VGOTY 2012 #4 - Borderlands 2

The first Borderlands surprised the hell out of me when I played it for the first time, I really did not expect it to be so addictive and so much fun. I remember staying up late at night and binging on it all day during holidays as I found ever more valuable, and ludicrous, loot with which to shoot people in the face. At a time when the idea of playing yet another game of gunning people down appeals to me about as much as watching the Queen's speech (i.e. I'd rather not!!), my enthusiasm for Borderlands 2 is testament to just how awesome these games are. I was really looking forward to picking up the sequel to one of my favourite games and it did not disappoint.

What I like most about Borderlands 2, is the humour. There are lots of games out there that take themselves very seriously in a po-faced attempt to say something significant, when often the reason people play video games is that they simply want to have a good time. Borderlands 2 has a solid plot, and some great characters, and some moments that make you sit up and laugh/cry/scream-at the screen. However, it also has lots of incidental detail that will have you chuckling all the way though. Quests are equally as varied and entertaining and often result in you obtaining crazy weaponry that may or may not be useful in the game, but is always entertaining none-the-less.

The game is also expertly well designed and improves on the original in almost every conceivable way. Graphically, there is a lot more variety this time 'round, as you start off in icy tundra before moving onto familiar deserts, and on to forested mountains, swamps, volcanic basins, etc. All in the trademark cell-shaded comic book style that made the original so different, improved further here due to incremental advancements in the Unreal Engine. Character models, animation, and voice acting are also raised several notches and really bring the world of Pandora to life like it's never been before; with characters such as the villainous 'Handsome Jack' and the goofy 'Clap Trap' being stand out favourites of mine.

As I write this blog, I'm actually still playing the game (the ending could cause it to rise or fall on this GOTY list I guess), my slower progress due to the plethora of side-quests and random activities that proliferate the world, and I'm enjoying it immensely. Borderlands 2 was definitely worth the wait and is definitely one of the top games released in 2012.