Lady Siara
Member
Having recently beaten The Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 2 for the first time, Id like to share my feelings about the two. As a disclaimer, I have not played the DLC for either game nor Tales from the Borderlands, but plan on working through the DLC in the next week or so. Listen to the amazingly chill and ambient soundtrack as you read along!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OjKorsH_H8
Let me start by saying that TPS felt unfairly ridiculed near its release. Complaints included legendaries being recycled from 2 and the season pass falling a bit short, value wise, compared to 2s. While these are both valid complaints, this set an incredibly negative tone around the launch of the game for two relatively minor points. If youre one of the goobers who buys a season pass without knowing whats in it, thats your own fault. It also has very little to do with the base game and should not have been considered in the games scoring. TPS faced the same glorified expansion pack accusations that 2 did, and it was just as wrong then as it is now.
I preferred the humor in TPS compared to 2s, vastly. 2 felt insanely grating to me at times, like someone repeatedly asking you to pull their finger and staring at you in ass-clenched anticipation. They just couldnt wait for you to pull their fucking finger, and you knew exactly what was going to happen, yet they could barely contain their own laughter. Thats what the entirety of BL2s humor felt like: forced, predictable, and flat.
The plot and main quest line in both are pretty much on par. Nothing amazing, but serviceable. TPSs main quest line is slightly shorter, but I liked that it didnt overstay its welcome. It tries to humanize the antagonist of BL2, which was an interesting spiral downwards and doesnt feel contrived. The final boss in TPS was much better, having several forms and interesting mechanics vs BL2s largely static fight. The side quests in TPS are far superior, too. NPCs are full of life and personality. I can remember almost all of the colorful side characters, whereas the majority of side quests in 2 were given by the cast from 1 and the rest were from boring NPCs with little personality or purpose. References feel appropriate for the setting in TPS: 2001: A Space Odyssey, System Shock 2, Star Wars, etc. Compare this to some of BL2s hamfisted memes which rang hollow and havent aged well. 2s desire to make a reference at any moment for the sake of making a reference also grew tiresome. It felt like they just wanted to cram as many in as they could, no matter how pointless and inane.
TPS improves on 2s gameplay significantly. Almost everything is improved: movement, loot, elements, characters interacting during gameplay, the base cast having the most interesting action skills in the series...its wonderful. Antigravity, boosting, and butt stomps are great additions. They keep the flow of combat fluid, even when youre reloading and popping heads while zipping through the air is immensely satisfying. It also helps address a major issue Ive had with the series; moving through the big, open maps on foot is boring. Platforming up cliffs and across chasms keeps it fun and engaging, even when youre just moving from point A to point B. Theres also a fun sense of adventure when you find hidden chests up high in hard to reach areas. Maintaining oxygen was never an issue for me, even when using a kit that gave me a measly pool of 50. Jump pads are a blast and I loved the platforming bits later in the game, probably some of the best first person platforming Ive played. Thankfully there are very few flying enemies in TPS, though theyd be a lot less annoying with the additional vertical movement. They were truly a scourge on BL2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktgZ8kaS4Do
Loot drops felt much more balanced and shops are actually useful in TPS, so its always worth checking them. I found several legendaries in shops during my playthrough and it never broke the games difficulty while also giving money a use. I found just as many legendaries as I did purples in 2, whereas I was finding purples everywhere in TPS. Again, the game never felt too easy because of this, and kept the core gameplay loop of kill, loot, and use much more enticing. Whites had a purpose for a quest where 50 whites were needed and the grinder, which is a fantastic addition to the series. Combining useless loot for the chance to get something usable is just another enhancement that keeps you coming back. Moonstone, eridiums replacement, finds more utility as it can also be used to make an improved piece of equipment, both in rarity and bonuses.
Gone is the tedious slag element that brought combat to a screeching halt due to needing to paint an enemy and switching to another gun. Cryo, which replaces it, is visually stunning and well thought out, giving a bonus to critical hit damage, explosive, and melee damage. During my playthrough, I used a character who specialized in this element. I was able to freeze enemies, glide to them, butt stomp, and bitchslap their face, causing them to shatter into floating ice chunks. If thats not gaming bliss, I dont know what is.
I loved how the characters regularly talked to themselves during combat, making comments about enemies, loot, and even what other players were doing. Frequently Id hear my character tell everyone to stand behind Athena, who has a shield to block incoming damage. It helped the characters feel alive without being annoying and not just being a reskin of one another. The cast of characters in Pre-Sequel are the most interesting in the series, both from a plot and gameplay standpoint. Since all but one were featured in 2, its interesting to see their beginnings. All of the action skills feel great, including Willhelms, whose skill is closest to the dullest ones in the series (throwing a turret down). He has several skills to make it more active, such as picking a specific enemy to target, which will extend the duration of the skill if that enemy dies. Pre-Sequel also contains the most complex skill in the series, Fragtraps, which has up to 15 different outcomes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgr4O44rEc0
I could go on and on about this game. I bought this with relatively low expectations and was blown away. Its my favorite of the three, by far, and changed my apathy towards the series. Im now interested in playing Tales from the Borderlands, which Ive heard is fantastic. The negativity surrounding TPS at launch and even now boggles my mind. Please, give this game a chance, even if you didnt really care for the Borderlands series. Its a wonderful swan song from 2K Australia and Im going to be upset if the next Borderlands doesnt follow the example set by The Pre-Sequel.
tl;dr: Either read it or play The Pre-Sequel, you prick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OjKorsH_H8
Let me start by saying that TPS felt unfairly ridiculed near its release. Complaints included legendaries being recycled from 2 and the season pass falling a bit short, value wise, compared to 2s. While these are both valid complaints, this set an incredibly negative tone around the launch of the game for two relatively minor points. If youre one of the goobers who buys a season pass without knowing whats in it, thats your own fault. It also has very little to do with the base game and should not have been considered in the games scoring. TPS faced the same glorified expansion pack accusations that 2 did, and it was just as wrong then as it is now.
