Borderlands 2: 101

by Matt Waitt [ Thursday, 30th of August 2012 - 06:26 PM ]

First off, let's start with the classes; we got four new classes to choose from:

Characters:

Salvador (The Gunzerker) is "about as subtle, classy, and sane as one would imagine a native of Pandora to be. Which is to say: not at all. He loves blowing people up, getting paid, and laughing incessantly at the violence that surrounds him."

Salvador's Action Skill is called "Gunzerking." Think of the Bezerker in Borderlands, just with guns. That's right, Salvador pulls out a second weapon and goes ape shit on anything that moves. Yes, two guns no matter what the size. Dual Rocket Launchers, Dual Miniguns, Dual everything.

Zer0 (The Assassin) - Unfortunately not much information is known about this bad ass, but I assume that much will be revealed during the campaign. Man, just look how epic this guy looks! I wouldn't want to mess with him!

Zer0's Action Skill is called "Deception" which is where Zer0 can vanish into thin air, enabling him to see weak points on an enemy, or if he shows mercy to his opponent, can assassinate them with a flurry of blinding sword strikes.

Maya (The Siren) originally from the planet "Athenas," Maya has come to Pandora to learn more about her Siren heritage. As well as melt her enemies with only her mind. Pretty scary stuff it you ask me. Ha!

Maya's Action Skill is called "Phaselock" which lets Maya lift and stun her foes in place, leaving them helpless to any and all attacks. But Phaselock can be used for other things, such as healing party members, creating a massive black hole for extreme amounts of damage or simply for crowd control.

Last but not least we have my favorite character out of the bunch:

Axton (The Commando) after being kicked out of the military for being "too unpredictable" he was to be executed via a firing squad. But rather than deal with that shit storm, Axton took it upon himself to escape to the wonderful world of Pandora.

Axton's Action Skill is a "Sabre Turret" that is basically like Roland's Scorpio Turret 2.0. By 2.0 I really mean "Oh my god that's a BIG upgrade." We're talking abilities that let the turret teleport far distances or even drop Nuclear Bombs!!!

There is also Gaige (The Mechromancer). Not much has been revealed about her other than that she is a cyborg that can summon a "D374-TP" (Deathtrap) that is a massive floating machine made up of scrap parts. This class is currently in the concept stage, but will hopefully be playable this holiday season (expect an early X-Mas). Note: If you pre-ordered Borderlands 2, you automatically enrolled in the "premiere club" thus granting you a "free pass" for this DLC.

What To Expect:

First off, you should have already noticed the insane amount of different colors in Borderlands 2 compared to the first one in the trailers. Don't worry I'll be posting a few of them later. You'll also notice a "Gajilion" more guns, even more than the first one ever dreamed of having. Manufacturers will be more "personalized" now, so guns from the Dhal Corporation will have distinct differences from a gun made by the Jacobs Corporation. There are also new ammo types, such as "Gyro-rockets" which are miniature rockets that lock on to your enemies. As well as super cheap and borderline "worthless" guns that hold only one clip. But here's the catch, when you throw it at an enemy it can explode. The more bullets left in the clip the more damage it causes. Pretty cool eh?

There will also be way more environments! Yep you better believe it. Pandora isn't just a barren wasteland. It's a lush, beautiful planet filled with tons and tons of different ecosystems. From frozen mountaintops to lush jungles.

More exploration! Which I guess this ties in with environments, but unlike the first one where area's were "cut off" from players, Borderlands 2 is simply "If you can see it, you can get to it."

A lot more variety will be featured in Borderlands 2, not just the simple "Gather and kill" objectives anymore. Players will be facing not only new and unique quests, but also new enemies with improved animations and unique behavioral patterns. Like the first Borderlands, Borderlands 2 will feature solo-play, as well as co-op with up to three friends. Easier drop-in and drop-out, as well as split screen!

The Story:

Borderlands 2 takes place five years after the first game, which starts off with the player fighting to the death to win a priceless cache of loot in a gladiator tournament hosted by Handsome Jack. After winning the tournament Handsome Jack see's you as a threat, denies your reward and leaves you for dead in the middle of nowhere. Fueled by revenge and guided by the mysterious "Guardian Angel" it is up to you to save Pandora from the clutches of Handsome Jack and the Hyperion Corporation.

Goodies:

Trailers Galore! See if you can find some info I missed.

Come and Get Me Trailer Wimoweh Trailer Launch Date Trailer

Gearbox announced that they will be honoring a late fan of the Borderlands franchise, cancer victim Michael John Mamaril, with the addition of an NPC named after Michael in Borderlands 2. Gearbox also posted a eulogy to Michael in the voice of Claptrap. The eulogy can be heard here http://soundcloud.com/tony-12-2/claptrap-eulogy-for-michael/s-tmwpd

Pre-order Bonuses:

Get the "Deluxe Vault Hunter's Collector's Edition" of Borderlands 2 which goes for $100.00 and you get all these goodies:

A Markus Kincaid bobble head

Collectable Stick Set

A Map of Pandora

Inside the Vault art book

Bonus DLC

Whether you get the standard or the collector's edition as long as you pre-order you gain access to the "Premiere Club" giving you:

The Vault Hunter's Relic: this boosts your great-hunting fortune

The Mechromancer DLC

A Golden Key which unlocks a rare item in the "mysterious" Sanctuary loot chest.

And a Gearbox Gunpack: a package of unique gearbox golden guns to help you out on your starting adventure in Pandora.

I hope to see you all out in the wastelands of Pandora. Borderlands 2 hits store shelves for XBox 360, PS3 and PC September 18th 2012.