This Year in RPGs: September

Borderlands 2 (released 9/18/2012)

Bet you thought I was going to say Torchlight II, didn't you? While it is true that I love T2, Borderlands 2 sold heaps more copies, so I'm setting aside my personal taste to objectively recommend the title that the masses say is more good. Or is it gooderer? Anyways, Borderlands 2 is the successful follow-up to the co-op first person shooter packed full of RPG mechanics and pop culture references. Developer Gearbox calls it a role-playing shooter. I prefer to name the genre first-person looter, personally.

 I started the first one around five times, but always petered out a few hour in. It's not that I didn't like the game or didn't think that it was well done, but for whatever reason I would set it aside and find something else to play. So I haven't exactly gotten around to playing Borderlands 2, but here's what I know about it.

More Classes

In the original Borderlands you had 4 classes to choose from, in Borderlands 2, you have 5. Having not played the new classes I really can't comment on them, but since classes felt distinct and unique in the first title, I have no reason to suspect that they won't be well defined in the sequel.

More Guns

One of the thrills of RPGs is receiving a new item that is incrementally more powerful than the old version. Gearbox cranks this up to the max level (is it 11? I'm not sure) and adds so many weapons, some people have made the argument that Borderlands 2 is less of a game and more of a number comparison simulator. This is, of course, one of the many factors that make games like this addicting. "Sweet! I got a kick-ass new gun!" Followed five minutes later by "Holy shit! This gun blows that last gun out of the water!"

More Variety

One of the complaints about the first Borderlands was that most of the quests were just the standard "go here and kill x of this blank" fetch quest that dominates RPGs. Once again, I haven't played it yet, but from what I've read the quests have more variety to them than the previous title.

While you can play the game single player, Borderlands is one of those games where it is better played with other people. If you can, pick yourself up a copy. Better yet, pick yourself up two and give one to a friend. It is almost Christmas, after all.