Gearboxs chaotic game of shoot & loot gets the VR treatment, but can it survive the loss of multiplayer and all that lovely DLC?
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When Borderlands 2 came out towards the end of 2012 it was hailed as a classic. Taking the plunder-heavy Diablo approach to game mechanics and grafting it onto a first person shooter was just the beginning. It also featured the series trademark cel-shaded looks – which even at the time werent particularly fashionable – and a genuinely funny script that cut through the treacle of games like Gears Of War, whose poker-faced seriousness seemed hilarious when paired with its cartoonish heroes.
Perhaps its biggest point of difference, though, was the fact that you took on the mutant-infested wastelands of Pandora with up to three friends, its knockabout co-op gameplay creating merry chaos wherever you went. (Remember, this was all years before Destiny happened upon the same basic set-up.) In its VR iteration Borderlands co-op is entirely absent, giving the game a different rhythm, but one that works surprisingly well given its importance in the original. Its also a lot less difficult to make up for the loss of buddy power.
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As ever, the switch to VR gives a much greater sense of being part of the insane hand-drawn gunfest, but it also causes a problem: how to maintain the games lightning fast shoot and strafe gameplay without nauseating players. In this case thats achieved through default comfort settings that include snap turning, movement by teleportation, and blinders that make it feel as though youre looking at the world through the hood of a snorkel parker.
Fortunately, all these can be turned off, and long-time VR gamers will have no trouble with motion sickness. Your next choice will be whether to use the standard DualShock or opt for Move controllers. While the latter are the weapon of choice for almost every game in which theyre available, the set-up doesnt quite work in Borderlands 2 thanks to the frequent need to sidestep and back-up in firefights where youre continually being flanked. The standard controller ends up being the only viable choice, especially given the baffling absence of PlayStation Aim Controller support, which would have been perfect here.
Once youve sorted out controls and settings, theres a lot to love about the slightly rough and ready world of Pandora. Firstly, its comic book looks translate beautifully to the lower resolution VR world, making for a convincing and visually exciting place to sling bullets. Its also extremely funny, and while its characters physical movements look unnatural and ungainly by todays standards, a feature emphasised by looking them in the eye when you interact, the excellent voice-acting and writing shine just as brightly as they did when it was first released.
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There are some issues though, most notably in weapons with a zoom function, which pop-up a window in the middle of the screen representing your view down the sniper scope. It works after a fashion, but especially with longer zooms, the jitteriness of aiming by moving your head, combined with the pop-ups relatively low frame rate and resolution make sniping an unnecessary chore. Its not a horrible compromise, and like the games cut scenes, which are presented on a 2D cinema screen, you eventually get used to it, but anyone whos played Farpoint will miss that games superb rifle implementation and use of the Aim Controller.
Borderlands 2 VR is still hugely compelling though, the combination of exploration and ever varying loot proving as addictive as ever. Borderlands 2s claim of practically limitless weaponry has gone unchallenged, and still supplies an unrivalled and dizzying variety of ways to inflict injury, including elemental effects that electrocute, incinerate, or corrode your unfortunate malefactors. Plus, an array of explosive effects to go with an already broad selection of pistols, shotguns, rifles, and submachine guns.
Most importantly of all, this is a full-sized game with several dozen hours worth of content for players who enjoy a side quest or two. In contrast to even the largest VR-native titles, Borderlands 2 VR is massive, and while nowhere near as imposing as Skyrim, contains a huge amount of colourful and varied adventuring. Its inspiring stuff, and even without the games copious DLC provides a lot of bang for its buck.
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There are a few niggles with controls and it lacks a run button, but this is still a great use of VR and a rock-solid conversion that maintains the games compulsion to loot and explore.
The exceptionally witty writing that regularly knocks on the fourth wall is a bonus thats somehow brought to life by feeling as though youre actually there on Pandora with its cast of mock-savage weirdos. If youre a PlayStation VR owner and enjoy first person shooters you may be seeing less of your family than planned this Christmas.
Borderlands 2 VR
In Short: Rough and ready shoot and loot hilarity that works beautifully in VR, despite the absence of co-op and the originals generous DLC line-up.
Pros: Pacy action, a cast of eccentrics, and an uproarious script backed up by what is still the widest selection of firearms to appear in a video game.
Cons: Lack of PlayStation Aim support and slightly wonky Move implementation are unfortunate, while the draw distance and sniper options are also less than ideal.
Score: 8/10
Formats: PlayStation VR
Price: £39.99
Publisher: 2K
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release Date: 14th December 2018
Age Rating: 18
By Nick Gillett
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