IT-Game designs and development:
“Borderlands 2”
“Borderlands 2” is an action RPG first-person shooter, developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games on September 18 of 2012. It is the second game of the Borderlands series and also the sequel of the Borderlands (2009). This game has a financial success, being sold as for more than 8.5 million copies. “Borderlands 2” was well-met by critics, giving 89 score by Metacritic. The other reviews were high enough: 9/10 by IGN; 4.5/5 by GameSpy and 90/10 by PC Gamer. When DLC for this game was released there were two more playable additional characters (in total there are six playable characters). Were released new campaigns and upgrade packs. Borderlands 2 will be also released on the PS4 and Xbox One in spring 2015.
This game is a sequel to the first Borderlands. The game tells us the story of four (with DLC – six) different Vault Hunters, who follows the Vault for their own reasons and goals. For example Salvador was looking for something new, challenging and dangerous; Maya came to Pandora to get a better understanding of her siren’s abilities meanings; Zer0 was also looking for more challenging environment because he was tired of easy assassination orders; Axton went AWOL, using his skills and turret to serve as a mercenary; Gaige came to Pandora, as she thought that her talents will be more appreciated there. And as for Krieg the only thing is known that he has escaped from a lab below Pandora. According to the Gearbox teaser trailer, Krieg wants build a meat bicycle for two. Other goals of Krieg are unrevealed.
Also, there is a theory made by Reddit Borderlands 2 community, which says that there is a possibility for Krieg to be a father of Tiny Tina. As we know, parents of Tiny Tina were sold by Flesh-Stick to the Hyperion Corporation. They were pumped full of slag so Grace’s body couldn’t handle it so she was violently killed by this process (Grace is a possible name of the Krieg wife – he has a skin, called “WHERE ARE YOU GRACE”). Krieg, after witnessing the death of his wife, doubled by the extreme pain caused by the slag experience loses his mind and becomes the Krieg, whom we see today. Also, Krieg has a phrase when idling: “Where is she? Is she still alive? Did she get away?” These lines can be a reference to Tina (as it known, she escaped her fate using a grenade that she had hidden in her dress). Tina also has a drawing with a bald man with one red eye and an eye patch. Krieg IS bald, he has one red eye and an eye patch. But, no one from the officials approve this theory, made by fan community of Borderlands 2.
When the Vault Hunters were traveling through the Pandora, their train was blown up by Handsome Jack. The chosen Vault Hunter being found by CL4P-TP, who saved the life of the VH. From this point starts the main plot of the game. The hero faces many enemies, bandits, Hyperion robots, and Handsome Jack himself. During this journey player meets characters from the previous game: Roland, Lilith, Mordecai, and Brick. Their characters come as the NPC who guides and helps the player until the end of the game.
Dynamics of Borderlands 2 can excite almost every player by fast changing, sometime unpredictable events. For example, at first scene you save one of your NPC friend’s life and at the second scene this character dies, being shot by enraged Handsome Jack. Dramatically changing events don’t let the player relax and keep himself calm and still. Compared to the first game of the Borderlands series, Borderlands 2 is much more dynamic and active than the previous. There are more facilities, improvements, and gameplay enhancements so the player feels himself as he plays something different, not only the sequel.
Game design of this game is quite unusual. Sometimes it’s boring, repetitive and almost doesn’t reward the player. But it’s obviously a successful design because people don’t stop playing and enjoying it (for example on 18.10.2014 16:20 GMT+0 there were 15.234 players, according to Steam statistics). Borderlands 2 is a very fun and casual game that doesn’t require much focus on commitment or involvement than spending a lot of playtime around the character builds and a huge amount of weapons.
Improvements in game design as dropping restrictive weapon specialization and adding bonuses and the “Badass” goals made a new challenge and increased gameplay hugely. But both Borderlands have terrible designs aboard some different parameters. Also, there is a thing to mention – game music. The music in this game is awesome. It was awesome in Borderlands one, and it’s even better in Borderlands 2. Almost every soundtrack fits its area well with correct rhythm and tempo.
