I waited before posting my review since I wanted to test the cross-save functionality and 2-player co-op features of the game.
There have been many reviews on this game and just about every single game critic review that I have seen have lambasted the Vita version for not living up to the PS3 version. Is it fair? No...but it's an issue that's hard to avoid. With some of the gameplay issues, one may wonder if it's worth the purchase or not if one already owns it...and I'll get into that later.
This review assumes that the reader is familiar with the first Borderlands. Borderlands 2 is a continuation of the first game, with new Vault Hunters arriving to Pandora at the behest of Hyperion Corporation's recent leader, Handsome Jack. Handsome Jack betrays the players straight off the bat (he has no interest in having others "help"...he just wants to entice Vault Hunters to kill them off) and leaves them for dead. The would-be Vault Hunters are discovered by the lovable ready-to-quip robot, Claptrap, and the adventure thus begins and eventually involves Vault Hunters from the original game. It's addictively good fun to say the least and the shoot-and-loot that made the first game so fun to play returns in spades here.
Value
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First and foremost, this issue of Borderlands 2 includes 6 DLC's, so at $39.99 it's a fantastic purchase at launch. Without factoring in the PS3's season pass, you're looking at about $50 of DLC alone.
Gameplay
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I was worried when critics shredded the game because of the lack of L2/R2/L3/R3 functionality. Instead, the rear touch pad is utilized. I use trigger grips, so I didn't find myself "accidentally" touching the pad as some critics have claimed. Tap the left side of the rear touch pad and you engage in sprinting (no need to hold it down...you'll run and keep running unless you stop or get interrupted). Tap the right side and you'll use your melee attack. Touch the lower right-side of the touchscreen and you'll activate your special ability. Touch the lower left-side of the touchscreen and you'll throw a grenade.
Don't like where the controls are mapped? Well, guess what...you can remap them! Including that in the programming of the game was a big plus for me.
There are a few unfortunate cons, however:
1. Two-player co-op. The inclusion of a 4-player co-op session proved to be too much for the hardware, so that sacrifice was made. Considering that only my daughter and I play, that wasn't a huge one for us.
2. Lower enemy counts. The hardware, again, is pushed to its limits so you'll find densely populated areas (like the Varkids in Caustic Caverns) to be reduced by about 20 - 30% compared to its console/PC brother.
3. No ad-hoc mode. Really? Why would you NOT include an ad-hoc mode in addition to finding other players online, especially given that ad-hoc generally runs much smoother than a Wi-Fi session? This is an unfortunate omission, especially given that my daughter and I play it...we're forced to go online.
Yes, I know that I'm comparing the hardware again, but if being forced to choose between alternatives, then one should know. However, there are reasons to get it which I'll describe later in "Who Should Get This."
Graphics
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This is where the unfortunate comparisons are made again.
Graphics take a noticeable hit...far off plateaus may pop in "closer" than the console/PC versions. If the firefight gets heavy, framerates will drop noticeably below the 30 fps target. Enemies will explode in red, rapidly disappearing chunks instead of ragdolling to the ground.
Is it game-breaking? No...it's just occasionally..."jarring." But I didn't find myself in a framerate drop so massive that I found myself dead in the next heartbeat...once you get used to it, it plays just fine, especially with a 2nd player.
That said, I've heard many people stating that the Vita's hardware can't be expected to do much, etc., etc. Given how good certain titles look (especially Uncharted Golden Abyss O-M-G), I find that explanation to be a frustratingly bad one. Borderlands 2 isn't a graphical marvel by any means and I know that the Vita could have handled more. That, and given that the Vita's resolution is lower than the PS3, it makes me wonder how much of the hardware is truly at fault especially given how impressive other titles look. Part of it may have to do with how well the original title was coded to begin with and relying on the brute force of console/PC power to compensate for sloppier coding...we'll never know. But, like I said, Uncharted titles on both the PS3/Vita platforms demonstrate that the hardware is capable of so much more.
In summary, graphically it looks quite decent but there are some minor framerate/texture/pop-in caveats that go along with that. Other than that, it looks like a miniature version of the big brother versions.
Who Should Get This
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The million-dollar question. If you already on it on the PS3 and/or the PC, and you prefer to play with 2-3 others, pass on this. If you only play with one other or by yourself and you have it on the PS3, then you may want to get it if you play on the road because of the cross-save feature.
In my case, however, I play exclusively with my daughter... which comes to my next point. The really NICE thing about Borderlands 2 on the Vita is that your saves will transfer from the PS3 and vice versa. Simply upload your saved character and download on the other platform and you're good to go. My daughter and I both own Vitas with our own accounts and this worked PERFECTLY for us. We usually play on the PS3 at home, but recently we played on our Vitas during vacation with our characters on the road. Some items, unfortunately, do NOT transfer because only 2 of the 4 MAIN DLC expansions (not including the headhunters) are not available on the Vita...yet (and that is a hopeful "yet"). But never fear! Your items are still there...but DLC-specific items, skins, etc., from DLCs not available yet on the Vita won't show up in the Vita (with a little message informing you about this when you launch your character from the game's start menu), but they will be there when you transfer back to the PS3.
As a result, I love my Vita copy simply because we can take our adventure on the road. I'm hoping eventually that the other DLC's become available (especially Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon's Keep...the funniest and best DLC ever). Given the lackluster performance, however, my hopes are rapidly diminishing that this will be a reality.
Summary
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Borderlands 2 on the Vita is not a perfect experience nor is it as complete as the console/PC versions, but the shoe may fit for you if you play it by yourself or just one other. Some lacking features are unfortunate, but the DLC's that are available at launch (and the $39.99 price tag to boot) offset these immeasurably and still make it fun to play. I haven't encountered any groundbreaking issues with our Level 50 characters and we are looking forwards to many additional hours of fun.
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Top reviews from other countries
Aaron Meek
but I wish it ran better. Still very fun game
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 16, 2016
metallidimmu
El juego es excelente (pero la version de consolas)
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on November 1, 2015
