12 Small Touches That Will Make Borderlands 2 a Big Hit

I'll be pimping the crap out of this game until it's released. You have been warned.


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1. The Stash Is Persistent

If you were a serious Borderlands character, you know the game's epic loot drops were worth fighting for. The downside of having so many guns available? Finding a weapon with one character that'd be perfect for another. Now your stash is persistent across all characters, meaning you can share weapons and loot with every character you're playing.





2. Now With Minimap!

"When we designed Borderlands 2, we thought of small changes that we thought needed fixing after playing 20 to 30 hours of Borderlands. We played so much that we knew what we wanted to see," says Gearbox Level Designer Carl Shedd.

Borderlands 2 is really a labor of love from its developers, and every aspect of the game looks tweaked to reflect this, including the heads-up display. The new minimap makes it easier to explore the vastly expanded Pandora.




3. Customize Your Character

While the four classes in Borderlands differ in look and playstyle, Gearbox has taken an extra step by adding collectable skins for each character, allowing players to dramatically change their appearances. The skins are collectible just like guns and other loot, and you can modify your appearance in any Quickchange booth.



4. Show Off Those Guns

The developers at Gearbox really want players to show off the weapons they're using, so your character's gun in Borderlands 2 is clearly visible, slung across its back. You'll also see class mods hanging from its belt. It adds another layer to character differentiation, but also allows players loyal to a certain brand of weapons to show them off.




5. Pick Your Favorite Gun Brand

Hyperion. Jakobs. Tediore. Any Borderlands player recognizes some of the fictional weapons manufacturers from the game. For Borderlands 2, Gearbox spent a lot of time differentiating the gun manufacturers' products. Shedd says they equipped each gun so that players immediately recognize the differences.

Each weapon handles differently; for example, Gunzerkers chuck a Tediore gun after they have spent its ammo, instead of reloading. And the details on each gun are even clearer — you can see them in the newly added inspect mode, which gives you a 360-degree view of each weapon.


6. Everyone Knows When You're Looking at Menus

One of the problems with Borderlands occurred during co-op. You run off to the next quest, while your buddies just stand around behind you, likely because they're tweaking their inventories, looking at their quest screens or upgrading their skills.

Borderlands 2 solves this with a simple feature: If a character is browsing menus, a little replica of the menu screen appears in front of his avatar. Now you know why he is standing idly by during dangerous situations.


7. Beautiful Aurora Borealis in Pandora's Frozen Tundra

When you're running through the frozen tundra at night, you can't help but look up to the psychedelic swirls of color in the sky. It's one of the many details added to vary the environments players traverse on Pandora. You'll encounter everything on Pandora, from the frozen north to the sweltering jungles, and during the night cycles, you'll also be able to view the moon that Handsome Jack taken for his own.




8. Audio Notes From Handsome Jack

Handsome Jack is the villain of Borderlands 2, and he does everything to walk the walk. Evil moon base? Check. Spying on your every move? Check. Swarms of robot goons? Check.

He even leaves audio notes around the planet to remind you who you're up against. The messages vary in tone, from cheeky bad guy in the beginning of the game to truly evil jerk later on. It adds deeper immersion into the plot of Borderlands 2.




9. Skill Trees to Go Nuts Over

Want to wreck your enemies with a firestorm of elemental power, or take them down with turrets packed with rocket launchers? These kinds of over-the-top skills are accessible once you've cleared the higher levels of Borderlands 2. Internally, the developers refer to some of the skills as "game changers" — they increase your power enormously.

Characters can also specialize their skills for single-player or co-op missions. As a bonus, they still have great names, like "Come At Me, Bro!"



10. Characters From the Original Are Back

The first four playable characters from Borderlands hold a special place in our hearts. In Borderlands 2, they are still around as non-player characters. Part of Gearbox's efforts to beef up the plot in the game, each character adds a deeper level to the game's story. You will get quests from all four, and occasionally one or more will help you with one of your missions, as I experienced when Mordacai took out some enemies from a high perch, while I fought from the ground.




11. Tiny Tina: A Demented Monster You'll Love

You'll encounter new character Tiny Tina, a demolitions expert who also likes to throw tea parties for her dolls. Gamers will recognize the voice of Tiny Tina as Ashley Burch, of the popular web series Hey Ash, Watcha Playing.




One of the best HAWP's. (NSFW-Language)


12. Claptrap: There's More to Wub

Not only does Claptrap give you more quests than ever, the annoying-but-lovable robot has adopted a love of dubstep, too.