Borderlands 2

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3664 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,828 out of 3664
  2. Mixed: 538 out of 3664
  3. Negative: 298 out of 3664
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Gormph
    Jun 26, 2016
    8
    I played this game before the first one i can say this is why i bought the first one, everything about the game was great to me. it was funny, full of interesting characters the weapons are pretty fun to use, and the even the DLC was great, in fact the DLC with Tina may be the best part of the game and have me lmao the whole time. Its not the most artistic game in the world, its certainlyI played this game before the first one i can say this is why i bought the first one, everything about the game was great to me. it was funny, full of interesting characters the weapons are pretty fun to use, and the even the DLC was great, in fact the DLC with Tina may be the best part of the game and have me lmao the whole time. Its not the most artistic game in the world, its certainly not the deepest but its fun and well worth the price more so since its basically always on sell, so pick it up and make sure to play it with a friend.… Expand
  2. BobTheSkull
    Jun 21, 2013
    8
    Having played the original Borderlands to death and loving every moment, I was ecstatic when this one came out. All round bigger, brighter, and... well, bigger... It's a great game, and I've clocked up about 200 hours on it... but it just doesn't live up to the first one. The humor, which gave the original a great deal of its appeal, has been amped up and expanded to include modernHaving played the original Borderlands to death and loving every moment, I was ecstatic when this one came out. All round bigger, brighter, and... well, bigger... It's a great game, and I've clocked up about 200 hours on it... but it just doesn't live up to the first one. The humor, which gave the original a great deal of its appeal, has been amped up and expanded to include modern internet culture rubbish.
    Graphically its a step up. It is definitely a lot brighter and varied than the Pandora we first knew. To be honest I preferred my old, dusty, wild-west meets mad-max Pandora, but hey that's not for everyone I guess and 'more variety' was needed.
    Gameplay wise, it's taken a step back. I know it was developed with the co-op mode being the main focus, but you sometimes get the feeling that certain areas in single player are completely unbalanced, needing the whole team to be there to tackle it without 50 respawns and running out of ammo constantly. Some boss battles were ridiculously hard, where others were 'blink and you'll miss it'.
    I didn't have any problems with the interface and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why so many do.
    They also tried to add extra longevity sans DLC with the huge number of challenges. Kinda works, although some of them particularly the Vault Symbols hunts are incredibly frustrating.
    On the whole, I did really enjoy the game and still play it. I give it an 8, as even though it isn't as good as the first game, I still think it's more enjoyable than the current 'Call of Honor: Black Ops Battlefield' games.    … Expand
  3. CaptainThom
    Nov 10, 2013
    8
    Borderlands 2 is the best kind of sequel one that takes what the original does well and improves what it does poorly, in this case the story. The antagonist of Borderlands 2 Handsome Jack has got to be one of the most memorable game characters out there not just beacuse of his cruel acts but for the humor surrounding him.

    Theres lots of fun to be had in Borderlands 2 while i mainly    Borderlands 2 is the best kind of sequel one that takes what the original does well and improves what it does poorly, in this case the story. The antagonist of Borderlands 2 Handsome Jack has got to be one of the most memorable game characters out there not just beacuse of his cruel acts but for the humor surrounding him.

