Review: Borderlands 2

G'day folks!

Once again, I have flown blind into a game series that I didn't know a lot of and again, I have been pleasantly surprised.
Not watching any gameplay videos, reading up on the graphics or even know the plotline, I travelled out and bought the game and returned home to play my way through the intoxicating game. One of the utmost things of importance I noticed were the utterly stunning, yet simple drawn graphics, giving an odd sense of life to both the world and the characters. While voice acting for the main Protagonists were very low, many of the supporting characters and main mission parameters such as ClapTrap (David Eddings), Handsome Jack (Daemond Clarke) and Lilith (Colleen Clinkerbeard) brings much interesting and amusing tidbits such as with Butt Stallion and ClapTrap's odd and qwerky sayings.

Gameplay moves smoothly and to the pleasure of many gamers, straight into the action after the small bits of introduction and opening scenes. Controls come naturally to fans of the series, but there are no in-game tutorials or even the standard "Press A To Jump" or things of the sort other than the small bits of information ClapTrap yells at you.
While the aim of the game gets more clearer as you head off into the Cmapaign, what Borderlands was built for was its Co-Op, and to this I had to give it a try. While having a higher leveled friend playing with you does come as a huge help, enemies get stronger when they join and only become weaker when the player leaves the game. Having friends of the same level does make enemies harder but only due to the number of players in-game at the present time. Having a higher level friend in your world, so to speak, does allow you to easily level up, this kind of takes the challege out of the game and makes it waaay too much easier. While enemies get harder as you go along the game, to be Level 50 before even making it to Santuary takes the excitement out of the game, as well as the engaging storyline.

While the old gaming theories state that "All sequels to an awesome game are usually horrible", this time around it seems that the team at 2K and Gearbox were able to improve on the leveling and the issues from the previous title
Out of 10, I gave Borderlands 2 an 8/10

Good Points
+ Thick and intriguing storyline
+ Controls are fluid
+ Very few Co-Op issues.
+ Gameplay is addictive, each new area a challenge

Bad Points

- Co-Op quick levelling makes game too easy
- Soundtrack lacks during mid of game
- Very little tutorial
- Damn that KNUCKLEDRAGGER!
...killed me at least six times at the respawn point...

Borderlands 2 is out now for $78