Each features two branches of three abilities each with five stages, which then join together for four more abilities of increasingly powerful scope. There are three trees to invest in Motion, Harmony and Cataclysm. The character build we were given was at level 20, so our first task was to spend the skill points that had been amassed along the way. The four-legged beasties haven’t been eradicated from Pandora quite yet. It’s a viable crowd-control tool, an ability that comes in handy when you’re surrounded by a family of snarling Skags. This is a skill that allows Maya to suspend enemies in a kind of mid-air vortex, making attackers vulnerable to damage and unable to deal it.
What we can reveal in more detail are the Siren’s abilities, the most important of which is Phaselock. It’s a bold claim considering the numbers involved, one that’s impossible to verify in our short play time.
Now each of the “gazillions” of guns should be more recognisable by their manufacturer than ever before, each brand carrying its own individual traits. This focus on loot is accentuated by what Gearbox are hoping will be greater differentiation between weapons. Even the organic sacks dangling up above spat out loot, like an arms dealer’s piñata. In the mission that we played, the deep purple, fungal environment was dotted with mushrooms and growths. That’s right, Borderlands 2 is as much about loot as ever before, with guns, cash and ammo bursting from every conceivable source. You can talk about Borderlands 2’s new ideas, improvements and refinements all you like (and we will, promise), but one thing remains consistent: It’s your job to blast everything that moves, then hoover up whatever goodie filled detritus is left. And shoot lots and lots of things dead, of course. As the camera panned it revealed a giant dam, a lava dribbling volcano, waterfalls and a long pier leading to a mystery island. The camera swung lazily around our character, Maya, a tattooed, purple-bobbed Siren, as she stood atop a great peak. Indeed, we got a glimpse of this variety as the game sat idle before our latest play session. Spreading the reach beyond the east coast of Pandora featured in the first game, Borderlands 2 promises colour and variety galore, stretching from the plains to the icy blue tundra. So when Borderlands 2 was announced, one of the most pleasing snippets of news was that Gearbox were mixing things up a little. All cross-hatching and thick inky outlines, the graphic novel art style was a joy, but the sludgy brown colour palette that defined the environments was not. While the original Borderlands may have boasted a vast amount of variety in its weaponry, the same could not be said of the world.
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