    Theres lots of fun to be had in Borderlands 2 while i mainly played through it in single player and really enjoyed it i had an even better time playing it in co-op with friends. What does take away from the experience for me is that the NPCs in the game while funny and unique dont actually move around nor do they join you on missions, theres also very few of them which is a shame. I also disliked that at times the game felt more than a little grindy which took away from an otherwise great experience.    … Expand
  4. Rda817
    Jul 6, 2013
    7
    Just getting into the Borderlands genre I have to say it can be a VERY fun game. But it is good to play this game in chunks. After four hours the game can get really boring. Also having soooooo much to do it's easy to get side track. I also wish the level up system was faster. But all in all I say it's a 7.5.
  5. RebornNightmare
    Jul 7, 2013
    9
    While I don't think this was as good as BL1, I still think this is a very solid game overall. The overall vault hunters, excluding the Mechromancer and the Psycho, aren't as strong as the ones before them in BL1. This in turn made the game slightly more difficult, which was somewhat of a good and bad thing for me. What made BL1 great is present in this game, but its largely much of theWhile I don't think this was as good as BL1, I still think this is a very solid game overall. The overall vault hunters, excluding the Mechromancer and the Psycho, aren't as strong as the ones before them in BL1. This in turn made the game slightly more difficult, which was somewhat of a good and bad thing for me. What made BL1 great is present in this game, but its largely much of the same as it was before, except it took more time for this game to build steam. The game felt very meh up until somewhere past half way through. Past that point, the game got REALLY good, and I couldn't put it down until the ending. Again, very solid game, but don't let the hype get to you, or you WILL be disappointed.… Expand
  6. rheibe
    Jul 15, 2013
    10
    Oh my... what a nice rpg! I've played BL1 and I found it so cool. BL2 tho... The classes are all useful, graphics are beautiful, no less and the storyline exceptional. You should however play this game with at least one friend and have a pretty good computer to have the best graphics possible.
  7. patorishio
    Feb 9, 2014
    9
    The replay factor is crazy: I"ve got characters of all classes and still haven't got tired of the game even playing single player most of the time. The variety of missions and DLC makes the game live much longer. Story is cool, great voice acting, beautiful graphics, precise controls and and a serious pack of fun.
  8. mijxero
    Oct 31, 2014
    8
    This is a really great combo of RPG and first person shooting. I love the humor and the gameplay. There is a ton of content for the price and I have sunk more hours into this game than I would like to admit. My only complaint is that single player can be a bit rough at times even with the "fight for your life" mechanic. It is definitely designed for a group and the matchmaking systemThis is a really great combo of RPG and first person shooting. I love the humor and the gameplay. There is a ton of content for the price and I have sunk more hours into this game than I would like to admit. My only complaint is that single player can be a bit rough at times even with the "fight for your life" mechanic. It is definitely designed for a group and the matchmaking system helps you get one fast. Definitely worth a buy.… Expand
  9. Fogdale
    Oct 30, 2013
    8
    Borderlands 2 kept me busy for over 100 hours so far and I am still playing it extremely much. I love the graphic style, the humor and the shoot'n'loot mechanics, but this game frustrates me really often.
    If I start a mission that should be suitable for my level (same or lower minimum level) I die dozens of times because the enemies are still too strong for me. This results in me farming    Borderlands 2 kept me busy for over 100 hours so far and I am still playing it extremely much. I love the graphic style, the humor and the shoot'n'loot mechanics, but this game frustrates me really often.
    If I start a mission that should be suitable for my level (same or lower minimum level) I die dozens of times because the enemies are still too strong for me. This results in me farming lower levelled enemies and quests until I am at least five levels higher than the minimum.
    But, yeah, aside from that, Borderlands 2 is an excellent game.    … Expand
  10. carnivorCactae
    Jul 17, 2023
    7
    Close to being the best Borderlands out there with crazy weapons and a very smooth coop-experience.

    Still stunning and beautiful level-design with a perfectly fitting soundtrack. Unfortunatley the farming is boring and tedious and the way weapons are being rolled or just the system the weapons behave is a downgrade from the first one. Yes, there are more guns and even more crazy    Close to being the best Borderlands out there with crazy weapons and a very smooth coop-experience.

    Still stunning and beautiful level-design with a perfectly fitting soundtrack.

    Unfortunatley the farming is boring and tedious and the way weapons are being rolled or just the system the weapons behave is a downgrade from the first one.
    Yes, there are more guns and even more crazy guns, but especially at later second or third playthroughs ("Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode") the game forces "slag" down your throat and the guns that you are basically forced to use are behaving like boring Nerf-pellets.

    The way weapons are constructed makes looking for hidden chests basically useless, since the chances of getting good loot from them could be in the negative digits.

    Oh and remember the Pearlescent Weapons from BL1 ? Yeah.... now you can only obtain them in the UVHM and they aren't as good anymore and require you to use special shields or mods to be at least a littlebit powerful.

