Confound you Borderlands 2!
Borderlands 2 has proven successful at re-installing the neurotic schizophrenia, crack addicting, zombie hoard brain activity amid my cortex.(Not joking) Going out into the street and purchasing drugs would be an equal equivolent; and a temporarily working distraction from this virtual heroin. The severity of my overall lack of Vitamin D is abysmal and my ethnicity is now part bed sheet. Yeah, it can be that addictive. But simultaneously it can prove to be a misstep into the wrong direction and an obvious sketch job at junctures. Where in some areas it feels like a perpetually revulsive continuation of the original in design. But in others it feels like a decent evolution to the borderlands trademark. Is it brilliant? I’d argue, no. Is it worth your time? Best bet, yes.
The original Borderlands had some cringe-tacular, balls out surrealism in its humour. But the story was some pitiful blank sheet,”cowboah”, anti climactic, Sci-Fi vomit. Enter borderlands 2 a –what appears to be- direct continuation of the original. The vault hunters have returned to play the story arch directors, whilst a colourful new cast of hunters have taken the reigns of the previous. The plot can be convoluted at times subtracting from the dry humour that you learn to love. And the climax remains to be a mere ok.
The graphics are misleading; it belies what you quickly mistake for beauty; and its beauty only ever provides mediocre. The cell shade comic book art style is a clear cover up for hokey textures and bland geometry. That’s not to say the presentation doesn’t dazzle on occasion. The enemy design isn’t undergone fairly seriously which feels completely necessary and alleviating to say the least. Why? Well because the absurdity is infused with tactics. For instance: one enemy is made up of gold trunks attached to the three stumpy legs of its body; simultaneously it’s also the achillis requiring flanking manoeuvres to defeat all three gold legs; you then harness its gold matter like some demented alien poacher. My type of fun!
The AI has seen some beneficial improvements over the original. Gone, are the implausibly accurate marauders and repetitive strafe tactics; Enemies now rely on actual visual tactics when “attempting” to take you out. It can be pretty damn difficult at times. And don’t get me started on the boss battles you encounter, again the sheer absurdity steals the show and showcases the character of gaming borderlands 2 truly can be.
The soundtrack wasn’t anything memorable, if it clicked with you, then more power to you.
The gameplay was the embodiment of pure “grind”, and features you travelling to different landscapes for the sake of the “plot”; there you act out missions given to you for some confusing yet utterly hilarious reason. The “grind” steals the show in borderlands 2, clearing out location after location of enemies and plundering all there valuable weapons to cram into your inventory, is so damn addictive. Which is in no small part thanks to the infinite weapon generating system, Meaning; no gun is the same, ever. Watching each chest open to an array of shiny new weaponry never once grew tiresome. Unfortunately the level up system is disappointing. The skill tree never advances on the crazy powers you are given, each skill point merely upgrades in the most anhedonic form.
Summary:
borderlands 2 still remains to fulfil that groundbreaking change from the previous, resulting in "mindless drone syndrome" as its carriage, yet lacking some spark.
It’s a step up; yet it feels devolved.
It’s more relevant; yet it feels convoluted.
Borderlands 2 is the double entendre of a sequels.