For starters, there’s a whole new level of rare gear just waiting for you to find it. Pearlescent Gear comes with the benefit of having two elemental damage types on it, with enemy resistances and weaknesses causing your gear to automatically default to what will cause the most damage. Although you’re going to have to do a bit of farming to get them to drop, they’re well worth the effort when playing on harder difficulties.

As for the new missions, you’re going to be assisting Defiant Calder quell the influence of a malevolent presence in the mountains that the Augers have been appeasing with human sacrifices. Calder has decided that enough is enough and is going to join the Vault Hunters in eliminating it. Aside from new Ordonite-encrusted enemies and bosses, there’s a new Vault Card with a lot of cosmetic unlockables and some excellent rewards for finishing the main story missions.

Of course, there’s plenty more to come, including the first paid expansion, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned. It’s out next month and adds a new playable Vault Hunter, C4SH.

At its heart, each Borderlands game is about balance. It’s about balancing humor and heart against a subtle analysis of corporate greed and oppression. It’s about balancing excellent shooting with a loot drop system that allows for a lot of creative expression. It’s about balancing the old and the new in ways that make sense in each successive instalment. We could go on and on.

However, Borderlands 2 stands out as a highlight in the franchise’s history, and we would say that it’s one of the most solid experiences that takes everything that made its predecessor special, and dials those elements up to a hundred with aplomb. It’s a game that we would gladly start over given a chance.

But what makes it such a great title in our book? Strap yourselves in and find out.

An Ambitious Sequel

While the story of the first Borderlands game certainly entertained us when we first played it, the sheer scope of its sequel’s narrative made it look like a proof of concept in retrospective comparison.

Taking the premise established in the first game to new heights, Borderlands 2 was quite the rollercoaster, expanding on events in the first game while also bringing in a new set of Vault Hunters into the fold. However, by including the main characters from the first game as NPCs, Gearbox Software cleverly bridged the gap between its games and established a sort of continuity between them that would, well, continue, in Borderlands 3.

The new story was able to sustain the humorous tone of the first game while also bringing a lot of heartfelt moments to the table in a way that was not only organic, but so well-paced and well-written that it had us wondering if the first game was only a prologue to Borderlands 2.

Angel’s introduction and the conclusion to her story continues to give us goosebumps and serves as an example of how Gearbox managed to balance a light and breezy tone with darker moments that were sure to have players on the edge of their seats. You never knew what was coming next in Borderlands 2, and that made it a very special game in out book.

A clever move was setting up the new narrative in the aftermath of events in the first game. It was a clever way of introducing Eridium and Handsome Jack into the mix, while allowing for entirely new Vault Hunters to take up the mantle of protagonists from the old guard.

Doing so allowed Gearbox to increase both the size and scope of Pandora as well as its unique gameplay systems while providing the narrative space to include a slew of new characters who joined the returning cast to make Borderlands 2 a very ambitious tale indeed.

And it was a move that worked well. Handsome Jack’s efforts to secure a new Vault and his subsequent takeover of Pandora was the perfect way to expand on the narrative from the first game. It also allowed Gearbox to get quite creative in other areas of the game, as even the best of main narratives would not excuse a lack of innovation in gameplay mechanics and world building in a franchise that earned its reputation for precisely those reasons.

But Borderlands 2 was able to live up to that challenge.

Pandora 2.0

The game’s expanded story had the added benefit of allowing Gearbox to add a more varied set of biomes for the Vault Hunters to explore. Pandora in Borderlands 2 was more than just a vast desert.

It included lush grasslands, cold and desolate glaciers, murky swamps, and volcanic areas, allowing Gearbox to flaunt a vastly expanded vision for its art style from the first game. It was a benchmark in creative freedom, allowing its artists to let loose their ideas and bring variety to a title that thrived on it in other areas of the experience.

With the results out there for all to see, it’s clear that Pandora’s makeover was one that not only made sense from a narrative standpoint, but was also quite instrumental in making the experience of playing through Borderlands 2 all the more immersive as a result.

