Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Reviews
It can't be said that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, developed by 2K Australia instead of Gearbox Entertainment, is anything but self-aware
Borderlands 2 felt like a huge step on from the original, and it was more colourful, with interesting characters and intense situations. The Pre-Sequel seems to try so, so hard to keep up, but this is not Borderlands 3, and the game – and everyone who plays it – knows that.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel further refines the existing Borderlands formula, but it is far from a notable evolution of the experience. Shooting and looting is as fun as ever and characters feel varied, a definite step forward. However, uninspired mission design and a lacking narrative are all too constant and familiar issues.
Much like a Claptrap, parts of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel try too hard to be liked. The freezing element, although welcome, doesn't add much to the gameplay.
Despite that glowing praise, I am torn, because I also recognize that it is far from perfect. The environmental art direction gets dull too quickly, the level design is lacking in basic conveniences, and a general sloppiness is present when looking closely. Some of the cool new features like multi-leveled areas and combining weapons could have been enhanced further if the user interface and systems had been updated to play to those strengths. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a solid entry to the series, but I hope that the development team takes some of the failings to heart and delivers excellence in the future.
If you're a Borderlands fan who's looking to scratch that itch for loot-based four-player firefights, then this will serve your needs well until the next core installment in the franchise. Otherwise, you're better off waiting for the inevitable Game of the Year package. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel fails to reach the stars, but at least it maintains orbit.
If you've played Borderlands and the sequel, devoured all the available DLC, and still want more, that's exactly what the Pre-Sequel delivers. If you're looking for anything measurably different than your prior experiences with the series, though, The Pre-Sequel won't satisfy. And this lack of ambition only serves to disappoint: there's a fantastic game buried in here, somewhere, if only its caretakers would perform a serious overhaul.
If you've ever played a Borderlands game, this is mostly more of the same. If not, it's a solid albeit unspectacular shooting and loot-hoarding.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel brings you more of the loot and lighthearted humor you love, though it never quite overcomes the gravity of its predecessors.
Low gravity makes The Pre-Sequel more than a simple rehash of the Borderlands formula
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a hilarious, fan-focused continuation of the series' core values. But lacking any truly evolution, it makes for a fun diversion rather than a meaningful new chapter.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel successfully builds on the series' many strengths while repeating its pacing mistakes.
A well-executed but thoroughly unambitious extension of Borderlands 2. Low-grav jumping adds a new dimension to combat.