    Protip:
    Ignore the **** UVHM and just play the game with its good DLC's together with friends!    … Expand
  11. Qarren
    Apr 20, 2021
    5
    Me thinking I'm funny is starting to Border on naiveté. When someone like me Lands a joke, that validation is the equivalent of affording to feed my 3 starving kids, if not better. However, that is why you'll no longer see me making jabs, quips, analogies, sarcastic remarks, silly comparisons...
    ...and puns 2
    Oops Force of habit Speaking of forceful habits, and even more forceful    Me thinking I'm funny is starting to Border on naiveté. When someone like me Lands a joke, that validation is the equivalent of affording to feed my 3 starving kids, if not better. However, that is why you'll no longer see me making jabs, quips, analogies, sarcastic remarks, silly comparisons...
    ...and puns 2
    Oops
    Force of habit
    Speaking of forceful habits, and even more forceful segues; Borderlands 2 forces you into many an unwanted habit. But I'm getting a head of myself. The bust arrives next week. I'm also getting ahead of myself. The ever popular sequel to the much beloved RPG/FPS mix was quite the success, critically and commercially. One only had to spend a minute in a schoolyard in the mid 2010s to know more about this game than Subway's Jared knew about children's anatomy. Speaking of which, if you still find yourself hanging around schoolyards please notify the FBI, those once voluminous Borderlands 2 conversations have since ended.
    Ignoring that, being regaled with tales of handsome Jacks, teenage spank-bank heartthrob Liliths, and guns that explode when you reload them made it seem easy to qualify what made this game so pervasive in our impressionable, plastic minds.
    lol they were wrong.
    The game does have improvements over its predecessor. But improvements are not necessarily fixes. And for everything this game adds, another quality still cries out in the night for more development...
    like one of Subway Jared's chil-
    -you get the joke.
    Two primary qualities give this game a flair the previous entry did not hold. First is the increase in uniqueness and variability in weapons. While BL1 had that quality in its randomised weaponry, the new traits added in this game really do give it new life, at least for a while.
    I'm gonna say this again and again, but this game is too long and this effects many of its systems' value and vice versa. The fun weapon traits are gimmicky and that sense of novelty does not last the entire story. And while these weapons do play an integral role in this franchise's gameplay and image, and require development like this, little else was developed to support it.
    Before that though, the other improvement was in narrative. The first game had a story probably written by the janitorial staff. Of course, spending your days cleaning up sh*t sort of leaves you on a one-track mind creatively...
    But this game does structure and character well. This story actually utilises escalating tension, wins and losses, and a sense that the villain, the most handsome of Jacks, is actually a person and somewhat of a threat. Having the player win every encounter against a dumb, 2-dimensional enemy does snuggle the player in an embracing power fantasy which works for most games. But it damages a story not to have the villain create a turning point, and increasing pressure for the player. So congrats Borderlands 2. You achieved basic structure. Come back to me when you realise character arcs are also a thing.
    There's also comedy. It's highly subjective of course. I didn't think the game was unfunny, and even breathed air out my nose a couple of times. But I wouldn't personally say it was witty. Then again, if you're reading this then anything's an upgrade.
    Also there's that whole tutorial area before you reach Sanctuary, the main quest hub, that's just kinda there. For reasons. The game is too long and that intro definitely could have been cut and worked into the next chapter.
    I've said the game's too long and now I should explain, because I've offended a grotesquely giant, gangly group of gorging gamers who are probably trying to dox me as you read this.
    The game is too long because the mechanics and mission variety don't carry it. A lot of tedious grinding compared to the last game, a lot of repeated enemies, and a lot of boss fights with terrible, cheap mechanics mean the pacing of this game is a chore. And not like a take out the trash chore, like a farm kid "chore" that actually takes the whole day.
    The underdeveloped eshay-brain gameplay doesn't help that feeling either. It's gotta be said that the RPG and FPS mechanics don't actually mix that well, and they definitely don't support each other. Why accuracy stat, why?
    Why are you no better, and maybe worse than borderland numero 1? The base stat for early levels is much lower, and weapon stats don't randomise equally meaning they are good at 1 thing, and 1 thing only. Which is 2 more things than me, but whatever. By the end you either have guns that actually do a little bit of damage to the enemies, or you have guns that actually hit the enemies. Seriously, it's like holding a gun to your head, pulling the trigger and having someone in Madagascar drop dead. And that's when you're not being shot through walls.
    So the FPS gameplay encourages skill, and the RPG cancels it out. Yikes.
    Borderlands 2 is still a good time with friends, but there are still some things that need to be explained to it when it's older.    … Expand
  12. Crowrevell
    Nov 2, 2013
    5
    The game boast a lot of guns and an memorable villain, both of which are true. However I find it hard to imagine that many people invest themselves into the game after 1 play-through (unless they do co-op). On PC there are several bugs: invisible walls, disappearing bullets, vending machine glitches, enemy's freeze up, enemies shot at nothing, enemies fly off the map.

    The initial    The game boast a lot of guns and an memorable villain, both of which are true. However I find it hard to imagine that many people invest themselves into the game after 1 play-through (unless they do co-op). On PC there are several bugs: invisible walls, disappearing bullets, vending machine glitches, enemy's freeze up, enemies shot at nothing, enemies fly off the map.

    The initial play-through (normal) is relatively balanced but challenging. There are a good deal of missions and a lot of location. After completing the game you unlock true-vault hunter mode (play+) which isn't about enemies using tactics requiring strategy, but a race between you and them to become ridiculously overpowered. They move faster than you can turn, leap 2 stories, run backwards at full speed without hitting anything. The health bar is the same for every enemy, but not all level 50s are made the same. One has to grind through basic enemies that have 10x your health, so you'll need to unload mass amounts of bullets even into low level enemies. Loot drops greatly impact how you spec your character as well as how you play. While I don't mind some amount of farming, you have to farm a lot which involves having to reload from your saves over and over for hours to unlock one item then move onto the other (that's if the item is farmable or you've farmed enough to be able to farm a better item). Spending 20 hours to find one gun and hope it's the right level and variation isn't a lot of fun. There isn't any change of pace. Aside from killing enemies, there almost nothing to do (challenges would be the exception but most of those involve killing enemies).

    The dialogue is good though the overall story isn't that impressive. The skill trees have several options, but each character only has 1 special skill and all of the options are passive. Characters can have different clothes or heads but that's it for customization; mostly color swaps.

