Borderlands 2: Be careful what you wish for

Borderlands was a good game, but it was lacking in story. Sure it had plenty of chuckles, but not a lot of substance. So when the sequel was announced, a lot of the fan base asked for more of a story.

We got it. And it ain't pretty.

While Borderlands 2 has lots of laughs, it also delves more in to the who/what/etc. of the planet. There are some very dark moments, which definitely changes the tone of the game when you hit them. I'm not one for putting out spoilers, so you'll have to play through. I hit one point where suddenly I felt extremely horrible about what had happened. In a sense, "Shit just got real, yo."

Good job, Gearbox and 2KGames. I want to kill Handsome Jack not because it's the goal, but because it's personal. And I don't mean that "Good job" sarcastically. This is a story that starts off light and layers it on heavier and heavier. I'm now vested in my character and her motivations (Yeah, I'm playing Maya) and want to see this through to the end.

Oh, and if you want to know what the gameplay is like, it's a lot like Borderlands with more variety, which is a good thing. They took what worked and improved on it. They added a few new elements to re-balance the game and tied it in with the story. And the music just fits everything so well. It's also nice to have some more landscape colors other than Brown and More Brown.

Pandora: The Land of Oppurtunity

It's coming. The return to Pandora to shoot, grab loot, and occasionally blow things up. Borderlands 2 is on it's way.

Now, I'm not one of those who HAS to have a sequel simply because it's a sequel. I've seen that before. If the original is fun, then I should be able to have the faith that the sequel will be better. I have been burned, so I'm not without experience.

My favorite examples of good sequels are the U.S. versions of Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, and Super Mario World. Each improved over the last. Granted, these are simple examples, but I have seen these used as examples of what sequels should be. While the graphics improved, these alone don't count as improvements. Each sequel improved the game play over the previous.

Sadly, we also see examples of sequels being worse than their predecessors. It's these examples that have led to the term Sequel Syndrome. One example of how the sequel can be worse is Fable 2 and Fable 3. (Before you pull out the crucifix and nails, this is my opinion, but you'll understand my point in a moment.) Fable 2 was a richer environment and story. Fable 3 felt so much more linear, especially the end. Truth be told, the ending felt very anticlimactic.

The reason I look forward to Borderlands 2 is I loved the basic game play style. Shoot, get loot, shoot some more. Add in each character's abilities and you had variety of play styles and strategies. Borderlands 2 promises to expand on that and add more story to it, something I felt was rather lacking in the first game. They're bringing back old characters and introducing new ones. "GET YOU ONE!"

The premise I hear for the story is rather confusing though. At first, I thought the characters were simply seeking revenge against Handsome Jack, then it turns out there's a SECOND vault, the contents of which should include a new big bad that Jack can possibly control. And along the way, get loot, more loot, and more loot!

Hopefully, they'll keep the multiplayer intact. In the first Borderlands, class mods and certain abilities would help the entire party. I preferred playing as a Soldier using his healing abilities and ammo regen to really aid my team mates. My bother loved playing as a hunter and getting his hands on an Orion and using that as a sniper rifle and a close quarters weapon. He would burn through ammo like it was going out of style. My girlfriend preferred a more balanced load out, but we burned that ammo like crazy. "Oh look, an enemy!" 500 rounds later, "I think it's dead." Couple hundred more, "Yeah, it's dead." A few more rounds, "What? Double tap."

That's not to say I didn't like the single player. In solo campaigns, I'd play as the Siren. I liked having control of the situation, even if it meant choosing when to fight. One Phasewalk when I wanted and I could pick and choose my fights. In 2, I'm looking forward to playing as Maya. All the non-Siren characters seem to have their abilities geared towards dealing MOAR DAMAGE!!1! while Sirens take control. Perhaps Borderlands 2 will balance out those roles a bit more.

Myself, I'm getting the XBox 360 version. It's not going to have the cool special effects you can get with a gaming PC, but I'll be able to play with my girlfriend  and brother who don't have any kind of PC setup capable of playing it. It will be a race to 100% Achievements. When it comes out September 18, try looking me up on XBox LIVE for a match. My gamertag is Fluxxdog Zero. Have fun!