PAX: Borderlands 2's Next Character is Krieg the Psycho
Krieg means war.
Borderlands 2
Players: 1-2 Players Offline, 2-4 Online Players
Publisher: 2K Games
Genres: First-person Shooter, RPG
Publisher: 2K Games
Genres: First-person Shooter, RPG
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Developer: Gearbox
MSRP: $59.99
Developer: Gearbox
MSRP: $59.99
Depart with four new characters onto the dangerous alien planet of Pandora in search of treasure, guns, and a challenge. Play as one of four different classes and use any of the millions of guns you can find to kill the competition.
Borderlands 2 Gets New Trailer and Details About DLC Mechromancer Class
Posted By Shaun K. about 9 months, 1 week ago
The Mechromancer…
It was just a few weeks back that the developers at Gearbox announced work on the main campaign for Borderlands 2 was complete and they were shifting their focus to DLC as a result. Clearly that work is proceeding well because both the visual design of the DLC Mechromancer class along with the first of her three skill trees has been finished. Confirming theories based on previously released design sketches, the Mechromancer class will indeed be built around her ability to summon a powerful and intimidating version of the series signature Claptrap robot to aid her in battle.
Appropriately named Deathtrap, once activated the massive bot will act as a tank dedicated to keeping its mistress alive. Deathtrap will even have a number of new abilities of its own scattered throughout all three of the Mechromancer’s skill trees, including one called the Explosive Clap that sees the bot approach a group of enemies and slam its hands together Hulk-style in order to trigger an explosion that will knock any foes in range back. Borderlands 2 producer Randy Varnelladd addresses Deathtrap and his place in the overall history of the series in the following quote:
John Hemingway, Borderlands 2 lead designer
It’s a bit of a departure from the norm. To have a class summoning another person for them to attack, that’s outside anything else we’ve done in Borderlands before.
Something tells me Deathtrap and BioShock’s Big Daddy would get along swimmingly. They have so much in common after all.
Returning to the aforementioned completed skill tree, its is titled ‘Best Friends Forever’ and features a set of abilities designed for players who may be either new to and/or lacking skills in the series/genre. One of Borderlands 2′s lead designers, John Hemingway, had the following to say regarding the ‘Best Friends Forever’ skill tree:
John Hemingway, Borderlands 2 lead designer
The design team was looking at the concept art and thought, you know what, this is actually the cutest character we’ve ever had. I want to make, for the lack of a better term, the girlfriend skill tree. This is, I love Borderlands and I want to share it with someone, but they suck at first-person shooters. Can we make a skill tree that actually allows them to understand the game and to play the game? That’s what our attempt with the Best Friends Forever skill tree is.
One example of how the BFF skill tree will make do this is can see via an early ability gained from it called Close Enough. This ability allows missed shots to potentially ricochet off walls and nearby objects and back towards the enemy. The character will also have a number of abilities centered around creating shields to protect herself; combine this with Deathtrap acting as a tank and its seems clear that the Mechromancer should be as effective on her own as in a group. And for those who fear that the Mechromancer will be a class only for newer or less skilled players, remember that the character still has two other skills trees. Indeed this was a fact Hemingway himself addressed below:
John Hemingway, Borderlands 2 lead designer
Right now, I’m thinking of it (one of the other skills trees) as a hardcore mode. So if you are a really expert player, and you want to do some tricky, difficult things, this is the tree for you, for just a totally different experience. We’re not ready to talk about it, because we have no idea if it’s even going to pan out. But we’ve got some interesting ideas there. The shock gameplay tree (i.e. the final sill tree) is all about shields and electrical damage. We’ve never really had an electrical-themed character skill tree. So that’s exciting to me.”
A closer look at the Mechromancer and her arm.
And as if all this was not already enough, there is also the matter of the Mechromancer’s highly visible mechanical arm which Hemingway addressed thus:
John Hemingway, Borderlands 2 lead designer
She’s got this robot arm. It immediately asks a few questions. Why does she have a robot arm? Where did she get it? Does it have special powers? We all love little things that get your mind immediately running. That’s what’s really exciting about the Mechromancer. Even for me, as the guy who’s going to build all the skill trees, I’m like, okay, robot hand, what does that do? Hmm. So you’ll definitely see a few things with the robot hand in her skill trees.
And to briefly address the unfortunate controversy that has been threatening to overshadow the real Borderlands 2 news today, I present the following statements made via twitter by Hemingway’s fellow Borderlands 2 lead designer Randy Pitchford without further comment:
Randy Pitchford, Borderlands 2 lead designer
Borderlands 2 does NOT have a girlfriend mode. Anyone that says otherwise is misinformed or trying to stir up something that isn’t there. The future DLC Mechromancer class has a skill tree that makes it easier for less skilled coop partners (any gender!) to play and be useful. It’s not a thing.
