Borderlands 2 looks to have exceeded expectations

2K Games’ Borderlands 2 hits UK retail this Friday – and if you weren’t excited before, the early reviews of the game may well change your mind.

A rudimentary appraisal of the game is that Gearbox is simply super-sizing its 2009 sleeper-hit, giving players more – well, a super-tanker-load more – of guns to shoot, enemies to kill and trinkets to pick up,” The Guardian says in tis 5/5 review.

There’s a kernel of truth to that, sure, but the game’s most immediate impact is made by Gearbox fleshing out the overall character of the universe it created in the first Borderlands.

The world of Borderlands 2 is a place where irreverent space-western sci-fi collides with trailer-park horror show hostility and all of it is shot through with rambunctious playground humour. The planet of Pandora is equal parts Firefly and Mad Max, with all of the dialogue and plotting taken care of by the creators of South Park.”

Videogamer awarded it 9/10, saying: On paper, this sequel reads much the same as the original. But it’s not – it’s a vastly superior game with a sharper focus, better quests and more enjoyable blasting. Borderlands 2 is a gamer’s game, so if you like shooting things, levelling up and exploring every cubby hole across a massive, varied world – if you love games, basically – then it’s definitely for you.”

Joystiq scored it 4.5/5, concluding: Borderlands 2is full of memorable moments and silly, crass folks – and if those silly, crass folks happen to be your friends, it’s easily one of the best co-op experiences out there, and one of the best games I’ve played all year.”

Rock Paper Shotgun was equally glowing in its assessment: Ultimately, the point is that this is a masterful game which understands its lot. It’s a sort of super-healthy offspring from the original: genetically superior and displaying all the original game’s standout traits with flair and confidence.”