It’s a feat that can be quite hard to achieve by any standards in modern gaming, and Gearbox must be commended for its novel approach that encouraged its artists to go nuts with their designs. It’s a move that allowed Borderlands 2 to explode with colors and distinctive visual overtones, making Pandora much more attractive as a destination in the process.

We can’t really blame Handsome Jack for setting up shop there, to be honest.

More Vault Hunters, More Insanity

While a new story and an expanded Pandora were important factors in making Borderlands 2 as appealing to us as it is, they pale in comparison to the way in which its cast continues to occupy a place of fond nostalgia in our minds.

The four new Vault Hunters were the perfect blend of the old and new, bringing fresh new tweaks to the abilities of their predecessors while managing to stand out on their own enough to be compelling protagonists. Zer0 continues to be among our favorite assassins, Edward Kenway and Ezio Auditore notwithstanding.

But where Borderlands 2 really hit the nail on its proverbial head was the clever integration of the previous game’s Vault Hunters into its expanded narrative, allowing the franchise to create a sort of bridge between the old and new in a manner that made sense while fleshing out each of those characters in a way that felt both satisfying and rewarding for its players.

Learning more about the new Vault Hunters by discovering their voice logs was another highlight of the experience, allowing Gearbox to overcome the limitation of them being largely silent protagonists while providing its players with another incentive to try and visit every possible corner of Pandora that they could find.

And that brings us to Handsome Jack. As an antagonist, he not just stole the spotlight away from the rest of the cast, but made it his own. Flitting between nonchalant arrogance and megalomaniacal rage, he continues to be among our most favorite antagonists of all time in modern gaming.

Daemon Clarke’s take on the character is one that is so unique, we almost found ourselves rooting for Jack at several points in the story. Up until Jack’s actions at a crucial point in the game’s narrative changed our opinion of him forever, that is.

And of course, there was Tiny Tina. Ashley Burch’s ability to bring the character to life deserves a special mention especially in the intervening years since she took on the challenge of making Aloy a mainstay in PlayStation’s lineup of frontline characters on its Horizon franchise. It’s not everyday that a character is so good they get their own spinoff title, after all.

Borderline Psychotic

And that brings us to the gameplay. The gameplay loop on offer in Borderlands 2 is yet another example of how Gearbox was able to blend the old and the new, bringing meaningful improvements to what made its first game special in ways that retained the original’s familiarity while its new additions screamed of innovation.

The core experience remained largely the same as the first game, with Borderlands 2 being an excellent looter shooter that allowed its players to utilize each Vault Hunter’s new skills in creative ways either solo or with their buddies in tow. That part didn’t change, and it didn’t have to.

But the new and improved loot system, and the ability to share gear between cooperating players brought a layer of immersion to its collaborative multiplayer shenanigans. Expanding on the procedurally generated loot system of the previous game while adding new weapon manufacturers each of whom brought a quite distinctive style to their weapons was a stroke of genius in many ways.

For starters, it allowed each player build to feel very unique and distinctive while also allowing for an easier time making those builds thanks to the ability to share loot. Second, it tied in very well with Pandora’s new expanded size and scope, making the planet feel more alive and thriving with life than the first game could hope to manage.

And lastly, it made Borderlands 2’s combat all the more engaging, with players incentivized to take on enemies with the hope of getting their hands on a weapon that truly suited their playstyle or one that they could pass on to that one friend who sorely needed a better tool of destruction.

The expanded loot system had us spending many an entertaining hour collecting weapons and swapping them in and out of our builds. It was an excellent expansion of an already fantastic gameplay mechanic, and will remain a source of fond memories of Borderlands 2 just like everything else in the game.

Intuitive Innovation

Borderlands 2 was a showcase of Gearbox’s ability to gauge the elements of its titles that worked, and its determination to enhance ones that didn’t in order to present a cohesive, inspired experience for its players.

