(For the long-barrelled review, click here.)
Borderlands 2 can be said without hype to be hotly-awaited.
Borderlands' fusion of cooperative dungeon-busting in the style of Diablo 2 with a balanced and often hilarious futuristic first-person shooter, all done in a fresh, cartoonish style, took genuine risks in an often-conservative medium.
The sequel fixes some of the problems of the original - adding a stronger storyline and tweaked enemy AI - and delivers a technically hugely accomplished development on the solid foundation of the original, while building in new enemy types and complexity in character development. Most impressively, perhaps, the sense of anarchic fun is maintained.
Borderlands 2 is not perfect - but it is consistently excellent, and deserves praise both as a game and a great piece of progressive development.
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC (reviewed on Xbox 360)
Release date: September 18 (US), September 21 (UK)
Price: £39.99 (UK), $59,99 (US)
Rating: 9/10