    If you are into looting guns and firing guns until your fingers go numb, this game is for you. If replaying the same scenarios over and over isn't your thing, then I would avoid this game.    … Expand
  13. SupaChigga
    Nov 18, 2013
    6
    Single Player/Multi Player (2/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player) Gameplay (1/2) Visuals/Story (2/2) (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is    Single Player/Multi Player (2/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player)

    Gameplay (1/2)

    Visuals/Story (2/2)

    (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is better than the visuals, review this section as if the visuals didn’t matter)

    Accessibility/Longevity (2/2)

    (Review this section only on Accessibility if the game has no longevity) (Review this section only on longevity if the game isn’t accessible)

    Pricing (0/2)

    Wildcard (-1)

    This is a guideline for how to properly review games. Many reviewers like to get a “feel” for a game, and arbitrarily give a game a score that they believe it deserves. This results in wildly different scores between different reviewers, and vastly different scores between similar games. This guideline addresses these problems and scores games fairly and consistently. This guideline also gives scores that are usually similar to the metacritic score.

    The review score is based out of 10 points. There are no “half” or 0.5 increments. It is impossible to have a score above 10 or below 0. The review score will change as the game gets new dlc, drops in price, or if more secrets are found through the game increasing its appeal.

    The scoring is split into 6 sections. The first five sections can add a possible 2 points to the final score. The first 5 sections are Single Player/Multi Player, Gameplay, Visuals/Story, Accessibility/Longevity, and Pricing.

    Notice that 3 of these sections have two parts. These particular sections will be scored based on the stronger part of the game of the two. For example, if a game has a lousy single player campaign, but an excellent multiplayer component, that section will be based solely on the multiplayer as if the single player did not exist. This allows games to be based on their own merits, as many unnecessary features are shoehorned into video games by publishers to reach a “feature quota”. Games that excel in both areas of a section don’t receive should be noted in the written review, but cannot increase the score past 2 in that section. However, it can be taken into account in the final section

    The final section can add 1, add 0, or subtract 1 to the final score. This final section is the “wildcard” section. This section is for how the reviewer “feels” about the game, but limits this only to this section, rather than the entire 10 point review. This section can include any positive or negative point that was not covered in the previous 5 sections.    … Expand
  14. Kyle2086
    Oct 1, 2014
    9
    Works better than the console versions, some minor hiccups aside, although the keyboard controls need tweaking to be comfortable right off the bat. I had the ps3 version and couldn't finish it due to graphical glitches where the textures would never finish loading and the frame rate would drop down the the single digits. Having a smooth gameplay experience helps to appreciate all theWorks better than the console versions, some minor hiccups aside, although the keyboard controls need tweaking to be comfortable right off the bat. I had the ps3 version and couldn't finish it due to graphical glitches where the textures would never finish loading and the frame rate would drop down the the single digits. Having a smooth gameplay experience helps to appreciate all the special things that go into borderlands like the weapon and character designs and the humor. I'm glad to see this series is still being developed, and continuing to evolve unlike the other yearly shooter games where the gameplay never changes. Definitely worth a shot.… Expand
  15. Dynamiteguy
    Nov 17, 2013
    9
    Such a fantastic game, because of: really fun and satisfying gun play, constant excitement for finding new and better loot and silly humour, which compliments the cell-shaded graphics style perfectly. This style of graphics looks surprisingly nice and texture quality is pretty good. However, another huge advantage that this game has over many in it's genre, is a fantastic PC port part, asSuch a fantastic game, because of: really fun and satisfying gun play, constant excitement for finding new and better loot and silly humour, which compliments the cell-shaded graphics style perfectly. This style of graphics looks surprisingly nice and texture quality is pretty good. However, another huge advantage that this game has over many in it's genre, is a fantastic PC port part, as the fps and general performance are constantly good, and for me at least, there are little to no game crashes or bugs. You do experience the occasional bug, but it is nothing immersion-breaking, or worrying. however, the UI is functional at best and was clearly designed with a console in mind, so it is sometimes a bit awkward to switch or compare weapons.

