missing out on a good 30-50% of the game. The enemy sayings and ambiance gets a little repetitive especially when you're invading a Hyperion territory. The loader enemies spout all sorts of annoying sounds and chirps that I feel could have been more various or played less often. The quest design is also pretty frustrating. After clearing an area I turn in one quest and more quests are unlocked in the same area that I was just at. After I return to the area all the enemies are respawned.
Overall borderlands 2 improved upon almost all aspects of the first game. The new classes are fresh yet familiar. Theres plenty of exploring to do. And the storyline even makes the first games plot seem as lot more plausable. I haven't finished the game yet but I'll add a score when I have handsome Jack's head on a stick.
_________________________________________________________________________________
So I finally finished Borderlands 2 and it was incredible. I still have tons of side quests to do before I start my next play through and my next character, but the game is great. Earlier I said you did not revisit any of the old places on Pandora, but after finishing the play through I have found that you do in fact get to see the Arid Badlands again. This time it is called Arid Nexus Badlands. You walk through Fyrestone and out into the area where the bus first dropped you off in Borderlands 1. I loved the battles where you got to join up with Brick and Mordecai in order to stop Handsome Jack and destroy the Vault Key. The ending even left room to do as many Borderland games as gearbox could possibly want. Overall I give the game a 9/10. There are a rare few technical hiccups in the game that can be frustrating (mostly the runners getting caught when it lands on awkward terrain, but some are a little more serious and frustrating) and fighting over loot with your friends is a drawback (for some). The quest repetition can get quite cumbersome for some people. But other than that the game is immersive, fun, and highly replayable.
One new feature I've found really cool is the ability to send items to your other characters. There is a 4 slot bank unit near your claptrap "master" over near zeds lab in sanctuary. If you pick up an item you've outgrown but still like to use send it to your other characters so you can keep playing with it.
The enemies in borderlands 2 are more carried. In addition to your bandits psychos bruisers midgets skags and all those other targets waiting for you. Pandora also shows off new inhabitants like stalkers threshers and bullymongs. The bandits have nomads goliaths who rage if you shoot off their helmet (letting a raging goliath kill its allies will increase the amount of xp you earn when you finally destroy him, the highest I saw was a super bad ass goliath) suicide psychos which explode if you let them get too close and midgets being used as a shield (pretty funny actually).
Don't think there aren't some familiar faces though. Roland, Lilith, Mordecai, and Brick are all working with you to stop handsome jack from gaining control of the warrior a powerful being inside the vault. You get to learn a lot more about the 4 heroes and what happened since angel had them open the vault so many years ago. I'd tell you what happened but then it wouldn't be as much fun when you actually met up with them. I haven't really fought alongside Roland yet but the other three joined in different fights (at different times) and they do not disappoint.
Pandora was my favorite part about borderlands 1 its colorful characters and bad guys made it a very fun and funny place to explore. Borderlands 2 takes it a step further by creating a variety of different places. From the frozen tundra of the southern shelf to the more familiar Pandora in places like the dust (a desert waistland where scooter's sister Ellie lives). I only wish they revisited some of the more iconic sites of Pandora. (I retract this statement after playing further I have learned that you revisit places like the arid badlands which includes fyrestone and even a side quest to see why exactly tk baha got killed.) However Handsome Jack has destroyed new haven and that whole area so it is legitimately explained why you don't go back. Not only is the scenery dynamic but so are the characters you interact with. Unlike tk or others who just sat in 1 place the characters in 2 walk around their area and seem more interactive. They are also much crazier. They all add to the experience of exploring Pandora.
My biggest gripe with the game is the pace at the start. It requires you to grind through the few side quests you have in order to get to a level high enough to continue the story. I felt like the game shouldn't have put you at a level disadvantage so early on. I understand you shouldn't just run through the game and not worry about side quests if you do that then you will be missing out on a good 30-50% of the game. The enemy sayings and ambiance gets a little repetitive especially when you're invading a Hyperion territory. The loader enemies spout all sorts of annoying sounds and chirps that I feel could have been more various or played less often. The quest design is also pretty frustrating. After clearing an area I turn in one quest and more quests are unlocked in the same area that I was just at. After I return to the area all the enemies are respawned.
Overall borderlands 2 improved upon almost all aspects of the first game. The new classes are fresh yet familiar. Theres plenty of exploring to do. And the storyline even makes the first games plot seem as lot more plausable. I haven't finished the game yet but I'll add a score when I have handsome Jack's head on a stick.
_________________________________________________________________________________
So I finally finished Borderlands 2 and it was incredible. I still have tons of side quests to do before I start my next play through and my next character, but the game is great. Earlier I said you did not revisit any of the old places on Pandora, but after finishing the play through I have found that you do in fact get to see the Arid Badlands again. This time it is called Arid Nexus Badlands. You walk through Fyrestone and out into the area where the bus first dropped you off in Borderlands 1. I loved the battles where you got to join up with Brick and Mordecai in order to stop Handsome Jack and destroy the Vault Key. The ending even left room to do as many Borderland games as gearbox could possibly want. Overall I give the game a 9/10. There are a rare few technical hiccups in the game that can be frustrating (mostly the runners getting caught when it lands on awkward terrain, but some are a little more serious and frustrating) and fighting over loot with your friends is a drawback (for some). The quest repetition can get quite cumbersome for some people. But other than that the game is immersive, fun, and highly replayable.
No comments:
Post a Comment