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Borderlands 2 is the sequel to Borderlands, a popular FPS/RPG. It takes place on a Sci-fi wasteland planet and features various classes and a extremely extensive loot system with "literally millions of weapons."
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Allows for multiple playstyles
Borderlands 2 is all about options. With hundreds of weapon options and 4 classes, you can have multiple play-throughs that will play completely different each time. Along with each class, there are multiple skill trees meaning you can tweak your character to exactly how you want to play. Even if playing the same class on multiple playthroughs, you can equip completely different skills which will make the experience much different from the last. This all adds up to a game that can be bent to the wants of the player, something that is highly configurable which makes for a gaming experience that is difficult to beat in customizability.
Pro Humorous writing in a game with a serious tone
Despite being an in-your-face action game with an generally serious plot, Borderlands 2 features an interesting yet slightly cliche sense of humor. This is even exaggerated in the side quests, which at times feature the funniest and most creative parts of the writing. This way the player can dive into the main plot and get an enjoyable action plot, while also being given the choice to go on side-quests that feature a break from the more serious overtones through an expanded sense of humor. Often the humor is meme based or low brow, which should appeal to a wide array of sense of humor.
Pro Variety of co-op options
Borderlands 2 offers 4 player online co-op as well as 2 player split screen local co-op. There is even a way for two player local split-screen to play online with others.
Pro Great comic book art style
Using solid black outlines and bright colors, this game looks great. It has memorable looks to it that makes it stand apart from other first person games. Very similar in style to comic books, the art is clean and bright taking advantage of a palette not often found in modern (brown and grey) shooters.
Pro Enjoyable co-op play that focuses on teamwork
The varying classes and play styles are designed to work together and promote co-op play. One player may be a tank, with large guns and long lasting armor, while another may have medic abilities with a long range sniper rifle. This makes for a scenario where each class compliments each other, which is a fun way to work as a team when playing co-op.
Pro Tons of heavily customized and unique loot
Borderlands 2 makes it feel like Christmas every time you kill an enemy or open a chest. Whether it's ammo or health or a new and better weapon, whatever you find will reward your curiosity and pique your appetite for more. The potential to find the best loot in the most humble locations makes killing enemies and finding chests incredibly exciting and satisfying. While many loot-based games succeed due to this mechanic, Borderlands 2 surpasses the competition by delivering randomized goodies with unique appearances and stats.
The guns and items in Borderlands 2 have distinct visual features depending on their attributes. For example, a gun with a melee attack bonus might have a blade on it. The customization goes beyond pallet swapping (where the only difference is the color), which leads players to become much more attached to their guns than a bunch of polygons should make them.
You will also find tons and tons of different types of guns. Six different types of guns exist in the game. Each gun can be made by one of eight different manufacturers. Each gun is also made of five additional parts. All of which are generated randomly. With the many millions of combinations available, you never know what attributes the next gun you will find will have. This also gives a slightly different experience to each playthrough, because it’s entirely unpredictable what weapons you will find and when.
Pro Works on different OS's: Linux/Mac/Win
Borderlands 2 is a co-op multiplayer game, so cross platform support means you can play with your friends no matter what OS they use.
Pro It's very unique
Borderlands 2 has character unlike other multiplayer FPS these days. The style is unique and doesn't hurt the eyes.
Pro Each playthrough is a different experience
Borderlands 2 is all about options. With near-infinite weapon options and six character classes, you can play the game multiple times and have a different experience each time. The classes have multiple skill trees that let you tweak your character’s moves and abilities to match how you want to play. This all adds up to a gaming experience that is difficult to beat for customizability.
Pro Procedurally generated loot
Stats, characteristics and more are random for each non-unique gear piece, this includes shields, class mods, relics, weapons, etc
Cons
Con Gameplay can become repetitive
Many battles can be cheesed by running away, taking cover, shooting, and repeating. The AI doesn't do much to pursue you which gives the player the advantage of using the same technique for most fights, which can become boring with time.
Con Lack of diversity among weapons
There are only a few weapons worth using throughout the game.
Con Tedious to check gun stats
You are hit with a ton of different weapons throughout the game that checking the stats on each can become tedious. This can be a pro to some but to others it can be an quite an annoyance.
Con Boring bulletsponge enemies
A lot of the enemies, and especially bosses, are just bulletsponges that require no different tactics in place to beat them.
Con Lost loot due to sharing
The unfortunate downside to all of the loot is that it is anyone's game. Loot isn't reserved for each individual player when playing co-op and can be taken by anyone. So that means the first person to get to the loot can basically take all of it. this can lead to contention between co-op players, which basically goes against the idea of cooperative play.
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
Pro So much loot, that you will barely see any twice
Borderlands 2 makes it feel like Christmas every time you kill an enemy or open a chest. Whether it's ammo or health or a new and better weapon, whatever you find will reward your curiosity and pique your appetite for more. The potential to find the best loot in the most humble locations makes killing enemies and finding chests incredibly exciting and satisfying. While many loot-based games succeed due to this mechanic, Borderlands 2 surpasses the competition by delivering randomized goodies with unique appearances and stats.
The guns and items in Borderlands 2 have distinct visual features depending on their attributes. For example, a gun with a melee attack bonus might have a blade on it. The customization goes beyond pallet swapping (where the only difference is the color), which leads players to become much more attached to their guns than a bunch of polygons should make them.
You will also find tons and tons of different types of guns. Six different types of guns exist in the game. Each gun can be made by one of eight different manufacturers. Each gun is also made of five additional parts. All of which are generated randomly. With the many millions of combinations available, you never know what attributes the next gun you will find will have. This also gives a slightly different experience to each playthrough, because it’s entirely unpredictable what weapons you will find and when.
Con Limited visual customization of characters
As a game that is full of choices, it is somehow lacking in visual customization options. Borderlands 2 only features the ability to change your character's basic skins through different colored outfits. There is no way to customize the characters faces or body style. This can make for online games that often have the exact same looking characters, which can not only get confusing but does not allow for any sense of originality concerning each player's character.
Pro Stylish comic book like art style that breaks from the herd
The solid black outlines and bright colors make this game look great and stand out from other first-person shooters. The artistic style is similar to the art in comics, clean and bright and breaks with the trend of gray and brown in recent FPS video games.
Pro Contains fun low-brow humor that can still be serious when it needs to be
Despite being an in-your-face action game with an ostensibly serious plot, Borderlands 2 features a fun-loving sense of humor. This is exaggerated in the sidequests, which feature some of the funniest and most creative writing. This helps the player dive into the main plot while also having the choice to go on sidequests that offer an expanded sense of humor.
The humor is often based on popular memes or lowbrow concepts, which should appeal to a wide range of players.
Con Potential lost loot due to sharing
Loot isn't reserved for each individual player when playing co-op, meaning the first person to get to the loot can take as much of it as they want. This can lead to contention between co-op players, which defeats the purpose of cooperative play.
Pro Actual couch co-op that can also be played online
Those playing on local split-screen can play online with others at the same time. This way even if playing locally with a friend, both can experience online play on the same machine and screen.
Pro Complimentary classes that are great for teamwork based co-op
The varying classes and play styles are designed to work together and promote co-op play. One player may be a tank, with large guns and durable shields, while another may have medic abilities and a long-range sniper rifle. This makes for a scenario where each class compliments each other, which is a fun way to play together.