    On to the few negatives this game has, one of which is not the game's fault. The jump-in co-op is a fantastic feature of this game, but I highly recommend only doing this with friends, as random matchmaking tends to put you with someone who is not necessarily inclined to share loot with you. While money and ammo is shared throughout your group, those really great guns that you can find only belong to the person that picks them up, so this can be a problem, albeit not the game's fault. Another bad thing about this game is only based from what I have heard. I have many friends who have played both the original Borderlands and it's sequel, and every single one has suggested that it is effectively the same game, with better variety of guns, better graphics, and more improved features. However, I can't comment on this, as I have never played the original myself.
    Overall, a thoroughly satisfying and fun experience, where you can lose a couple of hours without even knowing it. Thorough recommendationf or me, especially at the cheap price of £6.79 I got it in this year's Steam summer sale.    … Expand
  16. Pistolz4Pandaz
    Nov 19, 2013
    8
    Overall the game is very entertaining, for the first little bit at least. Once you get closer to the end of the game it starts to feel like you have been doing the same thing for the last however many hours, and it starts to get a a bit boring. The graphics and gameplay have been improved since BL1, but it still feels much like the first one, with just a bit more stuff to find, and a lotOverall the game is very entertaining, for the first little bit at least. Once you get closer to the end of the game it starts to feel like you have been doing the same thing for the last however many hours, and it starts to get a a bit boring. The graphics and gameplay have been improved since BL1, but it still feels much like the first one, with just a bit more stuff to find, and a lot more guns. The story is well done as it was last time, and the controls work well and are crisp.… Expand
  17. oDjento
    Jan 3, 2015
    9
    This game is amazing, one of my favourite out there. It has sharp writing, with one of the most loveable (and hateable villians out there, gorgeous art design, vast, expansive and varies enviroments along with the 6 classes to play as and harder modes to play through, this game has THOUSANDS of hours to be lost to it! It also has a brilliant loot system and some wonderfully creative guns.This game is amazing, one of my favourite out there. It has sharp writing, with one of the most loveable (and hateable villians out there, gorgeous art design, vast, expansive and varies enviroments along with the 6 classes to play as and harder modes to play through, this game has THOUSANDS of hours to be lost to it! It also has a brilliant loot system and some wonderfully creative guns. This game improved upon it's predeccesor extremely and had a story were you actually cared what was happening! A must play and in my opinion a classic!… Expand
  18. waso
    Feb 8, 2023
    9
    A damn good game. Funny as hell and challenging.
    I'm normally not a 1st person shooter kinda' guy but I gave it a go and 60 hours and two characters (Zero and Krieg), later, I'm sold.
    I only have some minor quibbles with the game: 1. I wish you could have a 1st person/3rd person option much like Skyrim. 2. The missions are LONG! You feel like hopping in to do something quick, good    A damn good game. Funny as hell and challenging.
    I'm normally not a 1st person shooter kinda' guy but I gave it a go and 60 hours and two characters (Zero and Krieg), later, I'm sold.
    I only have some minor quibbles with the game:
    1. I wish you could have a 1st person/3rd person option much like Skyrim.
    2. The missions are LONG! You feel like hopping in to do something quick, good luck!
    3. There should be more "evenness" with weapon and gear distribution.
    4. Chat in groups is HORRIBLE! Unless you click on Y to either type yourself or see what someone else typed, you have no idea if a teammate is giving a direction or saying anything because chat doesn't pop up when someone types. You see it of course, but your teammates don't unless they check for messages.
    Other than that, the game is fun as hell!!    … Expand
  19. Marsonra
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    Borderlands 2. This game is a very unique case for me. I haven't even finished the game's story yet, and I'm already doing a review for it. Normally, I like to finish a game's story before I review it, but just this once,I decided not to because I felt like I had played enough of the game to review it. So, is this game a unique enough experience without a story, or does a game reallyBorderlands 2. This game is a very unique case for me. I haven't even finished the game's story yet, and I'm already doing a review for it. Normally, I like to finish a game's story before I review it, but just this once,I decided not to because I felt like I had played enough of the game to review it. So, is this game a unique enough experience without a story, or does a game really need a story to be amazing? Let's find out. The gameplay of this game is utterly unique. It is a first-person shooter with RPG elements from the Diablo series. I was not a huge fan of Diablo (there, I said it, come at me Blizzard fanboys) when I played it, so I was not so sure what to expect when I decided to try this game. After trying it, I can safely say that my concerns were put to rest. I had a much more fun experience with this game then Diablo II ever gave me. It does have many elements of Diablo. There is tons of loot to pick up, multiple characters to play as, each with a different play-style, and your character can level up and unlock new abilities. However, this game has many more elements of a first-person shooter that make it a much more unique experience. Let me just start by saying unlike Diablo, you don't have to click everything on screen just to make your character do things. This was one of my biggest problems with Diablo. Because you could not use the mouse and keyboard, you had to click everywhere just to do things, which just made the game more confusing, and way too fast. However, Borderlands 2 plays just like your average first-person shooter. It's not overhead view like Diablo. I'm happy Gearbox Software went with this direction, because it gave me a more familiar gameplay mechanic than just clicking. This game is definitely more of a shooter than any other RPG I've played, as shown in the game's fast, furious, and fun combat. There are also several quests for you to do throughout the game, which is why I haven't completed the story yet. These quests are all very fun and unique. They all have you accomplishing objectives for certain characters. I think that my only problem with the gameplay would be that when you die, you just respawn at a checkpoint. While this is okay, one thing that annoys me is that any enemy you hit before you die will regenerate all of his health when you get back to the room you were killed. While this can be annoying, it is not annoying enough to make you stop playing the game. Overall, this game's gameplay is insanely fun, and anyone who plays this game will most likely have a fun time with it. As for the graphics, they are every bit as unique as the gameplay. The graphics of this game are cell-shaded, sort of like a comic book. The game looks far more unique than any other game I have played. However, the question is, do these graphics work? The answer is yes. This game has many cartoony elements in it, such as the humorous writing throughout the game's story and missions, and these graphics fit in with it perfectly. My only problem with these graphics is that there is a lot of texture pop-in. While this is not a huge issue, almost every other developer who has used the Unreal Engine has either found a way to get rid of this pop-in, or made it not get in the way. It gets in the way here, which can be annoying, but still doesn't distract from the whole experience. Overall, this game has great graphics regardless. As for the story, while I haven't played through the whole game yet, I can tell you what I have played. The story is that you are a Vault-Hunter, and you must stop a man named Handsome Jack from destroying the world of Pandora. Problem Number 1 is that they picked the most cliched story in the book, I know, but even so, they still manage to make it unique here. They made it unique through the aforementioned humorous writing in the game's story. This game has a really good sense of humor, and the writers like to show it anywhere they can. Expect lots of good jokes throughout this game. It also has a lot of memorable characters. Overall, this game's story is really cliched, but still great. Overall, this is a game that must be played. It successfully combines the first-person shooter and RPG genres. I can safely say that I like this game one heck of a lot more than the Diablo franchise (once again, come at me Blizzard fanboys). I recommend this game to anyone who loves a good shooter or RPG, or even a good video game in general.
    Gameplay: 10/10
    Graphics: 9/10
    Story: 8/10
    Overall: 9/10    … Expand
  20. joey55555
    Feb 5, 2014
    9
    Borderlands 2 is an all around fun game. The loot is infinite! Not really but you get the point. there is so much loot. over all the game has an amazing story line with 4 play through's. The mobs have amazing and very fun commentary. And it adds a hole new feel to the game with coop mode. you can trade loot and money with other people, not to mention the risks of dueling Items. over allBorderlands 2 is an all around fun game. The loot is infinite! Not really but you get the point. there is so much loot. over all the game has an amazing story line with 4 play through's. The mobs have amazing and very fun commentary. And it adds a hole new feel to the game with coop mode. you can trade loot and money with other people, not to mention the risks of dueling Items. over all this is a spectacular game and i cant wait for Borderlands 3.… Expand
  21. tveph
    Feb 20, 2014
    9
    In borderlands 2 you are a vault hunter who nearly dies but you are saved by a Siren named angel who wants you to help her to destroy the vault key and free her. It`s a co-op game and heavily loot driven. I suggest you play with at least one player.
    The game is awesome because you can acquire a lot of different weapons. I thinks you should hack the game because it’s easier to get better    In borderlands 2 you are a vault hunter who nearly dies but you are saved by a Siren named angel who wants you to help her to destroy the vault key and free her. It`s a co-op game and heavily loot driven. I suggest you play with at least one player.
    The game is awesome because you can acquire a lot of different weapons. I thinks you should hack the game because it’s easier to get better weapons and fight better enemies.
    If you are going to play solo you definitely should hack because the game gets so difficult sometimes playing alone.    … Expand
  22. Eulo
    Oct 18, 2014
    5
    When BL1 was released I was very excited, finally a game that mashed together MMO's, RPG's, and FPS's. It is very unfortunate that Gearbox was the source of this idea.

