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First Impressions
Before playing Borderlands 2 (BL2) with my friend on his X-box 360, I'd heard promising things about it. He played it with greater enthusiasm than I did, based on how he beat the game with all but 1 of the classes. Regardless, based on that positive experience, I got BL2 for Steam a while ago, and I'm glad I did, especially with the Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary DLC that was released for free June 2019. On that note, my review will be based on the idea you have the upgrade pack DLC. Aside from Tales from the Borderlands, I have all the main games, though I haven't played the initial game yet.
Gameplay
BL2 fuses FPS gameplay with RPG elements, which sounds really obvious, but hasn't been done as often as you'd expect. As you kill enemies and complete quests, you'll earn XP and level up, with every level-up giving you a skill point to spend on your character. There are 6 classes to play as, each with 3 skill trees based on different strengths and playstyles. Some focus on damage output, while others are centered around coop play by boosting your allies' stats. Guns drop in abundance, with stats that'll vary widely based on whether it's an enemy drop, boss drop, quest completion reward, prize box loot, or a coveted golden key usage. RNG makes it so that you can never be certain when you'll get a great weapon, though you can be fairly certain they won't generate from a basic enemy or random crate. You can also try your luck at Moxxi's slot machine or buy a deal of the day from vending machines. Not like there's much use for all the money you get otherwise. You'll do the same for grenades and shields.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2161669378
Controls
Sticking to my guns, I used a controller to play, and it works very well. However, it's also possible to play the game with a mouse and keyboard. Movement and aim is controlled with the 'L' and 'R' joysticks respectively. The 'L trigger' brings up your gun sights, 'L bumper' activates your character's special ability (if available), 'R trigger' fires your gun, and 'R bumper' throws grenades. There's a healthy amount of platforming in BL2, so you'll jump with 'A.' 'X' reloads your gun, holding down 'B' will crouch, and 'Y' will switch to a different gun. I should mention that the best way to switch guns is with the 'D-pad,' as over time you'll unlock the ability to assign a gun to each cardinal direction.
Story
Continuing from the first game, Handsome Jack is the jackass people love to hate. There are 6 playable characters, all of whom are willing to run around Pandora, helping familiar characters with their bizarre objectives, all in a bid to take down Jack. Spoiler alert, you won't be seeing him in BL3. Although the game fuses RPG elements onto a FPS, and has serious moments here and there (looking at you Roland), the world is comically indifferent to violence and death.
As a personal theory, I think death is widely a non-issue. After all, when you die, you just pay a fee and respawn, and when you return to places that you cleared of enemies earlier, they'll spawn in again, including bosses. It's only when the developers want to use someone's death for story purposes that it becomes permanent, which makes me think of FFVII and Aerith. Anyways, to be honest I don't pay much attention to the story. It's too flippant for me to take seriously.
Graphics
BL2 is 8 years old, so the graphics aren't anything to be blown away by, though there is a free HD texture DLC available. I'm not an artistic person, but the BL series has an aesthetic and style to it that's easily recognizable. It's one of those factors that helps a franchise stand out, without requiring the most cutting-edge graphics. I've never been put off by the visuals, even when opening a port-a-potty, so it must not be that bad.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2161670090
Sound Design
Honestly, I've never really paid that much attention to the music in the game. However, when looking up the OST, it's surprisingly atmospheric and somber, instead of being wacky or oddball. I think the game is better for going with this kind of music, which has a Space Cowboy vibe to it. You'll be hearing lots of gunshots and explosions throughout the game, and though they likely lack in realism, I've played BL2 enough that it sounds recognizable and correct.
Pros
???? Between grenades, shields, special abilities, and multiple firearm types and elemental effects, you are well-equipped to battle against enemies. They don't tend to mix disparate foes together, IE there won't be enemies resistant to multiple elemental effects at once.
???? The game can get repetitive over time since what you do early in the game is what you'll be doing at the end. However, the gameplay is rather fun, there's a lot of content to play through, and it's geared towards coop play.
???? As long as you don't blindly rush into the thick of a flock of enemies or go in under-leveled, the difficulty should be palatable to most players.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2161671564
Cons
❌ If you play all the way through the DLC content at the levels where they're worth anything to your character, you'll wind up over-leveled for the main game for a while. As they increased the level cap and added these optional areas, they didn't adjust the game so everything shifts with your level.
❌ This would be a contentious point, but the classes don't seem to be equivalent to one another. For instance, Zer0 seems to be weaker in contrast to Salvador, though specific set-ups and skilled players can still excel with him.
❌ If you play with 3-4 people, since loot isn't shared, it can be tedious and annoying determining who gets high-level items.
Tips
???? If you plan on doing multiple playthroughs, go for the weaker, less satisfying classes first. That way it'll be an improvement when you get to play as one of the better classes.
???? Unless you already have the different BA unlock requirements memorized, having a guide up as you play is worthwhile, especially for the vault symbols.
Final Thoughts
It is disappointing that BL2 doesn't have local coop (unless you're willing to mad scientist it), as it'd be a great way to kill time when my friends come to visit. I'm able to play with them online though, and in the long-run that's the better feature to have. There is occasional lag or stutters, but I think that has more to do with my friends' internet connection (small town) than the game.
That issue aside, I understand why BL is so popular, as it's a great example of what you want out of fusing two styles of games together. The two shouldn't clash or work against each other, but should build upon and support the other, making something greater than what either would be by itself, and BL has done a great job of making a FPS/RPG hybrid. Plus, there's more than enough post-apocalyptic games that are dark, gritty, and depressing, so it's nice to see a different approach to it. BL2 has been bundled and on sale multiple times, so if you don't have it already, wait until you find a solid deal before pulling the trigger. However, depending on your take on BL3, it might be worth skipping over in lieu of the latest entry. It'd be hypocritical of me to scold someone for doing so, seeing as I have yet to play the original BL.