Going to read it properly tomorrow morning perhaps. But from the quick look-see I agree, by and large, with bluexy's thoughts.

It just seems like we don't get as much loot dropping, and there are fewer drastic differences in loot. I can't say I really like the idea of each gun manufacturer always having a specific effect on their guns. Some of them are not so pleasant (IE: Hyperion's accuracy business).

So the game looks better, but at its core it just feels a bit worse than BL1. I have yet to get that sense of "ZOMG so much loot!" (speaking of which, chests seem rarer this time around). Leveling also seems to be much slower this time around. I'm only level 18 or something and I've played for hours >_>

Pretty decent review. What really rubs me the wrong way are the weapons that consume like 2 or 3 ammo which the shooting increases accuracy. That's really quite irritating. As for everything else I'm enjoying it.

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It just seems like we don't get as much loot dropping, and there are fewer drastic differences in loot.

if this is true, the game is all but ruined for me.

Lorx - Yeah, forgot to mention that myself. The auto-pickup is fiddly as hell. I find it works better if the money/ammo recently dropped. Money seems the worse than ammo in this case. Also, if the money dropped into an object a bit (so the actual money itself is buried somewhere) it becomes even more unreliable.

Ammo is definitely more of an issue in this game. Rocket Launchers are actually useful this time around, but the ammo limits on it are ridiculous. Sniper ammo runs out for me fast too, because I use a Dahl sniper which burst fires (since it's a sniper, one usually uses the scope...I can noscope alright, but still).

So yeah, I mentioned before but I'll say it again. I really don't like how each manufacturer has a constant effect on all their weapons. It would be better if it was just a trait for SOME of the weapons and perhaps exclusive to the brand.

Sorry, guys, incoming Wall of Text. 'Kaygo:

I agree with a few of the negative points in this review--the need to constantly gun-check can be frustrating, especially when you play with people who have that MMOer's min/max tendency and, literally, check every shop you wander past for that 3-point upgrade. The menus, too, feel awkward and just plain messy, especially the inventory. And I totally agree with Lorx, as a Gunzerker dual-wielding Assault Rifles while 'Zerking, I always click on zero bullets long before a Circle of Slaughter round ends, and have to frustratingly gimp my effectiveness to my teammates by menu-ing (again, awkwardly, especially with Badass Psychos pounding on my cranium) and equipping pistols or SMGs which I have not specced/bought upgrades for to limp through the rest of the match.

That being said, I have played both this and the first game on console exclusively, and so can't appreciate the "It should work better on PC" points--it works fine for me and my own personal level of FPS experience, and I found no awkwardness to the combat controls that a little tweaking to the sensitivity didn't fix. The improved enemy AI--yes, I said improved--is honestly refreshing. I like that they dodge, I like that they don't sit still and eat my grenades, I even like that they get pissed off at my wife and her Healing Siren and murderify her every chance they get, no matter how much I swear at the time ;). It feels much more interactive, more like there are brains behind those pixels instead of playing target practice.

And I do feel like a Badass. Being runaway overpowered does not a badass make; the talent trees and your own personal skill do come into effect, and I feel much more satisfied, personally, saying "yeah, we beat this monster/arena fight because we worked together, built our characters right, and even then scraped by with the skin of our teeth." Not, "We won cos I brought this rocket launcher/rifle/acid-shooting revolver and 1-shot everything lolol." I picked BL1 up shortly before this released to re-familiarize myself with the controls and steamrolled Moxxi's Underdome with Mordecai and a single caustic revolver. Yeah, just one, killed everything. It wasn't fun, it was a mindless grind on bullet-firing paper cutouts of enemies that, for the most part, just stood there and took it to the face for 16 of the 20 levels until they actually began to hurt, only because of mega stat boosts.

And lastly, I just don't get the complaints about single-player. I'm not saying people shouldn't be allowed to play anything they want alone, but this is a Co-op oriented game, from the ground up. It's like the people who want to play MMOs solo and then whine because they hit end-game and have nothing left to do that doesn't require groups. I'd never tell anyone not to play this game, but if you can't stand the thought of bringing one friend or, heck, making a friend long enough to shoot that Nomad Torturer in the back for you, maybe this just isn't the genre for you. I've never even tried to enter either Borderlands solo, the entire appeal of it for me is that I get to play with my friends and family, some of whom live hundreds of miles away.

So, tl;dr version: It was a well-written review. I agree on a few things, disagree on most, and would give this game at least an 8.5/10, probably even a 9. Certainly my best buy of the year so far, recommend it to everyone who has ever been remotely interested in the genre. Don't play it alone, and try not to be a douche and sit in the Shops/Menus for 20 mins and tick off your teammates ;].

Thanks for the comments, everyone. A lot of people are going to love this game just by face value -- multiplayer, shooter, and it's f-ing hilarious. As a product I don't doubt that anyone can pick this game up and have fun with it. It's why I gave it Neo's recommended award. From a critical standpoint, it has a lot of flaws, and hopefully by not glossing over because of the fanfare Gearbox can make a better game next time around.

Lorx Argh! I didn't even get around to talking about ammo in my review. I miss the old soldier turret with replenishing ammo...

After looking through these comments and actually reading the review, I find I agree with a lot of what was already said. I'm more in the boat of Ditnopota and ShinobiDyne though. I find everything about this game to be better than the first and I am enjoying it so much more this time around. The only flaw is the lack of ammo that I actually need at certain points, but there are multiple weapon types for a reason and it actually encourages me to try out the different weapons I have instead of just two or three that I am constantly using.

I like the challenge the game presents overall though and I find myself enjoying it both alone (most of the time) and with one friend every once in awhile (maybe 2 or 3 of my 12 hours so far).