The main plot of Borderlands 2 is more interesting than the first one, but it is still too short and obvious. The amount of time required to complete the main story is 3-5 hours, without any glitches, speed run only. About 90% of the Borderlands 2 NPC is nothing more than the quest dispensers. This aspect of MMORPG isn’t good in the Single Player games. The quests are improved; some of them are more thoughtful with special optional goals. But again, most of the quests are similar to MMORPG find-and-fetch or to kill X number of Y species quests. It is still boring to rush the way to the waypoint and to walk around looking for an item you need to get for quest. And this happens while the player shooting a huge bunch of bad guys who want to lower your health bar below zero.
There are no RPG elements at all. “RPG elements” start and end right when the player decides to choose between the gun X and gun Y, where gun X has more DPS and gun Y has more accuracy for example. Shopping for new class abilities isn’t a role-playing too, only the micromanagement.
“Borderlands 2” is considered by its players as a loot-grab game, where 99 percent of the loot found by player isn’t good enough as the player’s equipment. Shops and dispensers are stocked by useless junk items, with the occasional daily deal, to get which the entire backpack must be sold. The only thing which keeps people playing this game is leveling and the character development. “Borderlands 2” is an endless game about the leveling and looting better items. This happens because when player gets himself to the Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode he won’t be interested much in main quest due to beating it many times before.
“Borderlands 2” can be compared well to Diablo and Torchlight series. These games are similar in goals, features and story-telling. Player of each game has a main quest: to defeat the Evil of his world. For Borderlands 2 – to defeat Handsome Jack, for Diablo – to defeat Diablo and a Prime Evil and as for Torchlight 2 – to defeat the Alchemist. These games offer us to choose one of 4/6 playable characters, with different skills and equipment preferences. Each of games mentioned earlier has only one reason to do the main quest over and again. Each completion of the main quest opens a new game mode, which offers new level caps, new gear and sometimes new skills. All of this comes along with difficulty rising. Borderlands, Diablo and Torchlight series are games all around loot and grinding experience to get new levels. It is like a hamster wheel games, where the player is constantly trying to advance greater equipment, but everything he gets – nothing more than some minor, incremental change.
Surely, cooperative gaming makes Borderlands 2 feel a lot better than it comes as a soloing the main quest. If it played through every piece with a steady group, game design comes nearly as secondary. For example, when I played Borderlands 2 with my friends we talked about movies, politics, family and some other things. We didn’t pay attention on some bugs, game design problems or something like that. But also, playing Borderlands 2 in co-op and not focusing on its details doesn’t allow player to plunge into the game reality. The game reality of Borderlands 2 despite its disadvantages is very interesting and colorful. The great art direction, coupled with funny jokes and references helps this game to become more attractive for the customer. It becomes addictive, so player falls into a kind of a dull-eye stupor and enjoys this shooter with a huge amount of guns, quests and character options.
Players can also be pleasantly surprised by many Easter eggs and references to the other games. In Caustic Caverns can be found Solaire from Astora, the NPC character from the Dark Souls; reference to the Lion King can be found in the location of Wildlife Preserve – a stalker called Pimon with a skag Tumbaa and many other. These references can cause some kind of delight, when you see something familiar from another reality.
The Magic Circle theory can be also applied to the world of Borderlands 2. When the person plays in cooperative mode he can cross the membrane between the synthetic world and the Earth world. It results in discussions of the day’s weather or politics or some other things connected to the real life during the playtime. The distinction between an act from game and something out of it becomes inconsequential; two worlds are interacting with one another.
References
- Klabbers, Jan H. G. The magic circle: principles of gaming & simulation. 3rd and rev. ed. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2009.
- Montola, Markus, and Jaakko Stenros.Beyond role and play: tools, toys and theory for harnessing the imagination. Helsinki: Ropecon ry, 2004.
- Adams, Ernest, and Andrew Rollings.Fundamentals of game design. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2010.
