Borderlands 2: My Stress-Relief Game

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I have fond memories of playing Borderlands 2 on the PS3 years ago. So, when Sony announced that Borderlands: The Handsome Collection will be the free PS Plus game for the month of June, I was quick to download the game as I was excited to play Borderlands 2 again after so many years. In addition, I have not played all the Borderlands 2 DLC, as well as Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, so this was a nice bonus. I am just going to focus on Borderlands 2 for this post.

Note: Borderlands 3 is already out, and when the game gets cheap enough for myself to buy, then I will write my review, but that will be sometime in the future.

I say that Borderlands 2 is my stress-relief game because this is a first-person shooter that does not bring me into an anger-inducing rage compared to games like Call of Duty or Halo. While those games take a more serious undertone (especially the online multiplayer), Borderlands 2 feels more casual and relaxed in the sense that this is a game that does not take itself seriously. If you are leveling yourself properly by completing all the side quests, then Borderlands 2 is not a difficult game. I love how easy and accessible the game is to just pick up and play. For a couple of hours, I can complete some missions and pop some enemies in the head.

Let me talk about some other positives of Borderlands 2. The script writing and the character development (particularly the development of Handsome Jack) are the crown jewels of this game. There are many well-written jokes in this game that are sure to make you laugh, and as you progress further into the game, you will further witness Handsome Jack's descent into madness. An unbelievable amount of weapons is abound with its own strengths and features that you can add to your character. As Borderlands 2 is a "loot shooter", an endless amount of chests and boxes filled with goodies reward you with exploration. I personally love the character 'CL4P-TP' (or better known as Claptrap), the lovably annoying robot on one wheel that cannot climb stairs and that every other character seems to hate.

Anyways, I just wanted to heap some praise on a game that was dear to my heart for many years and that I was able to enjoy again due to PS Plus.