Back in 2009, Gearbox made it clear what Borderlands was, how to approach it, and what to expect. They provided us with a powerful shooter with RPG elements, heavily flavored with a terribly atmospheric game world and a more or less tolerable plot. The second part, dated 2012, was received as warmly by critics and players as the previous one. However, enough background: let's talk about Borderlands The Pre-sequel:
And, before continuing, I hasten to remind you that what is written below is purely the opinion of the author.
So,
plot: 7/10
One of the most difficult tasks, in my opinion, set before the developers was the need to justify the endless lamentations of the player with a sober plot background. In other words, not to allow the player to think, for what purpose, in the end, is he killing this next group of enemies? Unlike the previous part, they didn’t do so well here. Sometimes, however, there is a feeling of complete uselessness for the plot of the game as a whole, or at least the plot of a particular location, to complete one or another side task.
It’s quite difficult to talk about the whole plot without occasional spoilers, but in general terms it can be described as a subjective flashback to the second part, as follows from the title. They didn’t provide us with anything radically new, but we can admire what we have. The narration is engrossing.
Gameplay: 9/10
Variety has been the basis of the game throughout all three parts. New types of weapons, new options for leveling up completely new characters, new play styles and ways to progress. There are no complaints here. Each of the heroes added in this part is unique and extremely variable. The addition of new types of weapons and the processing of old ones has benefited the game: it is becoming increasingly difficult to find an analogue to the gun that you just threw away. I would also like to mention the system of oxygen-free spaces and low gravity in general. Oh, I was happy like a child when I first came across this feature. However, by the end of the game (and for some it may get boring in the middle) all this ceases to be so attractive, not to mention the fact that for some characters, albeit justifiably, it is completely unnecessary.
Graphics: 9/10
The visual part of the game did not undergo any drastic changes. Yes, the quality of textures has increased, newfangled options are now supported, but overall the picture is still the same, which cannot but please owners of older (relatively) PCs. The level design is top notch. There was nothing even close to this in the previous parts, mainly due to the fact that Pandora, where the actions of other games in the series take place, generally does not shine with landscapes. Here everything is different. You can, without exaggeration, “get stuck” in such a picture and just enjoy it.
Role-playing component: 9/10
A separate paragraph dedicated to one of the main differences between the Borderlands series and hundreds of thousands of other shooters. Basically, the character leveling system has not changed much from the previous parts. Still, we are given three development options for each character, three “branches” of his talents. However, Pre-Sequel introduced much more variability into leveling than was in the previous parts. If earlier the choice was between: “We will kill with bullets or the elements,” now we are allowed to decide, first of all, the role that our hero will play in battle, which cannot but please fans of old RPGs. The talents themselves have become more interesting and original, perks a la “increase damage by such and such a percentage” have practically disappeared.
As for the degree of immersion in the world, they tweaked it a little. Characters talk more actively with each other, get into verbal skirmishes with opponents, and interact with NPCs. And, believe me, these conversations will not let you get bored.
As a result, I personally saw a pleasant game that tells about Hero, Madness and... high jumping four meters.