Borderlands 2 is an airtight experience that is best experienced with another person, and for the most part serves as a fun-as-fuck co-op game. While most looter shooters fail for being ridiculously repetitive, BL2 doesn’t fall under the same level of scrutiny because there is enough quest variety to keep it mostly refreshing. In fact, I’d say the side quests are some of the best I’ve seen in a title like this; on pure variety alone, I’d say bare minimum the objectives are refreshing even if you end up just killing people on the way there. Some of the quests have some interesting story & character implications and help flesh out the world just a bit.

On the topic of story, it’s…. ehhhhh. Handsome Jack was hyped up to be this amazing villain but at best he was incredibly charismatic and entertaining, beyond that he isn’t anything too special. The plot is serviceable and the stakes are hardly felt, there’s as much to get out of Borderlands 2 as there is a Resident Evil game… so like, nothing. The humour is absolutely early 2010s but I found it oddly charming even though it was cringeworthy at some points too. I didn’t hate the humour and I get it’s part of BL2’s quirks but it just led to a lotta eyeroll moments. Though, it does fit how I feel about the game holistically. The game is meant for shutting your brain off and shooting shit and in that regard it’s a solid game.

However, some gameplay quirks were a lil annoying. Endgame enemy damage scaling got ridiculous at points even when you’re at their respective level and honestly if you don’t get golden keys to get the special weapons in the cases, then you’re stuck with some really shitty and boring weapons.

It’s fun, but I don’t know how much I’d like it had I played it solo, and especially if I didn’t find out about the special crate weapons. But from what I’ve experienced, I liked it!

While I did this run as a modded playthrough under Reforged, Elden Ring at its core is still the best fundamental gaming experience I've had from this decade. Just such a monumental achievement in every facet of game design that can be imagined. Shit, even when I was frustrated (and it happened often), I still don't think I can ever get an experienced like this from any other developer. Packed to the brim with content in a world so dense & rich that it puts most fully-fleshed narrative titles to shame. On a re-run with a stronger understanding of the lore, the experience of walking through the endgame areas and understanding the circumstances of the world itself and your purpose made these grand, cinematic moments feel all the more moving. With Shadow of the Erdtree on the horizon, I already know that FromSoft will once again prove why they're the best developers in the business. Just real, real gaming.

If this game hadn’t taken itself so seriously it’d be a little more enjoyable but it’s still a hilarious game in all the wrong ways. Has the highest ratio of “why the fuck does this take so long” bosses ever and amidst all that on PC you have to deal with the clunky ass controls alongside some terribly aged mechanics & an unseriously serious story to boot. Had I not played this co-op, I wouldn’t be writing this review because I’d have dropped it within the first few levels. Still, if you have someone to play it with it’s an admittedly somewhat enjoyable co-op experience once you have someone to share your frustration with.