    Borderlands 2, much like Borderlands 1, starts off brilliant. Engaging story and characters, great immersive eviroments, great pacing and balance throughout. It is not until that Playthrough 2 that Borderlands 2, much    When BL1 was released I was very excited, finally a game that mashed together MMO's, RPG's, and FPS's. It is very unfortunate that Gearbox was the source of this idea.

    Borderlands 2, much like Borderlands 1, starts off brilliant. Engaging story and characters, great immersive eviroments, great pacing and balance throughout. It is not until that Playthrough 2 that Borderlands 2, much like Borderlands 1, starts to rear its true head. Starting on Playthrough 2 (which by the way is an incredibly lazy thing for ANY developer to do. Give me a full game, not the same thing 2-4 times.) Gearbox throws out all working concepts of the setting they've established for the game so far:
    - You're super powerful.
    - You have the best guns. Period.
    - Enemies are psychotic, former scientists/miners. I.E, untrained with weapons, certainly less than a merc vault hunter.
    - The enemies don't wear armor (most) and have guns that are duct taped together, literally.

    These things lead to a very easy and very enjoyable Playthrough 1 to get acclimated to the game if you're a first time BL player. However, as I stated above, Gearbox ditches all of these established concepts on Playthrough 2 in favor of:
    - You ain't ****
    - You're best gun on the entire planet now shoots spitballls.
    - Enemies are highly trained marine snipers capable of only hitting your head.
    - The enemies still dont wear armor and still have duct taped guns, but now instead of HP/Gun Damage to refect this, they do exponentially more damage than your "Best Gun on the Planet" and have exponentially more health than your "Best Health/Sheild Kit" on the planet.

