S&S; Review: Borderlands 2

Title: Borderlands 2
Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M

Three years after the original Borderlands was released, Gearbox has finally released its worthy sequel to one of the best games of 2009.  Borderlands 2 aimed to improve on every front of its predecessor, and it achieved every goal it set for itself.  
Presentation and Story: Most people, including myself, can't really explain the story from the first Borderlands.  This being the only real problem I had with the game, I'm glad that the team really focused a lot more of their attention into creating a funny, but involving narrative.  The writing is impeccable across the board, each character has their own strong personality and humorous intricacies.  Seeing how this is a direct sequel, you don't necessarily need to know the story of Borderlands. So if you haven't played the first game, there is no need to go out and grab the first one.  This game is nothing short of gorgeous, it seems like Borderlands 2 really utilizes every color on the spectrum.  Lots of bright colors really light up your screen, luscious greens and rancid greens are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the colors.  This is probably one of the best looking cel-shaded games ever created, and possibly one of the biggest worlds crafted in a game.  If you can get by the stiff animations, the character models are all impressively detailed as well.  The stellar soundtrack brings in an eclectic mix of western style music with a big inclusion of synthesizers that moves the action right along.  The voice acting is great, leading the charge again, Claptrap really steals the show.
Core Gameplay and Multiplayer:
The gameplay is essentially the same, but a bevy of new features and improvements make the experience feel completely different from the previous game.  The gameplay is back to focusing on tight gunplay and grabbing tons of loot.  There are so many different combinations for each weapon, I think the final tally of gun combinations from Gearbox was right around a gazillion.  There are a number of new grenades that can home in your nearest enemy, or when you just want something simple, just use a simple incinerator.  The total number of enemy types isn't too shabby either, from one area to the next, you'll find a number of midgets, psychos and bad-asses for you to fill with lead.  The convoluted menu system has been completely overhauled for a more streamlined approach.  Even though it has been toned down, the menus are still deep and will take a bit of your time away from spraying bullets into midgets.  This game was built with co-op in mind, and it still is the best way to explore and complete the game.  The new four man truck finally allows all four players to pilot one vehicle, having two people race off in a buggy in the last game was a real pain.  The actual driving mechanics haven't really been improved, the driving still feels a bit loose and wonky.  Getting into a game has never been easier, and more intuitive.  The game will automatically tell you if the game is a good match for your character, depending on where you are in the story.  Even if you're not totally synced up with your buddy, the game will instantly sync your partners campaign with yours.  Tons of skills have been added, each level will further increase your bad-ass rating giving you more perks for your character.
Final Thoughts: Borderlands 2 is a fantastic game, really taking what we loved in Borderlands 1, and bringing it into a whole new level in terms of gameplay and narrative.  Its a hardcore shooters wet dream, nothing more and nothing less.  
S&S Rating : 9.5/10 @whatsPlay