It’s no surprise that the game has achieved the success that it did. While Borderlands 3 was an equally solid game in its own right, it is the second instalment in this evergreen franchise that holds a special place in our hearts. Perhaps Borderlands 4 can change that when it releases later this year? We certainly hope so!

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The critical response hasn’t been any better. Out of 99 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, nine percent – yes, nine – are positive. On Metacritic, Borderlands has an average Metascore of 27 from 31 critical reviews. There have been criticisms over its pacing, dialogue, and horrendous humor, but others point out how predictable it is.

Some have noted that the film doesn’t lean enough into the insanity or gore of the games, which is funny considering Mad Max is an inspiration for Borderlands. My favorite is probably from PC Gamer, who cited that even if this was to be some grand “righting of the scale” for movie adaptations, Borderlands isn’t even as interesting as the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie.

What happened? Honestly, it’s easier to say what didn’t. Announced in 2015, the Borderlands movie has seen numerous changes and production delays. Shifting screenwriters, script rewrites, reshoots – even the composer was replaced. Though it’s not unheard of for such things to happen in Hollywood, it’s still a coinflip as to whether the project is worth watching, if released at all (see Warner Bros. and Coyote vs. Acme or Batgirl).

In the case of long production cycles, it’s not uncommon for studios to release a long-delayed film to see some returns, quality be damned (which didn’t work out for Borderlands). Some may not even know it’s been in the works for so long. After all, the franchise was arguably at its peak with Borderlands 2 in 2012. Borderlands 3 did well enough financially but earned significant ire from fans and critics for its terrible dialogue, story-telling, plotholes and stilted characterization when it launched in 2019.

If you watch the film, much less its trailers, or know anything about its plot, it’s clear that those in charge aren’t necessarily trying to adapt any single story from the games. It instead takes the characters, setting, identifiable weapons and vehicles, and tosses them into this mess of a storyline that only vaguely follows the first game. And that’s only the beginning of all the problems.

To start with, the cast comprises Roland, Tiny Tina, Krieg and Lilith. Now stop there for a second and ask when this could be set. Then consider that Lilith is a bounty hunter hired by the Atlas corporation to rescue Tina. Why? Because she’s the daughter of Atlas. Also, Lilith is native to Pandora and hasn’t been to the planet since childhood. No, you’re not misremembering the original game’s events – the film is just that bad.

Things only worsen when it’s revealed that Tina is supposedly created from the Eridians’ genetic material. The only reason Atlas wants her is to open the Vault on Pandora. There’s some hint of the Destroyer inside by the end, and oh, Tannis is Lilith’s foster mother. I won’t spoil the grand “twist” but suffice it to say that the handling of the Eridians and the Sirens is bizarre.

Besides the horrendous story and how it leverages concepts and plotlines from the series willy-nilly without any regard, the casting is simply not it. Cate Blanchett is talented, and somehow manages to lend a bit of class to what’s essentially a rundown production, but only highlights just how horrendous everything else is in comparison.

I can appreciate Kevin Hart for taking Roland’s role seriously, but once again, he’s far from the first choice when you consider Roland’s character. Jamie Lee Curtis is wasted in such a restricted role and not even Jack Black as Claptrap feels right. These are all big names on paper, but as films like Dolittle and The Suicide Squad have showcased over the years, they won’t guarantee success, especially when misused like in Borderlands.

Then there’s the humor. Maybe it’s because I’ve become desensitized to the series, but even going by the trailers thus far, I’m indifferent to the comedy. It should come off as insane and off the wall, like a crude, discount Suicide Squad or Guardians of the Galaxy. Instead, it feels sterilized, dull, and insignificant. At the end of it all, I can’t help but ask, “Why?” Then again, given some of the slop Hollywood has released throughout the decades, it’s not unexpected.

When you look back on the original Borderlands, it doesn’t necessarily strike you with its incredible story-telling or characterization. Besides the Vault Hunters, noteworthy characters include gun vendor Marcus, Dr. Zed and the Psychos roaming Pandora. The dialogue and delivery are nowhere near the caliber of the second game, though they’re plenty serviceable.