If Hemmingway happens to have a noob friend he wants to play with, it is not an indictment of the skill of *anyone* else in the world. A personal anecdote has been twisted and dogpiled on by sensationalists. Fun! There is no universe where Hemmingway is a sexist – all the women at Gearbox would beat his and anyone else’s ass.
As someone who enjoyed the overall Borderlands experience even while I struggled to complete the game thanks to my own weakness at the FPS genre, I personally find the idea of a class capable of such a seemingly high degree of customization both intriguing and appealing. While I am sure some amongst the so-called hardcore set will raise a fuss at the mere notion of making a game more accessible, the Mechromancer really does sound like a win-win prospect. This is especially true if Gearbox can successfully implement the hardcore skill tree along side the BFF one. And even if that does not pan out, the fact remains that the Mechromancer will be additional and optional content and only one choice out of five. So if the class does not sound appealing, then do not use it. Check out a just released trailer for the game below:
Borderlands 2 arrives for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC in the US on September 18 and in the UK and Europe on September 21. Stay tuned to Blistered Thumbs for continuing coverage of the game in the lead up to its launch and be sure to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Source(s): Gearbox Software. Eurogamer. @DuvalMagic (Randy Pitchford).
RAD Episode 265: Borderlands 2
Felicia Sexopants, Butt stallion and other weirdness... this is Borderlands 2.
Sage Reviews: Borderlands 2
One part FPS, one part RPG, and ten parts awesome.
Borderlands 2 Review - ZGR
After the massive success of Borderlands, does the sequel have what it takes to stand up to its predecessor? Daniel from ZGR takes a look at Borderlands 2!
Borderlands 2 Review
Wait a minute! These lands aren't BORDERED BY ANYTHING AT ALL!!! This requires some reviewing. Luckily, Johnny's on the job with his favorite pistol - Ol' Grumpy-and-Prejudiced-About-Sequels-to-Games-he-didn't-Like.
Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt Launch Trailer is a Hoot
Sir Hammerlock welcomes you for some high adventure across a new continent.
Details on Borderlands 2's "'Big Game Hunt' Leaked
A new continent awaits! Also, hidden details about the latest update.
Borderlands 2's Captain Scarlett Welcomes You to Play With Her Pirate's Booty
*Insert Random Pirate Lingo Here*
Gaige from Borderlands 2 Finally Gets Her Trailer
It may be a bit late but Gaige finally gets her trailer.
Borderlands 2 DLC Outed via PS3 Trophies
Captain Scarlett is coming soon, and she is bringing her Pirate booty with her.
Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt Launch Trailer is a Hoot
Sir Hammerlock welcomes you for some high adventure across a new continent.
Details on Borderlands 2's "'Big Game Hunt' Leaked
A new continent awaits! Also, hidden details about the latest update.
Borderlands 2's Captain Scarlett Welcomes You to Play With Her Pirate's Booty
*Insert Random Pirate Lingo Here*
Gaige from Borderlands 2 Finally Gets Her Trailer
It may be a bit late but Gaige finally gets her trailer.
Borderlands 2 DLC Outed via PS3 Trophies
Captain Scarlett is coming soon, and she is bringing her Pirate booty with her.
Borderlands 2 Review
Posted By Johnny Maloney about 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Borderlands 2 Review
You might know, if you’re a dedicated listener to the Blistered Thumbs Podcast, that I didn’t have a particularly high opinion of Borderlands. If you’re a REALLY dedicated listener you’ll also know that earlier this year I had a camera shoved up my urethra. How are those two related? Well, to those that don’t listen, it might interest you to know that I spent far more time, total, complaining about the original Borderlands than the camera in my penis. So when the time of Borderlands 2‘s release crept closer, the managing staff of Blistered Thumbs, naturally, did everything that they could to keep me away from playing it in any official capacity whatsoever. What they’ve learned is that THEY ARE NO MATCH FOR MY MIGHTY VOODOO.
| PROS | Greatly Improved Experience from the Original in Nearly Every Way |
| CONS | Classes Too Close to the Original, Single Player Suffers Still |
| WTF?! | Good thing I had my Bartlett’s Encyclopedia of References |
There honestly wasn’t anything nearing a conspiracy to prevent me from being the official BT reviewer of Borderlands 2, but everybody was quite worried as to whether or not I was capable of giving it a fair score. Through gently massaging every BT ego I came across, and by use of a very seductive (and extremely violent, overly stylistic) method of dancing I learned from watching the film Suckerpunch, worries were laid to rest, having convinced our Editor in Chief that I was really hoping to like Borderlands 2. I didn’t really think I was going to, but I’m sure people relaxed just by hearing it.
What I wasn’t prepared for was actually how much I really wound up liking Borderlands 2. Nearly every gripe I fired while taking aim at the first one was (for the most part) thoroughly addressed. The environments, the weapons, the characterizations, the quests, and the humor all get some attentive restructuring work. Surprising me the most however, was that the folks over at Gearbox appear to have gone rooting through their storage room and found a talented writer in there.
