Borderlands 2

Intense overall intensity
Highest flag: Language — strong
RPGSci-fiShooter

What's in it

Violence graphic & gore
High

Constant first-person gunfire against human bandits and alien wildlife in a cel-shaded style with spraying blood; strong weapons can gib enemies and pop heads.

Mutilation / body horror player performs it
High

The player's explosive rounds, critical hits and melee weapons tear enemies apart: heads pop off, limbs come away, and bodies burst into gory chunks that litter the ground.

Language strong
High

Frequent strong profanity in dialogue, including repeated use of 'f**k' and 'sh*t' from villains and companions.

Substances depicted
Moderate

Alcohol is part of the setting, with Moxxi's bars and drinks like ale featured in the world.

Dark themes intense
Moderate

The villain Handsome Jack is cheerfully cruel, and the story leans on mass death, betrayal, and grim gallows humor.

Sexual content innuendo
Moderate

Recurring sexual innuendo and double-entendres, largely from the flirtatious bartender Moxxi and various NPC banter.

Gambling simulated gambling
Moderate

Slot machines at Moxxi's bar let the player wager in-game money for random loot, mirroring real casino slots.

Nudity revealing/suggestive attire
Low

Some female characters, notably Moxxi, wear revealing, cleavage-forward outfits.

Horror & psychological spooky
Low

Zombie-style undead enemies and a few grim, creepy locales provide occasional spooky moments.

Crime & lawlessness crime depicted
Low

The world is overrun by bandits, raiders, and a corrupt corporation whose crimes are depicted as the backdrop for combat.

Animal combat combat mechanic
Low

Players hunt and kill Pandora's wildlife (skags, spiderants, rakk, bullymongs) as a standard combat mechanic.

Torture referenced
Low

The antagonist Handsome Jack repeatedly threatens and references torturing characters through taunting dialogue.

Who can reach your kid

What it is

Borderlands 2 is a first-person shooter with role-playing progression set on the lawless alien planet Pandora, where four 'Vault Hunters' battle bandits, a tyrannical corporation, and wild creatures while collecting a vast array of randomized guns. Combat is nonstop and delivered in a bright, cartoon-like art style, but it is bloody, with enemies bursting apart from powerful weapons. The writing leans on crude humor, frequent strong profanity, and steady sexual innuendo, and the story is driven by a cruel villain who kills and torments allied characters. Alcohol appears in the world's bars, and slot-machine-style gambling for loot is available. The game supports online cooperative play and optional player-versus-player duels; the listed version has no in-game voice or text chat and no microtransactions.

How it's framed

The game frames its mayhem with irreverent, comedic exaggeration, treating over-the-top gunplay and looting as gleeful fun rather than grim realism. The heroes are self-interested mercenaries opposed to an openly evil corporate tyrant, so violence is aimed at clearly villainous enemies and rewarded with loot and experience. Dark and cruel events are played partly for shock and partly for satire of corporate greed.

Details

Developer
Gearbox Software
Publisher
2K
Released
Sep 17, 2012
Metacritic 89critic score (third-party) · out of 100

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