    What does this lead to? A totally underwhelming experience, a ton of balance issues, and a game that turns from enjoyable mass-murderous fun to a tediuous, arguous experience that fights you to enjoy it every step of the way.

    TL/DR:

    - Bullet Spongeing enemies DOES NOT equal increased diffuculty. This makes your dev team seem lazy and lethargic, and the game itself seem tedious and ill prepared. Bullet sponging enemies is also counterintuitive to collecting any gun, seeing as they all do a pittance of damage to the unarmored enemies. This means I spend 50 levels getting powerful, with no reward other than a chance to do it all again, upon which I am then underpowered indefinetly.

    - Balance! Don't include single player if you aren't going to balance it! On Playthrough 2, single player is literally impossible with all but 1 character, and even then you need to be a specific spec with that character for it to become do-able. Conversly, Online is stupid easy, even with just 2/4 people. Where the hell is the balance? BL1 suffered from this problem, and it was obvious then. Did they fix it in BL2, HAH! Not a chance.

    This game fights you to enjoy it starting with Playthrough 2 in Solo/Single Player, and you'll fight to pay attention if you play Online because it's stupid easy. I honestly can't recomend this game to anyone, there are too many issues and too much incompetence within the development company for this game to ever shine the way it truely would in the hands of a capable developer.    … Expand
  23. marelus
    Feb 24, 2014
    9
    I got hooked from the very beginning, and just enjoyed it as a great fresh change from my other games. Good sense of humor, and cool boss fights made it even better.

    The gameplay is a little linear, but in a smart way, so it does not bother that much. Respawning enemies made it a little worse, and annoying, but I guess it is just me, and no game would be perfect for everyone. Boss    I got hooked from the very beginning, and just enjoyed it as a great fresh change from my other games. Good sense of humor, and cool boss fights made it even better.

    The gameplay is a little linear, but in a smart way, so it does not bother that much.

    Respawning enemies made it a little worse, and annoying, but I guess it is just me, and no game would be perfect for everyone.

    Boss fights might be slightly stressful, and I personally was tired of it, but still after all it rewards with a good feeling of achievement. Besides after getting through the first map, more gun selection awaits, so next boss fights would be less stressful.

    Perfectly balanced difficulty makes it a really exciting experience. The bad side of that would be no time to relax. Respawning enemies, boss fights, traps, and constant need to improve, and progress does not leave any room to take a breath, and enjoy the "safe room" time.

    But still I have this feeling that I want to go back to it, so why not to leave 9/10? Also there is a multiplayer, for a plus.    … Expand
  24. ozymandias79
    Sep 27, 2018
    10
    After replaying Borderlands 2 in 2018, it really holds up. It's such an epic game, even now. Why can't modern games be fun anymore?
  25. Pizza_92
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    Simply awesome. This game is the best game I've played in ages, when you reach max level, you have so many things to do, it never ends. NPCs are hilarious, easter eggs are awesome. It's perfect.
  26. GoreSmasher
    Nov 10, 2014
    9
    Really nice game. It has a really long story and if its not enough for you there's a ton of DLC this is really one of the best game i played in the fps category.
  27. pancakegaming
    Apr 6, 2014
    8
    I wanted this games ever since it was announced , I played about 80 hours of the first game and i liked it alot . I got the bl2 goty edition on steam and over a weekend I put in 60 hours , the most obvious thing they changed is that it actually has a story , with enjoyable characters and funny dialogue . I would never say any game is perfect and never will I give a perfect score , but II wanted this games ever since it was announced , I played about 80 hours of the first game and i liked it alot . I got the bl2 goty edition on steam and over a weekend I put in 60 hours , the most obvious thing they changed is that it actually has a story , with enjoyable characters and funny dialogue . I would never say any game is perfect and never will I give a perfect score , but I loved this game , so if you liked the first game , go ahead… Expand
  28. flametail23
    Dec 20, 2014
    9
    I first played this game in 2012 on my Xbox 360 and found it to be just okay and a bit of a let down but after one of my friends on the pc had bought it, I thought I would give it another go. I'M GLAD I DID. Borderlands 2 is a very funny game with A LOT of guns to use. Also is has one of the best villains in any game ever. The game is also very addictive to play, it makes you not want toI first played this game in 2012 on my Xbox 360 and found it to be just okay and a bit of a let down but after one of my friends on the pc had bought it, I thought I would give it another go. I'M GLAD I DID. Borderlands 2 is a very funny game with A LOT of guns to use. Also is has one of the best villains in any game ever. The game is also very addictive to play, it makes you not want to stop playing.