I preferred the humor in TPS compared to 2s, vastly. 2 felt insanely grating to me at times, like someone repeatedly asking you to pull their finger and staring at you in ass-clenched anticipation. They just couldnt wait for you to pull their fucking finger, and you knew exactly what was going to happen, yet they could barely contain their own laughter. Thats what the entirety of BL2s humor felt like: forced, predictable, and flat.
The plot and main quest line in both are pretty much on par. Nothing amazing, but serviceable. TPSs main quest line is slightly shorter, but I liked that it didnt overstay its welcome. It tries to humanize the antagonist of BL2, which was an interesting spiral downwards and doesnt feel contrived. The final boss in TPS was much better, having several forms and interesting mechanics vs BL2s largely static fight. The side quests in TPS are far superior, too. NPCs are full of life and personality. I can remember almost all of the colorful side characters, whereas the majority of side quests in 2 were given by the cast from 1 and the rest were from boring NPCs with little personality or purpose. References feel appropriate for the setting in TPS: 2001: A Space Odyssey, System Shock 2, Star Wars, etc. Compare this to some of BL2s hamfisted memes which rang hollow and havent aged well. 2s desire to make a reference at any moment for the sake of making a reference also grew tiresome. It felt like they just wanted to cram as many in as they could, no matter how pointless and inane.
TPS improves on 2s gameplay significantly. Almost everything is improved: movement, loot, elements, characters interacting during gameplay, the base cast having the most interesting action skills in the series...its wonderful. Antigravity, boosting, and butt stomps are great additions. They keep the flow of combat fluid, even when youre reloading and popping heads while zipping through the air is immensely satisfying. It also helps address a major issue Ive had with the series; moving through the big, open maps on foot is boring. Platforming up cliffs and across chasms keeps it fun and engaging, even when youre just moving from point A to point B. Theres also a fun sense of adventure when you find hidden chests up high in hard to reach areas. Maintaining oxygen was never an issue for me, even when using a kit that gave me a measly pool of 50. Jump pads are a blast and I loved the platforming bits later in the game, probably some of the best first person platforming Ive played. Thankfully there are very few flying enemies in TPS, though theyd be a lot less annoying with the additional vertical movement. They were truly a scourge on BL2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktgZ8kaS4Do
Loot drops felt much more balanced and shops are actually useful in TPS, so its always worth checking them. I found several legendaries in shops during my playthrough and it never broke the games difficulty while also giving money a use. I found just as many legendaries as I did purples in 2, whereas I was finding purples everywhere in TPS. Again, the game never felt too easy because of this, and kept the core gameplay loop of kill, loot, and use much more enticing. Whites had a purpose for a quest where 50 whites were needed and the grinder, which is a fantastic addition to the series. Combining useless loot for the chance to get something usable is just another enhancement that keeps you coming back. Moonstone, eridiums replacement, finds more utility as it can also be used to make an improved piece of equipment, both in rarity and bonuses.
Gone is the tedious slag element that brought combat to a screeching halt due to needing to paint an enemy and switching to another gun. Cryo, which replaces it, is visually stunning and well thought out, giving a bonus to critical hit damage, explosive, and melee damage. During my playthrough, I used a character who specialized in this element. I was able to freeze enemies, glide to them, butt stomp, and bitchslap their face, causing them to shatter into floating ice chunks. If thats not gaming bliss, I dont know what is.
I loved how the characters regularly talked to themselves during combat, making comments about enemies, loot, and even what other players were doing. Frequently Id hear my character tell everyone to stand behind Athena, who has a shield to block incoming damage. It helped the characters feel alive without being annoying and not just being a reskin of one another. The cast of characters in Pre-Sequel are the most interesting in the series, both from a plot and gameplay standpoint. Since all but one were featured in 2, its interesting to see their beginnings. All of the action skills feel great, including Willhelms, whose skill is closest to the dullest ones in the series (throwing a turret down). He has several skills to make it more active, such as picking a specific enemy to target, which will extend the duration of the skill if that enemy dies. Pre-Sequel also contains the most complex skill in the series, Fragtraps, which has up to 15 different outcomes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgr4O44rEc0
I could go on and on about this game. I bought this with relatively low expectations and was blown away. Its my favorite of the three, by far, and changed my apathy towards the series. Im now interested in playing Tales from the Borderlands, which Ive heard is fantastic. The negativity surrounding TPS at launch and even now boggles my mind. Please, give this game a chance, even if you didnt really care for the Borderlands series. Its a wonderful swan song from 2K Australia and Im going to be upset if the next Borderlands doesnt follow the example set by The Pre-Sequel.
tl;dr: Either read it or play The Pre-Sequel, you prick.
