The long awaited sequel of a game that graced the console world with a new interesting and powerful gameplay aura will soon be hitting shelves with a plethora of improvements; improvements that are too numerous to list. Three years have subsided since players first trekked on the hideous and unforgiving wastes of Pandora. Gearbox is most certainly preparing for a release that is due for success beyond any measure possibly achieved by its first Borderlands release.

Pandora, home to billions of bullet casings buried beneath drought bearing heat and Skag corpses nothing more than brittle bones, Borderlands 2 will spare all a reiteration of such a landscape and bring forth a much different face of Pandora. Players familiar with the series will immediately realize notable changes in world environments as they first explore a town named Sanctuary, a town briefly mentioned in the original Borderlands. Differing in many degrees from Fyrestone in both terms of aesthetical prowess and population, Sanctuary is home to many homes and recognizable faces. From the greedy and arrogant Marcus to the steroid pumped arms of the behemoth known as Brick, players will be able to accept quests from NPCs from the original Borderlands. Some of these quests will actually be initiated via conversations with the original cast of Borderlands which, to ease some dismay, will play more than an almost non-existent role in the Borderlands sequel. Aside from the obvious improvements of Sanctuary from Fyrestone, there exists many other beings which you may be able to converse with and shops to purchase goods from.

Exiting the freezer and hopping straight into the frying pan, as players leave Sanctuary and indulge themselves in a little outdoors exploration, changes by the dozens will inevitably ensue. With new classes being available for selection, players will be able to access the proficiencies of another Siren with her Phaselock ability, the Gunzerker’s dual wielding capability, Zero’s Deception ability, and the Commando’s reliable turret arsenal. Additionally comes plenty of customization options for all these characters. Whilst fighting baddies out in the merciless expanse of Pandora, players can modify more than color palettes for their characters. Players will be able to swap clothing articles, hair styles, accessories, and much more as they unlock or purchase them by specific means. Aesthetics aren’t exactly what Borderlands is renowned for, nor shall it be a pivotal factor for its success, but Gearbox has expanded upon its core aspects. Players will be greeted to an redesigned skill tree which keeps a similar system as the old, but allows for much more customization and tailors to the playing style of the player. Players will be able to build their character by selecting certain skills rather than being forced to select a few available ones. Gameplay will be notched up many times, for players will notice a revamped inventory. Rather than sifting through lists of weapons, challenges, and stats, Gearbox has effectively organized the inventory system for rapid access. A formal trading system is also seemingly going to be introduced in Borderlands 2 so players can properly trade guns, ammo, money, and more with one another. That is one of the many perks of an improved inventory system and buffed core gameplay aspects.

Guns, guns, and more guns. Borderlands 2 is to hit a mark higher than before with their weapons and their variety. Weapons in Borderlands 2 will be far more numerous and varied in their capabilities, looks, and rarity. The rarity, strength, and looks of these weapons are all decided by their manufacturer, like in the original Borderlands, but unlike the original Borderlands, manufacturers will play a much bigger role in weapon variety. Players will eventually become accustomed to certain manufacturers for withholding specifications both aesthetically and physically that players may favor certain manufacturers and gun types more than others. Many can remember the little to no role manufacturers held in the original Borderlands as players sought out the most powerful gun rather than the most powerful gun in a manufacturer’s repertoire. Of course these guns are utterly useless without spending money and ammo for their magazines. Gearbox, lifting an eyebrow to the utter necessity of ammo and money, graciously removed the need to pick up ammo and money by holding that rusty X button on your Xbox controller. Money and ammo from enemies killed by players will automatically fly towards them allowing players to focus on the heat of combat rather than worry about letting other teammates pick up money or ammo, or letting the money and ammo simply disappear. With guns loaded, players will be introduced to enemies to unload their arsenal upon. Enemies in Borderlands 2 will feature quite the cast as players duke it out with the old Psychos and Skags and worry about bigger, more dangerous enemies; dangerous enemies of which may lack a weakspot on the head. Combat will be much more heated and players will be able to enjoy fighting enemies without having qualms about the game being too redundant with its selection of enemies.

Borderlands 2 is to have the listed features and much more as players will be able to experience on Borderlands 2′s release date: September 18th, 2012. From looting treasure chests in caves populated by alien creatures to completing a quest line with an added meaningful purpose, Borderlands 2 is bound for extreme unequivocal success in Gearbox’s production line. Are you excited enough to take a sick day with your friends and play a true sequel to the original Borderlands? Do you trust Borderlands 2 may be a formidable contender for Game of the Year alongside other foreseeable blockbusters such as Halo 4 and Black Ops 2? Regardless, be prepared for Gearbox’s Borderlands 2 to be dropping with much fanfare in stores around the world in the upcoming months to come.