Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Reviews
A well-executed but thoroughly unambitious extension of Borderlands 2. Low-grav jumping adds a new dimension to combat.
Though opinions varied, we all agreed that while this is a good Borderlands game, it lacks the polish and innovation to stand on its own legs. While it probably should've been DLC, it's still more Borderlands fun for anyone starving for more Vault hunting action.
Ultimately, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel stands as a last hurrah for Gearbox's RPG shooter in the form that we currently know it. With improvements that feel more incremental than innovative, 2K Australia have stepped up and provided a solid and long-lasting if technically safe entry in the Borderlands series and yet, it's one which stands out almost singularly on the merit of it's breathlessly entertaining cast and rowdy narrative.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel offers more of the same with some alterations, and that may be enough for fans of Borderlands 2. But if you only have a passing interest, wait until the price is reduced to a more reasonable level.
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
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.
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.
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.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel leaves us wanting, due to its overt familiarity. It's a decent game overall, but fails in its attempt at being something great.
The more we played The Pre-Sequel, the more dubious we became as to whether it warranted a standalone release. Oxygen consumption and verticality were the only fresh elements in the level designs. The new weapons classes—cryo and laser weapons—felt like additions to our arsenal that we could take or leave. The writing was full of references to the previous two games.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a worthwhile entry in the series that will provide more of what fans expect while fleshing out some of the narrative gaps between the first two titles. And while the addition of low gravity and a few new guns might not change things forever, their presence is far from a hindrance and fits into the Borderlands formula fine, although unremarkably.
The essential gameplay can be reduced to a series of shoot-'em-up fetch quests through hazardous landscapes, but even veterans will have to adapt their FPS techniques to make it through.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a great addition to the series but it does feels more like a very big DLC game because it doesn’t bring in anything substantially new. Where it does pay off however is the humour in the writing and the story arc for the main antagonist – it is amazingly fleshed out to where you see this interesting character transition throughout the course of the game. But in the end there’s loads of content packed in and you’ll have a lot of fun smashing your way through the missions while we all wait for the next act in the Borderlands series to make an appearance.
A trip to the moon offers some decent new ideas, but also is clearly a stop-gap release.
Tons of loot. Tons of action. It's mostly the same Borderlands you've played before, which based on your point of view, can be a good thing or a bad thing
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is basically Borderlands 2 in space--a fun little stopgap game for fans to play while Gearbox works on Borderlands 3.
In many ways, the pre-sequel feels like a pleasant place-holder.
'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel' offers just enough content to move out of expansion territory and into full release, but barely. For those who can't get enough Borderlands and relish the opportunity to experience some new characters and abilities, this will tide you over for a few dozen hours. For everyone else, it's not exactly a must-play title.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel makes up for some major issues with pacing and level design by simply being a ridiculously fun cooperative romp. A few more months of development could have turned a good game into a great one, but there's still some great bouncy butt-slammin' action to get stuck into here.