There's a palpable swagger about this shooter-RPG hybrid. Maybe it's because it knows that it's a notable improvement over its predecessor in just about every way. Maybe because it's the funniest game we played in 2012, with memorable characters issuing a never-ending stream of hilarious, laugh-out-loud dialog. Handsome Jack, in particular, is the big, bad, brilliant villain the first Borderlands lacked, and hunting him down is a rewarding thrill. This is everything fans wanted and more.
Speaking of more, Borderlands 2 has gone on to shown other games how DLC should be done by piling several helpings of excellent, lengthy content on top of an already long and feature-packed game. With both Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty and Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, we've been consistently impressed by how the hits have kept on coming.
Chief Criticisms: Some easily exploitable boss fights; boring driving.