Borderlands 2

Hurricane Sandy’s prevented me from getting my hands on my preordered copy of Assassin’s Creed 3, but it hasn’t kept me from playing anything else.  I’ve been meaning to do a critique of Borderlands 2 since my roommate picked up a copy of it earlier this month.

I’ll start off by saying this is not my first foray into the series.  I tried playing the original Borderlands before.  I didn’t beat it, but I gave it a good bit of time to see if I really enjoyed it.  I enjoy the RPG elements combined with a FPS, but I couldn't get into the story or the world that was created.  I could only go so far.  I felt like I was doing missions for missions' sake, and there was no real reason to my shenanigans.  But I decided to give the sequel a fair shot.

Starting off, I was playing co-op.  After playing co-op for a while, on split screen, and then trying it out single-player, there are some noticeable differences.

First, the co-op experience really makes it hard to understand what’s going on in the game.  I had a problem with that in the previous game, where it seemed like you never really knew what was going on, as the story just kept going along and dragging you with it.  Same thing here.  Except on co-op, you sometimes have no idea AT ALL why you’re doing something.  You just do it, because, well, your next objective is to do it.  Sometimes audio doesn’t seem to play to at least give you a hint.

But how do you know you’re supposed to do it? Because in your little menu, it’s listed there.  On split-screen, this really poses a problem.  It seems no good design or thinking went into what a split-screen experience would be like.  This menu doesn’t change size to fit your screen, so it’s very, very hard to manage all of the different things you need to do, such as changing your loadout, managing skill progression, choosing current objectives, assigning badass ranks (their words, not mine), and even finding out where you are on your map.

Try doing all of this with only half your screen.

It doesn't resize or reconfigure to fit if you're playing split screen.

If you can get past the feeling of cluelessness because you’re constantly wondering why you’re supposed to be doing whatever it is you’re doing, with a plotline that seemingly just drags you along for the ride (unfortunately a very normal aspect of many games that don’t put a premium on the writing), it can actually be a mindlessly entertaining game.

There’s a lot of action.  The game can really be a challenge if you don’t approach enemies the right way.  The different classes really help provide different gameplay experiences.  It can be a bit of a thrill to take on a hoard of enemies and come out on top, hanging on by the skin of your teeth.  And then to plunder nearby chests and...BEHOLD!  THE WEAPON OF WEAPONS!  Of course, in a few minutes, you'll find an EVEN BETTER weapon.  But it's fun as you keep finding more powerful ways to take out Badass Marauders, Shotgun Midgets, and Suicide Psychos.

Borderlands 2 again offers a very unique visual aesthetic.
Just bring friends, and then let the destruction begin!

Co-op, when not hindered by audio and visual issues, really adds to it.  It really helps to have a buddy when you take too much damage – they can help revive you.  Otherwise, you’re stuck on your own, fighting for that second wind that likely is too far off on more boss-level enemies.

Just don’t try to get too invested in the story.  The writers didn’t.  Take the game for what it is and it is likely to be an enjoyable experience with little needless frustration.  (You’ll still get frustrated when you can’t beat a boss after multiple tries…still haven’t taken care of Dr. Zed’s nemesis).

Score: 2 Flying Controllers

I give this game a solid two flying controllers, and that’s really it.  A couple things that Master P would approve of (make em say uhhhhh), but that’s it.  Actually a good score, as it's not terribly frustrating save for a few issues.  Entertaining so long as you know what to expect going in.