Fri, Sep 21, 2012 | 11:54 BST

Borderlands 2 out now: review scores here

Borderlands 2 reviews are pouring in, with a very heavy emphasis around the nine region, a few spikes in the ten, and one notable blow to the 7.5 crotch.

The shooter-RPG hybrid’s has first review appeared in the latest issue of GamesMaster. The print review bestowed a whopping 95% score on Gearbox’s sprawling sequel; CVG published some choice quotes from the piece.

The article stated, “Bigger. Ballsier. Bullet-ier. Borderlands 2 is the antidote to stuffy military shooters”, and called it , “The prettiest game of 2012″ The review also praised four-player co-op mode, as well as the game’s improved weapons and combat.

Atomic Gamer and G4 have both awarded a perfect score, with the generally more critical Destructoid trailing at 8.5 and Polygon proving the harshest critic so far at 7.5 – not even a “h8 out of ten”, as they say. Lets have another rousing fight about reviews, shall we?

The embargo has now lifted. Borderlands 2 is arguably the first major release of the holiday season, so it’s sure to be reviewed everywhere: let the avalanche begin.

But first, check out VG247′s appraisal of Borderlands 2 right here.

Atomic Gamer – 10
G4 – 5/5
GameInformer, online – 9.75
Digital Trends – 9.5
PlayStation University – 9.5
Gaming Nexus – 9.5
EGM – 9.5
GamesMaster – 95%
Ausgamers – 9.2
GameTrailers – 9.2
GamesBeat 92/100
Xbox 360 Achievements – 91/100
IGN – 9.0
Strategy Informer – 9.0
Eurogamer – 9.0
The Sixth Axis – 9.0
PlayStation LifeStyle – 9.0
OPM UK – 9.0
OXM UK – 9.0
OXM – 9.0
VideoGamer – 9.0
Play UK – 90%
Joystiq – 4.5/5
Gamerevolution – 4.5/5
GameSpy – 4.5/5
GameStar – 86%
Destructoid – 8.5
CVG – 8.5
Gamespot – 8.5
BitGamer – 85%
GiantBomb – 4/5
GamesRadar – 4/5
Polygon – 7.5
Kotaku – “Yes”
ShopTo – “Excellent”
Shack News – no score
Rock Paper Shotgun – no score
Guardian – no score

All scores out of ten except where otherwise indicated. Let us know if you find more and we’ll pop them in.

Borderlands 2 launches on PC, PS3 and XBox 360 in Europe September 21.

50 comment-trail-alt Posted in: 2K, PC, PS3, RPG, Shooter, Xbox 360, reviews
Tags: ,

50 comments

#1

TheBlackHole
07/09/12, 10:09 am

Mmm, I can’t imagine it being a 95% game, but it is GamesMaster we’re talking about.

#2

naffgeek
07/09/12, 10:10 am

Bought the first one on steam sale a few months back and was amazed how much I loved it.

Never interested me at all but what a great game.

This is another one to add to the backlog!

#3

Hcw87
07/09/12, 10:14 am

Europe Release Date is the 21st. 18th in the US.

#4

Edo
07/09/12, 10:31 am

” Borderlands 2 is the antidote to stuffy military shooters” how dare he?!? :)

#5

Fin
07/09/12, 10:43 am

Gamesmaster isn’t exactly a bastion of solid journalism.

I’ll wait for the Edge, Gametrailers and EG reviews.

#6

Moonwalker1982
07/09/12, 10:43 am

That sounds damn good, cause i for one am beyond sick and tired of military shooters. I do wonder if the story is there this time around though. Cause we all know how little story there was in the first one. It never bothered me, but i have a few friends who really hated that.

#7

Timurse
07/09/12, 11:07 am

I really-really-really loved the first one. Got 1500/1750 there on Xbox (except for the Claptrap Revolution DLC). Even downloaded it via PS+ free deal and now rebeating it again.
The second one is just like one of the most anticipated games this autumn (with ACIII & BO2).

#8

drewbles82
07/09/12, 11:29 am

Im one to wait for complete/game of yr editions. I’m still on the first anyway, level 44 doing the call of missions on secret A. Prob get Borderlands 2 next xmas.

