Borderlands 2 is one of the best looter-shooters ever made. Handsome Jack is an iconic antagonist, co-op is even more generous and the content is gargantuan. A genre peak, reference co-op.
2K Games Borderlands sequel where Handsome Jack controls planet Pandora. Published by 2K Games, released in Europe in September 2012. Four-player co-op, scripted narrative, new character classes and millions of generated weapons. European version.
Borderlands 2 review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Cel-shading with thick inked outlines, a garish palette and a deranged post-apocalyptic universe: the game looks like a playable comic book. The over-the-top design of the enemies and the trashy aesthetic compose an immediately recognisable identity. This visual direction, stylish and unbridled, left a lasting mark on the FPS.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Harvesting a deluge of randomly generated weapons keeps the loot-and-shoot loop just as exhilarating solo as in co-op. The complementary classes and biting humor spice up every firefight. A pillar of the looter-shooter, it retains a snappy gunplay and a generosity of content that make it utterly devouring even today.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
An explosive blend of FPS and role-playing, where you harvest billions of zany guns while blasting hordes on a deranged planet: the loot loop is fiercely addictive. The ever-present humour and four-player co-op multiply the fun. Snappy, generous and packed with personality, a cult looter-shooter that grabs you for dozens of hours.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Carving through enemies to land a gun with never-before-seen stats endlessly restarts a loot loop sharpened by biting humor and a memorable villain. Improving your skills and tracking down legendary weapons reward the persistence. The farming can go in circles, but the sheer generosity of content and the co-op fun hold you for dozens of hours.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Toppling Handsome Jack is only the start: Pandora here brims with finely crafted side quests, hidden areas and punishing endgame raids. The loot system, more generous than ever, drives the hunt for legendaries, while four fresh hunters and co-op keep reviving the run. That density is exactly why it stands as a high point of the genre.
A hugely popular sequel to Gearbox's looter-shooter, Borderlands 2 sharpens the gunplay, loot and biting writing around villain Handsome Jack, become a generational favorite. Widespread in the West on PS3, its collecting interest stays modest and lies in this status as the series' peak rather than scarcity. A safe bet for fans of cooperative shooting.
Better with friends
Loot pillaging and unhinged gunplay marry here in four-player co-op where everyone cultivates their class and a wild arsenal. Mutual aid dominates, but the race for legendary guns breeds a teasing one-upmanship full of twists. Playable two-player in local split-screen, it suits express sessions as well as long campaigns, always with savage humor.
Is Borderlands 2 still worth playing in 2026?
Borderlands 2 ranks among the best looter-shooters ever made, and it has resisted time admirably. Everything the first game sketched, the sequel refines and multiplies, with a deluge of weapons, memorable classes and a biting humour that lands. Handsome Jack stays one of gaming's finest antagonists, funny and loathsome in equal measure. Co-op reaches a rare degree of generosity here, and the gargantuan content guarantees dozens of hours. For anyone who loves loot and action among friends, it is a peak still fully recommendable.
