Why i think Borderlands is one of the best games for playing with friends

As soon as I fired up the looter shooter I was greeted with a simultaneously understated yet awesome opening cinematic. My friend kike, and co-op partner in crime, decided it warranted multiple viewings. We chose our characters, decked them out with a small selection of customization options, and began our new adventure. I picked Maya the Siren, because I like to have control of the enemies and help my friends. He chose the Commando, Axton, because he enjoys using automated turrets to obliterate his enemies.

Borderlands 2 is built specifically for cooperative play. The main menu doubles as a matchmaking lobby, displaying what your friends are doing, what classes they are playing, and what mission they are working on. Starting a local or online co-op session is simple. I’ll sum it up by saying that you can play online with up to four players, locally with two players via split screen, and the game supports combo co-op. This means my friend and I can play split screen with two other online players. We can even take our local game online with another couple who are also playing split screen. Yes, that’s four players on two systems. 

Our story begins with- wait, wait, wait. I’m not going to ruin the story for you. You’ll want to experience it for yourself. While the original Borderlands had some great writing and colorful humor, at times it lacked direction and had a rather anticlimactic ending. Sure, the DLCs expanded on the fiction of Pandora, but the core game’s plot was a little disjointed.

Borderlands 2 still features the same absurd, over-the-top-humor. Non player characters (NPCs) are animated, making them feel like more than just a Bounty Board with a face. Some characters actually walk around Sanctuary, the main city and your home.

All of the major NPCs from the first Borderlands make an appearance, including some favorites from the DLC packages. You’ll encounter Claptrap, Scooter, Marcus, and many more, new and old. They’re all written well and often hilarious. This helps disguise the fact that most missions they'll send you on are simple fetch quests that include murderizing all the bad guys in the area. The original Vault Hunters are also incorporated into the story, and they are used remarkably well. 

You are going to love-hate this guy. 

One of the shining stars of Borderlands 2 is Handsome Jack, the villainous, sharp-tongued leader of the Hyperion Corporation. While the original Borderlands lacked a proper antagonist, Jack is the perfect embodiment of an omniscient evil. His giant space station looms over Pandora like a futuristic Eye of Sauron. He’ll frequently contact you through your ECHO device (basically a phone) to hurl insults and mock your efforts.

Once we were armed and had talked to a few characters we sunk our teeth into the actual game. Like the first Borderlands, our action skills didn’t unlock until we reached level five. As soon as my Phase lock skill popped I began to build the character that complimented my play style. Certain classes lend themselves toward particular strategies and weapons, but if you want to build a rocket Assassin or a shotgun Siren, feel free to experiment. You can always respec (reset) skill points for a small fee. 

The gameplay of Borderlands 2 is familiar, yet refined. I played the game solo, as part of a duo, and with three and four players. As a single player game, I found the game to be a satisfying treasure hunt. I took my time and explored the wilderness of Pandora. Gone are the brown junkyards and barren wastelands. Okay, there are still plenty of  junkyards and wastelands, but now green vistas and icy tundras break up the desolate landscapes. The lonely Pandoran twang of the music was familiar, and when the rhythm stepped up I knew I was in for a real fight. For my solo run I played as Zer0, the Assassin. His ability to snipe and displace using his Deception cloaking skill is great for solo play. Also, he’s a ninja. So there. 
Pablo Isaac Trujillo Rodriguez 1ro A