    Verdict: Awesome game with a very addictive loot system and great characters.
    9/10    … Expand
  29. ZombieTech
    Jun 26, 2017
    5
    First let me start by saying that this game is neat. I played Borderlands 1, but decided to pass on Borderlands 2 at the time of its release. I just recently picked it up a few days ago (it's now 02/21/2017), and the game originally came out 09/17/2012... so just shy of FIVE YEARS after the game released.

    Again, game is fun, but here's the issue I'm having. I purchased the $40 GOTY    First let me start by saying that this game is neat. I played Borderlands 1, but decided to pass on Borderlands 2 at the time of its release. I just recently picked it up a few days ago (it's now 02/21/2017), and the game originally came out 09/17/2012... so just shy of FIVE YEARS after the game released.

    Again, game is fun, but here's the issue I'm having. I purchased the $40 GOTY edition, where in the past, most GOTY editions come with everything that's come out for a game... and would think almost 5 years later, they'd be more than happy to have everything bundled together for the $40 I paid. But no... and don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the 10 items that are included in Steam's GOTY edition... but then while I'm in game, I go over to the customization-station, and see at least 5 skins for the Gunzerker that have an "*" next to them and figured maybe that meant they were premium items that were included... go to equip one, to find out I have to pay $1 each for each of the 5 or so "*" skins, and while perusing, notice there's about 5 for each class. So 6 classes x 5 skins @ $1 a piece, that'd be another $30 right there for JUST SKINS. Then while perusing father, it dawns on me that the Season Pass also wasn't part of the package, which is another $30... then I see scenario packs (but from what I understand they'd be included with the Season Pass, so won't list their prices), but on top of that, there's other packs, like a second level-cap pack (GOTY included the first I believe), which is another $5.

    Get where I'm going here!? $40 for GOY edition, plus $30 for JUST SKINS, plus $30 for Season Pass, plus $5 for the second level-cap pack (fairly certain that covers everything, but considering the lengthy list of DLC on Steam for this can't be certain)... so just to have the COMPLETE Borderlands 2 experience, even almost 5 years later, WITH a newer Borderlands (Pre-Sequal) that has released, looking at spending $105 at least!!! There's a "Borderlands: Take Over Your Life" pack for $129 which I believe included all Borderlands games, and I'd assume by the name everything for them... just WOW!

    To be fair, I can at least recommend Borderlands 2 and perhaps even the GOTY edition, so long as you're going to just play the game and do your best to dodge all pay-walls and invisible dollar signs looming through the game... but I must say, so early on in the game to be struck in the face with, "oh, that'll cost you this much extra" after already having purchased the GOTY edition almost 5 years later on after the original release... I sadly am left with a "Need For Speed: Most Wanted" (the remake) impression... where immersion feels now a bit constantly broken, and honestly a bit gross, with pay-walls and missing-content and invisible dollar-signs looming all throughout the game. >_<

    (From what I read about what's in the scenarios and the second level-cap pack, and skins, and other stuff... really feel like even after paying $40 almost 5 years later, there's still a decent amount that I'm missing out on. Honestly, I could easily afford the other $65 or more DLC, but the principle is just slapping me in the face like a stinky tuna-fish!)    … Expand
  30. deathweeper
    Oct 28, 2014
    6
    Considering how this game is getting so many great reviews I feel like I have bee playing something else. The game is ok but it does have a lot annoying problems. The story really isn't as good as people are saying although it can be funny. The landscapes are boring, its a wasteland, grey, empty, all the levels are similar and their boring. I both like and really, really hate the lootConsidering how this game is getting so many great reviews I feel like I have bee playing something else. The game is ok but it does have a lot annoying problems. The story really isn't as good as people are saying although it can be funny. The landscapes are boring, its a wasteland, grey, empty, all the levels are similar and their boring. I both like and really, really hate the loot system. I like having lots of guns and loot but it gets very frustrating not having a good gun drop or when you finally do get something you like it turns into crap ten minutes later (I want to craft my own guns). Overall this game is fine but definitely over hyped.… Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PC Game of 2012
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
7
#7 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    92
    It’s addicting, full of creative gags and amazing battles (especially in co-op mode) and it keeps dangling that loot-carrot in front of your face. Add that crazy humor on top and you have a synonymous for the world ‘entertainment’. [November 2012]
  2. RPG Fan
    Dec 3, 2012
    90
    If you're looking for something with a ponderous story full of morality and contemplation – one best savored alone – then you'll need to look elsewhere. Borderlands 2 delivers tons of lighthearted, occasionally juvenile fun with immense replayability, and is best approached with a few buddies in tow. It doesn't revolutionize the concept pioneered by its forebear, but it refines it to a razor-sharp edge and offers some of the most fun you can have in a cooperative action RPG this side of Diablo II. And if nothing else, it's got lots of Claptrap.
    Read full review
  3. Gamers' Temple
    Oct 30, 2012
    94
    The moment at which my endearingly annoying robot companion Claptrap fashioned himself a Mohawk out of some animal fur I collected he earned a spot on my all-time favorite robot list.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »