Borderlands 2 is a blast, and an absolute must-play for anyone who likes shooters, dungeon crawlers, humour, and/or epic stories!

Graphically, the game holds up better than most of its contemporaries. Why? Cel-shaded art style, that's why! Just like the first game, this game uses cel-shading to give everything an almost cartoony look, which really helps the game in having its own distinct look and feel. I have little to no criticism on the graphical prowess of this game, although I have to note I particularly dislikle it when games give you 'new' enemies which are really old enemies with a new paintjob. Sound-wise, the game is actually kind of the same: beautiful, with a cartoony edge. The voice acting is wonderfully close to that of an animated series, and all important characters have great lines and great actors. A lot of other NPCs share voices and lines, which is a shame, but you'll be spending most of your gameplay far away from them anyway. The guns sound brilliant, and each type of gun or barrel has its own distinct sound, which contributes to the distinct feeling they all have. The music is epic and apt for the levels, although I have had some instances where battle music would not end after a battle, or start too soon, when there were no enemies yet in sight.

Gameplay-wise, Borderlands 2 is amazing. It plays just like the first game, which means guns blazing, run-and-gun action, extremely responsive controls, great aiming, and special skills and powers that are fun to play with. There is really nothing wrong with the controls (although the car controls are a little clunky), the combat mechanics, or the game mechanics. The randomization of loot will have you opening all the chests in the hope of finding an even better gun than the one you already have, and the feeling you get when striking gold every once in a while is oh so satisfying. The sheer amount of customization will also keep you at the game, going through your inventory, switching up your weapon type, grenade type, and even your looks once in a while. In all, you just feel immensely powerful when wielding guns in Borderlands 2, even when if an end-level baddy is stomping you into the ground time and again with infinite ease. What makes all of the gameplay even better is co-op. I have had no problems whatsoever with saving/loading/drop-in/drop-out, and this is one of the very few games that plays out amazingly both in single-player and in co-op. It's just a load of fun to share this adventure, exploration, and combat with a friend! If you have never played co-op, this is the place to start! If you're looking for a new co-op game, look no further!

When it comes to the story and world, the game is splendid. The world is much larger and more diverse than that of the first Borderlands, and this, I believe, is the main novelty this second game brings with it. The story is in principle very basic: bad guy wants to destroy stuff using bad weapon, and you need to stop him. The motivations and backstory of big baddy Jack, however, will have you wondering all game long, which is a good thing in this case. The four main characters you get to choose from in this game (two more if you've got the DLC) are new ones, not the main good guys from the previous game although you will encounter all of the heroes from the first game along the way in this story. For players who love a good story, though, there are many side quests that flesh out the world and provide you with more intricacies regarding the main plot, and the writing in most of these is superb, while in some of them it is simply okay.

The story actually varies a little depending on which character you play, which, combined with the diversity of their skills, the difference in weapon types, and the sheer amount of quests in the game, give Borderlands 2 and extremely high replay value. I am already looking forward to my second playthrough, and hope I can do several more afterwards. This replay value is further enhanced by the extra content that the DLC adds, and oh man, is there a lot! I have played two of the DLC packs so far, and they were both a load of fun, although the writing is a bit less great than in the main game.

In all, Borderlands 2 is just great fun, whether you are used to this type of game or not. I think every gamer will find pleasure in the streamlined gameplay that it provides, and laugh at the funny yet amazing story. The game captured my dreams for a while, and will be a favourite of mine forever!

[i]Borderlands 2[/i] is a blast, and an absolute must-play for anyone who likes shooters, dungeon crawlers, humour, and/or epic stories! Graphically, the game holds up better than most of its contemporaries. Why? Cel-shaded art style, that's why! Just like the first game, this game uses cel-shading to give everything an almost cartoony look, which really helps the game in having its own distinct look and feel. I have little to no criticism on the graphical prowess of this game, although I have to note I particularly dislikle it when games give you 'new' enemies which are really old enemies with a new paintjob. Sound-wise, the game is actually kind of the same: beautiful, with a cartoony edge. The voice acting is wonderfully close to that of an animated series, and all important characters have great lines and great actors. A lot of other NPCs share voices and lines, which is a shame, but you'll be spending most of your gameplay far away from them anyway. The guns sound brilliant, and each type of gun or barrel has its own distinct sound, which contributes to the distinct feeling they all have. The music is epic and apt for the levels, although I have had some instances where battle music would not end after a battle, or start too soon, when there were no enemies yet in sight. Gameplay-wise, [i]Borderlands 2[/i] is amazing. It plays just like the first game, which means guns blazing, run-and-gun action, extremely responsive controls, great aiming, and special skills and powers that are fun to play with. There is really nothing wrong with the controls (although the car controls are a little clunky), the combat mechanics, or the game mechanics. The randomization of loot will have you opening all the chests in the hope of finding an even better gun than the one you already have, and the feeling you get when striking gold every once in a while is oh so satisfying. The sheer amount of customization will also keep you at the game, going through your inventory, switching up your weapon type, grenade type, and even your looks once in a while. In all, you just feel immensely [i]powerful[/i] when wielding guns in [i]Borderlands 2[/i], even when if an end-level baddy is stomping you into the ground time and again with infinite ease. What makes all of the gameplay [i]even[/i] better is co-op. I have had no problems whatsoever with saving/loading/drop-in/drop-out, and this is one of the very few games that plays out amazingly both in single-player and in co-op. It's just a load of fun to share this adventure, exploration, and combat with a friend! If you have never played co-op, this is the place to start! If you're looking for a new co-op game, look no further! When it comes to the story and world, the game is splendid. The world is much larger and more diverse than that of the first [i]Borderlands[/i], and this, I believe, is the main novelty this second game brings with it. The story is in principle very basic: bad guy wants to destroy stuff using bad weapon, and you need to stop him. The motivations and backstory of big baddy Jack, however, will have you wondering all game long, which is a good thing in this case. The four main characters you get to choose from in this game (two more if you've got the DLC) are new ones, not the main good guys from the previous game [spoiler]although you will encounter all of the heroes from the first game along the way in this story.[/spoiler] For players who love a good story, though, there are many side quests that flesh out the world and provide you with more intricacies regarding the main plot, and the writing in most of these is superb, while in some of them it is simply okay. The story actually varies a little depending on which character you play, which, combined with the diversity of their skills, the difference in weapon types, and the sheer amount of quests in the game, give [i]Borderlands 2[/i] and extremely high replay value. I am already looking forward to my second playthrough, and hope I can do several more afterwards. This replay value is further enhanced by the extra content that the DLC adds, and oh man, is there a lot! I have played two of the DLC packs so far, and they were both a load of fun, although the writing is a bit less great than in the main game. In all, [i]Borderlands 2[/i] is just great fun, whether you are used to this type of game or not. I think every gamer will find pleasure in the streamlined gameplay that it provides, and laugh at the funny yet amazing story. The game captured my dreams for a while, and will be a favourite of mine forever!