Borderlands is one of those series where you either accept its absurdity or you don't.
If - like me - you do, then this is review is for you.

I know it seems pointless to write a review for a 12 year old game, but truly this is one of my favourite sequels of all time.
The move from Borderlands to Borderlands 2 is still to this day, 12 years later, a standard I hold for any #2 game in other franchises with multiple entries.

Everything from the first game that worked is still there. The gunplay, the humour, the characters, the gameplay loop. But in BL2 every single one of those elements is enhanced. The Characters are much more well written, the story is greatly expanded in a way that actually makes you appreciate the game that came before it, as well as an appreciation for the characters you either played, or met in the first game.
The guns brand personality is developed so much further that you absolutely know how a gun will feel as soon as you see which name is on it.
The writing is sharper (once again, if you accept how absurd it is, it knows exactly what its doing, and does it very well).
Borderlands 1 is like the pilot or first season of a TV show you love, where its one of those things where you appreciate what it sets up, but its hard to go back to and go through it again. But Borderlands 2 is whatever the best season of that show is to you that you can go back and re watch it over and over because it just exactly understands what it is and executes on that.

So, why do i write this review 12 years later? Because in those 12 years, I don't think I've ever encountered a sequel that understood the assignment and 100% nailed it as hard as Borderlands 2.

If you bounced off the first game, or even if you liked the 3rd game and missed BL2, pick it up on sale cheap, and as long as you can get past the mildly out dated textures, it's truly the best thing the Borderlands series has on offer.

Borderlands is one of those series where you either accept its absurdity or you don't. If - like me - you do, then this is review is for you. I know it seems pointless to write a review for a 12 year old game, but truly this is one of my favourite sequels of all time. The move from Borderlands to Borderlands 2 is still to this day, 12 years later, a standard I hold for any #2 game in other franchises with multiple entries. Everything from the first game that worked is still there. The gunplay, the humour, the characters, the gameplay loop. But in BL2 every single one of those elements is enhanced. The Characters are much more well written, the story is greatly expanded in a way that actually makes you appreciate the game that came before it, as well as an appreciation for the characters you either played, or met in the first game. The guns brand personality is developed so much further that you absolutely know how a gun will feel as soon as you see which name is on it. The writing is sharper (once again, if you accept how absurd it is, it knows exactly what its doing, and does it very well). Borderlands 1 is like the pilot or first season of a TV show you love, where its one of those things where you appreciate what it sets up, but its hard to go back to and go through it again. But Borderlands 2 is whatever the best season of that show is to you that you can go back and re watch it over and over because it just exactly understands what it is and executes on that. So, why do i write this review 12 years later? Because in those 12 years, I don't think I've ever encountered a sequel that understood the assignment and 100% nailed it as hard as Borderlands 2. If you bounced off the first game, or even if you liked the 3rd game and missed BL2, pick it up on sale cheap, and as long as you can get past the mildly out dated textures, it's truly the best thing the Borderlands series has on offer.