Already it has been confirmed that Borderlands 2 will be at least 33% bigger than the original – a feat that’s certainly not to be sniffed at, even if it doesn’t sound like that much of an expansion on paper. After ploughing more hours than we could put a number on into the original title, the promise of a bigger game is not only hugely exciting, but also a little bit scary.
Coming five years after the first game’s events, things on Pandora have changed considerably since The Destroyer was vanquished. A man by the name of Handsome Jack was quick to take credit for discovering the Vault and has used his new found fame and fortune to ascend to the role of dictator of Pandora, as well as ruler of the Hyperion Corporation. The player is tasked with choosing one of four brand new protagonists, each with their own set of skills, abilities and traits, and taking down Handsome Jack and his reign of tyranny.
While the new characters are quite obviously based on the protagonists from the original Borderlands for the most part, each of them will be bringing their own personalities to the fray. Salvador, who has the nickname Gunzerker which probably hints at his view on weaponry, owes more than a little to the design of Brick. He’s got the potentially useful skill of being able to dual wield weapons, making him the obvious choice for those who want to get stuck into the shooter element of the game.
The other new characters are Axton, a soldier who is handy in the use of gun turrets (definitely going to be a popular choice in the cooperative side of gameplay we reckon), Maya, a siren who isn’t a million miles away from Lilith, and Zero, an assassin who’ll prove to be popular with the more tactical and strategic players, we’re sure.
So what can we expect to see when it hits shelves in September? Well, there has been a lot of focus on the multiplayer side of things. Those of you who enjoyed the split-screen co-operative play last time around will be delighted to know that it will be possible to team up with another duo online to take on your enemies as a group of four. The news that there won’t be any competitive multiplayer might disappoint some, but given the nature of the game and the approach that Gearbox has taken with it, we’re not entirely sure it’s a bad thing.
The environment, however, is seeing a dramatic overhaul with a huge variety of locations across Pandora on offer, from arctic regions to volcanic areas to grassy plains. Despite the quality of the original, the desert wastelands did start to get a little tiring after a while, so we’re excited by what these new settings have to offer! It’s also an indication of just how ambitious Gearbox has gotten with the game’s development. It’s fair to say that nobody expected the original Borderlands to be quite as successful as it was, but it’s clear that the development team want to reward fans with an experience that really feels like a step forward.
It’s also worth noting, on a sentimental note at least, that Gearbox has quite touchingly named a non-playable character in the game after a huge fan of the original, Michael John Mamaril, who sadly succumbed to cancer in 2011. It’s a fantastic touch and it really shows just how in tune they are with the game’s community – something that really promises to make Borderlands 2 one of the most exciting titles of the year.
There’s still quite a while to wait before we can get our hands on the game, since it’s not hitting Irish shores until the 21st of September, but we’ll be keeping you up to date with all the latest developments right here on ClickOnline.