I’d love nothing more than to write a “First Few Hours” post about Borderlands 2, but, ironically enough, I feel like I haven’t played enough of it yet.
I mean, the whole point of a First Few Hours post is to specifically relay first impressions, gut instincts, surface-level observations about how the game looks, moves and feels, without getting into larger-scale topics like narrative and overall value. And since Tuesday, I’ve played around 2 hours of Borderlands 2; my soldier is now level 7, I’ve killed a whole bunch of monsters and people, I’ve collected dozens of guns (and left dozens more where they lay, as my backpack is too small to carry them all), I’ve completed some challenges and cashed in some Badass Tokens (yielding results similar to Fallout’s “perks”). I’ve also died a whole bunch, and I’ve run out of ammunition more times than I feel comfortable admitting.
About the only real thing I can definitively say at this point is that the game feels absolutely massive. And I’ve only seen a tiny, tiny slice of it.
I think that once I get to Sanctuary, the first real town/hub, I’ll have a bit more to chew on.
In the meantime, iOS has been killing it this week. Rayman Jungle Run is, sadly, not a port of Rayman Origins, but you wouldn’t necessarily know that from seeing the game in motion – it looks absolutely gorgeous. Instead, it’s a one-button auto-runner, where your objective is simply to catch all 100 lums in a level. It’s got a steep difficulty curve, but each level is so short that you hardly notice how many times you’ve died. That sentence sounds like a slam, but it’s really not – it highlights the quick reloading and the addictive quality of the action.
Also out this week is The Room for iPad, which – thank GOD – is not based on the Tommy Wiseau “masterpiece” but is instead an absolutely gorgeous puzzle game. It’s been compared to those “escape the room” flash puzzles that were all the rage a few years ago, but to me it reminds me a bit more of the adventure game Syberia, in that the puzzles you solve are less about making non-intuitive inventory combinations and rather about figuring out how to open locked doors using intricate mechanisms. I finished Chapter 3 last night (each chapter is its own locked box), and I’m not quite sure how much is left, but I’m really enjoying what I’ve seen thus far.
And, also, the long-awaited Lili is out, though I haven’t yet played it. And Horn, from the people who made The Meadow, received a hefty price drop this week, so I picked that up too.
Tonight, I may give Torchlight 2 a try – if I can pull myself away from either Borderlands 2 or my iPad.
Shouts From The Couch 
I’m still deciding whether my free time can afford Borderlands 2! It does sound awesome, though. I loved the first one, even if I came nowhere near finishing it.
After spending a few more hours with it last night, I think I can heartily recommend it. I really wanted to try Torchlight 2 last night, but couldn’t seem to pull myself away from Borderlands…
Now, should I get it for the PS3 or Xbox? I know the first one looked and performed a lot better on the Xbox.
Well, more than performance, I think the biggest thing that should inform your decision is where you’re more likely to get into online co-op with friends. I almost bought B2 for the PC, but more friends of mine were playing it on the Xbox, so I figured that was a better choice – I hear the co-op is where the game really and truly shines.
I don’t think any of my friends will buy Borderlands 2, but I can’t imagine playing it solo for any length of time. I think I’ll see what Lens of Truth has to say on the quality and frame-rates.