Borderlands 2

A seriously engrossing game that really, truly blends shooters and RPGs to brilliant effect. [Nov 2012, p.75]

Overall, Borderlands 2 is the sequel we were all hoping for. Gearbox has clung rigorously to what worked the first time around, and fleshed out the experience with refined customisation options, more variety, and a vastly more interesting story. With fantastic co-op support, there's tonnes of longevity on offer here, and no doubt future DLC will sweeten the deal. Looting and shooting doesn't get much better than this.

From major bullet points like the story to smaller details like the UI and inventory system, Borderlands 2 surpassed my expectations and stands as a prime example of how to knock a sequel out of the park. [Oct 2012, p.90]

Borderlands 2 offers a much larger, much more refined version of the original. Even if complaints about the first game bothered you enough that you couldn't properly enjoy it, the second one improves on just about every aspect of the formula. And for hardcore Borderlands fans, there is a near endless amount of fan service here to keep you laughing maniacally while spearheading your own darkly hilarious co-op massacre. I'm going to wager that if you like fun, you're going to adore Borderlands 2. Cheat Code Central (http://s.tt/1nPoA)

It appears there is more to Pandora than just the monotone dried-out scrapyard we saw three years ago. Not only is there more scrapyard to be explored than ever before, it has also become much more varied. From green grassy meadows to rocky mountain villages and cold snowy fields. [October p.56]

Borderlands 2 hits the market like a bullet in the brain, a syringe of adrenaline, a punch in the wall. You'll get caught and won't stop playing for a long time.

Borderlands 2 is by far a giant leap ahead compared to its predecessor, but it's also one of the greatest games to finish off this generation of consoles. You'll get lost under enormous piles of loot, a good-enough story that's surpassed by side missions, and an absolutely hilarious cast of characters. This all comes together in a giant package of joy.

This is some crazy bang for your buck and you won't regret a second of it.

What the original Borderlands did so well has been grabbed and near perfected with this sequel. The comedy may be hit and miss, but it thrives on its shooting and loot grabbing. Many hours of fun will await you in Pandora.

It's a lengthy adventure full of personality, an endless plethora of weapons, and addictive co-op gameplay. Fans of the first game would be foolish to pass up another chance to visit Pandora and plunder the incalculable treasures therein.

There is a lot to do in Borderlands 2, and even finishing the main story opens up additional quests, and the possibility to go back and pursue any side-quests that may have been missed the first time around. If there is one thing the game delivers in spades apart from its quantity, it's fun.

Borderlands 2 is smarter, sharper, bigger and funnier than the game it supersedes. Everything that made the 2009 title so memorable has been improved upon, designed for you to sink your life into. These coming months are going to be packed with excellent titles, but Borderlands 2 has enough potential and sheer stuff to keep you going well into 2013. You need this. [November 2012, p62]

What I like about Borderlands 2 is that the game can be as complicated or straightforward as you like.

A fantastic game everyone should give a try. Be warned, though - you might just end up losing a big part of your social life and spend it (literally) walking around the vast continent of Pandora.

Where Borderlands was 'sent out to die', Borderlands 2 has been sent out to kill. And it does just that. It will easily be one of the best games released all year and the more we dream of that delicious four-player co-op, the more we think it's one of the top games this generation.

A joyful experience, full of humour and character. It manages to walk the fine line between silly base humour and a more intelligent wit too, which is something almost unique in videogames. With a narrative that expands on the original storyline in every conceivable way and so many ways to play, different characters to build and so much cooperative fun to be had, it's hard to see a downside.

Though Borderlands 2 doesn't shoot for the stars, it does more than enough to retain our most awesome recommendation. As long as you have several friends who can join your party, there's no way you will be disappointed.

The only trouble with Borderlands 2, on a critical level, is that it feels less like a true sequel than a Borderlands 1.5, a redux of the original title that lacks in completely new ideas but still clearly has all-around improvements.

Borderlands 2 is a top-class FPS that perfectly captures that 'shooting things is fun' rush into an endless cycle. The game it most reminds me of is Doom: it recreates that lost-in-the-moment, circle-strafing intensity perfectly, so that you never get bored of it...If you're tired of brown military shooters and crying out for something different, then get involved – this is one of the most imaginative and rewarding blasters of the year.

An excellent shooter no one even remotely curious should overlook. Prepare to level. Prepare to loot. Prepare to get lost in the hilarious, bizarre and wonderful world of Pandora.

Light on story and heavy on guns, Borderlands 2 is saved from XP strip-mining by a sharp sense of humour and a slick, destructive multiplayer. [Nov 2012, p.90]

Borderlands 2 doesn't reach far beyond its predecessor's scope, but it does do almost everything better. Additions, refinements, and fixes all combine to create an appreciably improved experience, one that fully delivers on the promise of the first game.

Borderlands 2 doesn't quite recapture the same sense of wide-eyed wonder that made its predecessor such a commercial smash-hit, but it's still a dangerously addictive game.