Yet there was an atmosphere to it all – dark humor pervading the cartoonish facade and elements of humanity that made it feel alive. It also didn’t hurt that the looting and shooting were pretty fun, and there was genuine intrigue and mystery surrounding the Vault. Sure, the cliffhanger ending annoyed many (though it set up the sequel well enough), but Gearbox didn’t overplay its hand when unraveling the deeper lore of Pandora.

Translating all that to a movie is difficult because you’re not the Vault Hunter who’s partaking in the madness alongside Pandora’s denizens. You’re along for the ride, and that ride happens to be utterly awful when it’s not surprisingly boring. It doesn’t offer any revelations or even attempt to wrap the audience in some of the series’ more compelling elements and lore.

It also doesn’t cater to those who like the games. With everything that happened in Borderlands 3 and how disappointing the story was for many, can you imagine if Lionsgate opted to make an animated film based on the first game and leaned into the carnage? If handled well, it could have reminded fans why they loved the series in the first place. Tie it into whatever Borderlands 4 ends up being, and you have a venerable marketing tool.

Of course, the keywords are “If handled well.” Borderlands isn’t a failure only because of its production troubles, miscasting, terrible script, lack of understanding of the franchise, unclear vision, and whatnot. It’s an abject failure because it’s simply borrowing elements from the games and wrapping them in a formulaic Hollywood blockbuster that does nothing to capture that signature feel.

Maybe it’s harsh judging it by the standards of critically acclaimed video game adaptations like HBO’s The Last of Us or Amazon’s Fallout. Production kicked off in 2015 – how could Lionsgate have known that it wouldn’t have nearly as much awful company when it launched?

Nevertheless, expecting anyone to pay to watch it in any year is unreasonable. At the end of the day, it serves as a reminder that companies can take an adaptation – even one that should be as straightforward as Borderlands – and, one way or another, ruin it beyond repair.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

“Thank you for your thoughts and care for The Gearbox Entertainment Company as some reports of internal communication and actions are starting to flow through public channels,” it stated.

“As we strive towards our mission to entertain the world, we are grateful that our talent and capability are of interest to you and your audience. The Embracer Group will continue to report on their restructuring program that impacted some parts of Gearbox today that are not tied to the development of Gearbox Software games.” It seemingly suggests that the development teams are affected (or the projects aren’t facing any trouble).

“Thank you for granting us the space to remain focused on our people and in our handling of the situation with compassion and manage the process, balancing between our present duty and a commitment to our future.” Again, the extent of the layoffs is unknown. However, former PR manager Jennifer Locke said that she was among “countless others” laid off.

2K Games confirmed that Borderlands 4 is in active development (with rumors noting that the team’s leadership had seen some shake-ups). However, Gearbox has six games “in various stages of development”, per Take-Two, including a new IP. Five of these are sequels – aside from Homeworld 3 and the next Borderlands, that means there are three unannounced sequels in the works.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2 is rumored to be in the works, having reportedly undergone a soft reboot. With Gearbox owning the Risk of Rain IP, perhaps it has something in mind for that as well. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.

Embracer CEO and co-founder Lars Wingefors said, “Today’s announcement marks the result of the final structured divestment process and is an important step in transforming Embracer into the future with notably lower net debt and improved free cash flow. Through the transaction, we lower business risk and improve profitability as we transition to becoming a leaner and more focused company.

“After evaluating several options for Gearbox, I am happy that we have reached a solution that is in the best interest of all stakeholders. Randy and the team have been great team members throughout the past years, and I would like to thank them all for that. As one of the world’s greatest games developers, I am confident that Gearbox will continue to innovate and thrive in their new home within Take-Two.”

Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford added, ”As a significant long-term Embracer Group shareholder, I believe in the strategy for the Embracer Group and am completely convinced that this transaction is the best possible scenario and an obvious net positive arrangement for Embracer Group, for Take-Two and, of course, for Gearbox Entertainment.