#9

NocturnalB
07/09/12, 11:41 am

I’m gonna be doing a marathon through the 1st game plus the expansions this weekend i reckon, anyone else?

#10

drewbles82
07/09/12, 12:10 pm

@9 me too. I didnt know about the playthrough 2 and im level 44 so will be doing that.

#11

ps3fanboy
07/09/12, 12:18 pm

@9

So you are gonna complete a 100 hour long game in two days?? I have got to say that is really impressive! Especially considering there are only 48 hours in two days…

#12

NocturnalB
07/09/12, 12:35 pm

@11 Don’t be jealous.

If you gotta know though, i meant i was generally just going to go through the game, as much as i can, and bleed the weekend into next week finishing the rest.

#13

Maximum Payne
07/09/12, 12:36 pm

@11 Well there a lot of side quests in Borderlands…

#14

YoungZer0
07/09/12, 1:35 pm

@5: But Gametrailers is? Really? Gametrailers is probably the most bro-ish gamewebsite out there.

#15

DSB
07/09/12, 1:40 pm

I think it’s pretty obvious that Borderlands is an acquired taste. Either people hate it, or they love it. I think it’s very good at what it does though.

@6 You don’t need a better story, you just need to shoot more bullets!

@11 What are you talking about? My most recent playthrough of Borderlands took exactly 11 hours.

#16

Fin
07/09/12, 1:42 pm

@14

I like their video reviews.

#17

Phoenixblight
07/09/12, 2:49 pm

@6

Gearbox has actually hired writers for Borderlands 2 and have said the story is now actually in the game in the original it was actually the designers who wrote the story along with the employees doing most of the VA work. Because the success of the original they were to get a bigger budget to hire more employees which allows them to do more with Blands 2.

#18

KAP
07/09/12, 7:29 pm

“Blands 2″ Indeed.

#19

ManuOtaku
07/09/12, 7:44 pm

I did like this game a lot, and i played with out co-op, heck i did love also the cover, and if the cover is any indication, this game will rock too, what a way to improve the previous cover, kudos to the designer.

#20

datass
07/09/12, 11:33 pm

Game Informer posted:
The issue is out, and so is our Borderlands 2 review. Hint: It’s higher than a 9.5 and lower than a 10.

:happy:

#21

TD_Monstrous69
08/09/12, 12:10 am

I’m playing through the first right now (thanks Playstation+), and absolutely love it (current rank at level 14). Can’t wait to play Borderlands 2, though I will have to wait a little longer because I gotta get the cash together for it.

#22

Christopher Jack
08/09/12, 3:02 pm

I shall order as soon as my money comes in on Thursday.

#23

ASBI
14/09/12, 8:16 am

as much as I love the series and the fact that it’s one of the best games this gen, I never thought it could reach the 90+ score

we have a very strong GOTY candidate here

#24

Gadzooks!
14/09/12, 10:10 am

Cannot wait for next Friday! Bring on the psycho midgets!

#25

Brenna Hillier
18/09/12, 8:16 am

I’ve just added a hu-u-u-u-uuuu-uuuuuuuu-ge list of additional reviews from this morning’s embargo. Enjoy!

#26

inside-360.de
18/09/12, 8:22 am

How long ago we had so much good scores? Borderlands 2? Yes!

#27

Joe Anderson
18/09/12, 8:32 am

Oh here’s our review:

http://www.shopto.net/news/40682/borderlands-2-review Excellent (5/6)

Cheers

:)

#28

Brenna Hillier
18/09/12, 8:43 am

Thanks Joe, adding now.

#29

bitsnark
18/09/12, 8:58 am

Edge have gone with 9/10.

http://www.edge-online.com/review/borderlands-2-review/

#31

freedoms_stain
18/09/12, 10:27 am

Wow, impressive haul of scores.

Also fuck European release dates. Fuck them in their stupid asses.

#32

viralshag
18/09/12, 10:35 am

@31, +1.

Give me global digital release dates!

#33

Fin
18/09/12, 10:37 am

@32

VPN.

