"A Solid Start To The Borderlands DLC Saga"
Upon completing the main story, I finally embarked on starting this DLC with my girlfriend to see if I would enjoy it as much as I did as a kid. It still has a solid premise and setting just as I expected, but the low enemy diversity, disappointing quests, and short story length made it a bit of a disappointing journey. It was definitely a wackier experience than the main campaign, but it also lacked a certain level of polish that made the original game consistent throughout. Whether it needed a more substantial story or greater enemy diversity I can’t say for certain, but it was still an enjoyable romp through a wicked zombified Borderlands setting!
The gameplay is still the same ol’ Borderlands experience, though it's against a large number of melee-oriented enemies. There are some projectile foes, but there's really only one type introduced throughout the experience. I wish there were more types of enemies that involved ranged combat so that fights would be a bit more diversified. The enemies were still unique in art design, but deeper gameplay interactions between them would’ve helped make fights more memorable throughout.
Missions are similar in presentation as well, though there is a much greater focus on humor in this first DLC. The setting is pretty cool and fits the quirky setting the game operates in, but I wish there was a bit more life brought to the murky swamps and run down community of Jakob’s Cove and the surrounding areas. Most of them are typical Borderlands missions, so the funny writing helps to try and distract the player from their similarities to the main game. It works though! Nothing ever felt serious, which is fine since this DLC’s premise is pretty out there. The ending fight against Dr. Ned is pretty funny too, as there’s a bit of a twist with his boss form that is pretty funny.
The new guns are neat, but aren’t “super” creative in design. There’s some nice increase in power which makes collecting them worth it, but in general you won’t be blown away by the amount of content at hand. The side quests are a mixed bag, with some being creative with their structure and satire while others are just boring collect-a-thons (the “Brains” questline was sort of lazy). However, the recurring characters, strong humor at times, and consistency with the main game’s gunplay loop make this a DLC I can Recommend. It’s not something that will shock or impress you, but if you want more “Borderlands” action it's a solid start to the bonus offerings that Gearbox offers through its DLC.
Final Verdict: 7/10 (Good)
Upon completing the main story, I finally embarked on starting this DLC with my girlfriend to see if I would enjoy it as much as I did as a kid. It still has a solid premise and setting just as I expected, but the low enemy diversity, disappointing quests, and short story length made it a bit of a disappointing journey. It was definitely a wackier experience than the main campaign, but it also lacked a certain level of polish that made the original game consistent throughout. Whether it needed a more substantial story or greater enemy diversity I can’t say for certain, but it was still an enjoyable romp through a wicked zombified Borderlands setting!
The gameplay is still the same ol’ Borderlands experience, though it's against a large number of melee-oriented enemies. There are some projectile foes, but there's really only one type introduced throughout the experience. I wish there were more types of enemies that involved ranged combat so that fights would be a bit more diversified. The enemies were still unique in art design, but deeper gameplay interactions between them would’ve helped make fights more memorable throughout.
Missions are similar in presentation as well, though there is a much greater focus on humor in this first DLC. The setting is pretty cool and fits the quirky setting the game operates in, but I wish there was a bit more life brought to the murky swamps and run down community of Jakob’s Cove and the surrounding areas. Most of them are typical Borderlands missions, so the funny writing helps to try and distract the player from their similarities to the main game. It works though! Nothing ever felt serious, which is fine since this DLC’s premise is pretty out there. The ending fight against Dr. Ned is pretty funny too, as there’s a bit of a twist with his boss form that is pretty funny.
The new guns are neat, but aren’t “super” creative in design. There’s some nice increase in power which makes collecting them worth it, but in general you won’t be blown away by the amount of content at hand. The side quests are a mixed bag, with some being creative with their structure and satire while others are just boring collect-a-thons (the “Brains” questline was sort of lazy). However, the recurring characters, strong humor at times, and consistency with the main game’s gunplay loop make this a DLC I can Recommend. It’s not something that will shock or impress you, but if you want more “Borderlands” action it's a solid start to the bonus offerings that Gearbox offers through its DLC.
Final Verdict: 7/10 (Good)