“My primary interest is always Gearbox, especially our talent and customers. I want to personally assure fans of our games that this arrangement will ensure that the experiences we have in development at Gearbox will be the best they can possibly be.”

Take-Two is no stranger to working with Gearbox, having published the Borderlands series, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the underwhelming Battleborn and long-in-development Duke Nukem Forever under its 2K Games label. Gearbox’s sale follows that of Saber Interactive, recently acquired by a private investor group, and nearly a year of studio closures and layoffs at Embracer.

As for the future of Gearbox, it’s reportedly working on Borderlands 4, with leadership rumored to have faced a reshuffling, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2, which allegedly saw a “soft” reboot. Stay tuned for more details and potential announcements in the coming months.

However, the hybrid platform received Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition on October 6th. It includes the base game, four story DLC packs, +30 cosmetics, the Designer’s Cut and Director’s Cut for $59.99. Pandora’s Box also throws in Borderlands 1 and 2 with their DLC, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales from the Borderlands and New Tales from the Borderlands.

The question is whether Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition owners on Switch can upgrade to the Pandora’s Box version. Such an offer is already in place for Xbox owners who own any game from the latter, so we’ll need to wait and see.

Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box could be announced at The Game Awards on December 7th along with the rumored Borderlands 4 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box for Nintendo Switch has been rated by Germany's software rating organization USK.#Borderlands #BorderlandsSwitch pic.twitter.com/EN2cYo47vU

— Kurakasis (@Kurakasis) November 24, 2023

In addition, players get DLC for all titles, which means numerous story packs, customization packs, Class Packs and more. Perhaps the best part about all this is that the collection is available until September 15th for $59.99 (after which it will retail for $149.99).

Xbox players who own any single game can upgrade to the Pandora’s Box collection for $30, while PlayStation owners must Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition or Borderlands: The Handsome Collection on PS4 or Borderlands 3 on PS4 or PS5 to upgrade for the same price. PC players on Steam can pay for whatever content is missing.

As for Nintendo Switch players, Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition launches on October 6th.

The collection includes Borderlands 1-3, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales from the Borderlands, and New Tales from the Borderlands, with all DLC included. It’s a digital-only release that retails for $149.99 but will be available at $59.99 for a limited time. Those who own any games on Xbox can purchase the bundle for $30 on the Microsoft Store to complete their collection.

PlayStation owners who own Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition or Borderlands: The Handsome Collection on PS4, or Borderlands 3 on PS4/PS5 can upgrade to Pandora’s Box for $30 from within any of these games. On Steam, players will have to pay for any content that isn’t owned, with the final cost reflected on the Steam Store page.

As spotted by Gematsu, Borderlands 3 has been rated for the Nintendo Switch by European classifications board Pan European Game Information (PEGI). The PEGI classification entails ratings for Borderlands 3: Director’s Cut, as well as all of the DLC it includes, suggesting that an announcement could be made soon. A placeholder release date of December 1 is also mentioned for the game’s Switch version.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that this has happened. Borderlands 3: Director’s Cut was rated for the Switch in April 2021, though shortly afterward, it was confirmed by publisher 2K that the rating was an error on PEGI’s part, which means there’s no certainty that that isn’t the case this time. Stay tuned for more updates on this front.

Borderlands 3 is currently available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. 2K recently announced that the game has shipped over 16 million units worldwide.

The franchise has sold-in over 77 million units, up from the previous 75 million. Despite the success of Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2 continues to be the top-selling title for 2K Games. It’s sold-in nearly 27 million units to date, up from 26 million in August.

Time will tell if Gearbox revisits the Borderlands series for its next title, especially given the success of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford revealed that the spin-off had “shattered all of our target expectations, both critically and commercially.” Future experiences are “already under development” at Gearbox, though whether this means more DLC or a sequel is unknown. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.