#34

viralshag
18/09/12, 10:43 am

@33, Is that OK to do with Steam? I’ll be honest I’ve always chickened out from doing that with anything on Steam. I have invested far too much to lose my account!

Origin though, meh. Wouldn’t lose that much.

#35

Fin
18/09/12, 11:06 am

@34

Hm, I hadn’t thought about it. It’s probably ok? I’ve used it a few times to buy games while abroad (you can only buy from Steam if you’re connecting from the country of your billing address).
I remember with the Civ 5 release, you could VPN to the states to unlock it, the connect as normal.

#36

absolutezero
18/09/12, 11:27 am

Steam has no problem with using a VPN to unlock games early, I’ve done it multiple times over the course of about a year and a bit.

#37

Sini
18/09/12, 2:11 pm

meh tried it for an hour or two and went back to diablo 3. Got it free with my 670 so i cant complain too much

#38

Talkar
18/09/12, 2:24 pm

@36
Except they can ban you permanently for doing it. Now i’ve never heard of them doing it, but they do reserve the right to do so. Although that would never hold in court here in Denmark. Just like their recent TOS changes won’t affect danish users ^^

#39

JebusF
18/09/12, 2:49 pm

http://www.godisageek.com/2012/09/borderlands-2-review/

9/10 from us, cheers.

#40

viralshag
18/09/12, 3:16 pm

@35, 36 & 38, Yeah I checked the forums and even the Steam mods say it would be breaking the ToS. So for now I think I will continue to live in fear of taking any risks that might jeopardise my account. ;)

#41

DSB
18/09/12, 3:33 pm

I’ve done it lots of times with no problems, including Steamworks multiplayer games.

I just don’t have that VPN anymore, sadly :P

Steam has no interest in keeping you from your games unless you’re compromising the service.

#42

Gannu
18/09/12, 3:35 pm

Errrm, Guardian – no score?

They’ve given 5 out of 5 stars. Right below this part:

Borderlands 2 – review
Xbox 360/PS3/PC; from £39.99; cert 18; Gearbox

Please correct it. :-)

#43

viralshag
18/09/12, 3:36 pm

I’m just going to get around to actually finishing BL and then get stuck in over the weekend. I don’t need your ToS abusing methods to have fun! ;)

#44

Moonwalker1982
18/09/12, 4:03 pm

I don’t want to be a negative nancy but i’ve been watching a few Xbox 360 videos of the game and i don’t know. Graphically surprisingly enough it doesn’t impress me at all. I don’t remember the first Borderlands having low-res, almost i guess…washed out textures. But i do see that in this video. It certainly looks nothing like the first shots and videos they released.

Here take a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=750JqDMd36A

#45

M. K.
18/09/12, 4:11 pm

Hope I’ll get my hands on this on thursday!

#46

freedoms_stain
18/09/12, 4:29 pm

@44, intro bit looked the same, the actual gameplay part is set at night in a snowy location, thus the colours are muted.

#47

Kabby
18/09/12, 4:34 pm

Here is a 60fps stream that’s on-line right now and probably for the rest of the week.

http://www.twitch.tv/itmejp

#48

Monk
18/09/12, 4:51 pm

The reviews need to redesign actually, the idea that most of the big games scores between 9-10 is getting laughable
And stupid, sometimes the game full of bugs and technical problems and then again it scores 10 or 9.
I didn’t say that Borderlands is bad game or anything but I don’t fell like the most of the games it deserve 10 or 9 !

#49

DSB
18/09/12, 4:57 pm

I just got done with the tutorial and so far I’ll say this:

1) Claptrap is a lot funnier
2) The guns are way more awesome, responsive, and fun to shoot
3) The enemies are actually trying not to die

So far the only iffy thing is that the interface is so trippy it makes me seasick.

Overall I think it’s going to turn out to be a bigger, badder older brother to the original. It feels better in pretty much every important way.

I dont think you’re gonna love it if you hated the original, but it’s improved in every way.

#50

SaintRasmus
18/09/12, 6:26 pm

GameReactor 9/10

http://www.gamereactor.eu/reviews/46111/Borderlands+2/

Leave a Reply