They call him Johnny Waffles because he really likes Pancakes.
Not only does the main plot bring much more to the table than Borderlands‘ weak and vague find-the-treasure-but-ohhh-no-it’s-a-monster-what-did-you-expect-the-planet-was-called-Pandora story, there’s an incredible amount of improvement done at how the story gets told. The best addition, both in terms of motivating me to continue fighting, as well as for full on laughs and interesting transitions is through the game’s antagonist, Handsome Jack. Jack’s an absolute delight as far as villains go, quipping immature insults, telling ridiculously brutal stories that he desperately tries to twist into painting him as the hero, and even when you get a chance to learn more about the charismatic Hyperion CEO who bleeds Pandora of life in an iron grip. More encounters with him and his cronies were an exceptional reason to continue the shooting, the looting, screwing my face up at horrible jokes, and the quests.
The quests receive much needed love too, with more voice time awarded to the quest providers, giving the world of Pandora a touch more life. People have reasons to get things done that are explained to you like a human being, not just handed to you as a “to-do” list of killing. Very seldom are the quests anything like the “kill a bunch of slags,” but instead find reasons to put yourself in a group of slags that just so happen to need a(n un)healthy dose of killing. It dresses the game up a bit, and makes the experience of hitting buttons for rewarding stimulus richer.
Handsome Jack – No relation to Gorgeous George.
The world of Pandora, too, gets an intense remodeling. No longer only bleak deserts, bandit camps, and caves, locales such as ice shelves, volcanic wasteland, verdant coastal lines, and cities (ACTUAL cities, with populations! That live there, walk, talk, and occasionally quote songs from the 1980s!) all grant a more engrossing atmosphere, populated by these more developed characters. The music and sound contribute to this even more, with a superb score, excellent acting, and engrossing sound effects. Even the one-off bosses seem to have a little more going for them by way of their chosen setting of confrontation and their mannerisms.
8/10
RAD Episode 265: Borderlands 2
Felicia Sexopants, Butt stallion and other weirdness... this is Borderlands 2. Sage Reviews: Borderlands 2
One part FPS, one part RPG, and ten parts awesome. Borderlands 2 Review - ZGR
After the massive success of Borderlands, does the sequel have what it takes to stand up to its predecessor? Daniel from ZGR takes a look at Borderlands 2! Borderlands 2 Review
Wait a minute! These lands aren't BORDERED BY ANYTHING AT ALL!!! This requires some reviewing. Luckily, Johnny's on the job with his favorite pistol - Ol' Grumpy-and-Prejudiced-About-Sequels-to-Games-he-didn't-Like.-
October 02, 2012 at 04:32am
Believe it or not, your’e even 0.5 point more positive then I was about this game. I wish you good luck with that camera sir and I also thank you for this review. I still strongly disagree with you on BL1 but hey everyone has his own teddy he/she likes to cuddle and in the end that is okay because we are all human worshipers of the great cartoon mouse. Good luck with your future endeavors
-
September 28, 2012 at 08:28am
And now people will send angry e-mails to Blistered Thumbs about how Johnny was wrong not to give this game a 10, and how he is a meanie poop head, so on and so forth.
I am currently on my first playthrough of Borderlands 2 (my copy only arrived two days ago) and so far I’m having a blast.
Borderlands 2 Review - ZGR
After the massive success of Borderlands, does the sequel have what it takes to stand up to its predecessor? Daniel from ZGR takes a look at Borderlands 2!
Borderlands 2 is AWESOME!
Time for some vault lovin’, gun huggin’, monster slayin’, WUB WUB pumping action!
RAD Episode 265: Borderlands 2
Felicia Sexopants, Butt stallion and other weirdness… this is Borderlands 2.
Platform32: Exclusive Borderlands 2 Gameplay and Interview
The British TV show is now on Blistered Thumbs!
Angry Joe PAX: Borderlands 2, FireFall, Counter-Strike, and LOTR!
We’ve got four new interviews on the most anticipated games at PAX! Joe gets answers
RAD Episode 265: Borderlands 2
Felicia Sexopants, Butt stallion and other weirdness… this is Borderlands 2.
Platform32: Exclusive Borderlands 2 Gameplay and Interview
The British TV show is now on Blistered Thumbs!
Angry Joe PAX: Borderlands 2, FireFall, Counter-Strike, and LOTR!
We’ve got four new interviews on the most anticipated games at PAX! Joe gets answers
People will complain about anything. Personally, I’m really excited about this. My sister is a hardcore gamer, but she mainly plays RPGs – she’s not very good with dual-stick FPS games. This way I can actually play it with her and she can have more fun enjoying the RPG aspects of the game without having to worry about her skill level at shooting. I think it’s a great solution.