Sentimental X's (Day 338)

I feel like it's been really difficult to find the time to write these entries over the past few days--which is not to say that I haven't had plenty of free time, because I have. I have to be at work by 8 AM tomorrow, but even that's not all that restrictive when you consider I got off work at 5 PM today. However, I did some grocery shopping and had a conversation with my cousin once I'd gotten home. After that, I played Borderlands 2 with a friend for a few hours. It's the same guy that I played several co-op games with earlier this year like Seiken Densetsu 3 and Path of Exile.

In case it wasn't obvious by the content of this blog, I'm not really a shooter aficionado. For the most part, I find them pretty boring. Admittedly though, I've never given them an honest chance. I find console shooters hopelessly unplayable, but games like Borderlands on PC feel very natural to control with a mouse and keyboard. Years of playing WoW have made me more than comfortable with the WASD style of movement and the aiming comes with some practice. I'm still not a great shot, but I'm good enough that I can somewhat fend for myself.

What differentiates Borderlands 2 (and the original game) from other shooters is that extra element of progression. It's very heavy on RPG elements. Your characters level up and you acquire gear from slain opponents, shops, and your environment. Skill points can be allocated to talent trees to further customize your character. This is what gives me the incentive to keep playing. Don't get me wrong--the gameplay itself is quite fun. Even just that alone would probably be enough to get me to play it for a little while. However, I doubt I'd be motivated to finish the game if there wasn't that aspect of customization and progression present.

We kept trying to figure out what that weapon looked like

Borderlands 2 is very much akin to traditional computer action RPGs like Diablo in that there is a heavy emphasis on level grinding and sorting through endless piles of loot to determine the exact right item to upgrade your DPS by 1.2%. Fortunately, many weapons you encounter in your journeys will have interesting and occasionally hilarious effects that have tangible effects on your gameplay. You might find weapons by certain manufacturers that can be thrown like a grenade once the magazine is emptied--only to magically rematerialize in your hands after the explosion. You'll find scopes on shotguns and bullets that discharge electricity in all directions. All of these elements were present in the original game as well, so if Borderlands 2 loses anything, it's that it so far doesn't get any points in originality.

The sequel does introduce some new classes to the mix, though. Although the Siren returns, she's not quite like her old self--and along with her she brings the Commando, the Assassin, the Gunzerker, the Mechromancer, and the Psycho. Unlike Diablo 3 or Path of Exile, each class is associated with a unique character in the Borderlands universe. I like this aspect of the game because the characters pack a lot of personality, as evidenced by the off-the-cuff remarks they'll lob during combat and while exploring the world.

Although Borderlands 2 does feature a lot of elements that I'm familiar and comfortable with, the gameplay is more or less completely alien to me--or at least it would be had I not played the first game in the series. As it is, it seems like more of the same, but it's so polished and downright fun that I can easily forgive that. I've also only put in a few hours so far so there may well be gameplay elements that drastically expand on its predecessor that I just don't know about yet. Even if not, though, I think it'll still be a really solid and enjoyable game.