Attendees of this last month's PAX East were lucky enough to get a look at developer Gearbox's upcoming Borderlands 2 follow-up, and now all that beautiful gameplay footage has surfaced in the wild, showing a whole lot what's new in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.
Everything You Need To Know About Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's Next Characters
There was a whole lot to sift through in the new 14 minutes of gameplay, but let's start with what Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel owes its drastically changed gameplay to -- the lunar environment of Pandora's moon, Elpis. First, Elpis has gravity, but not much, and this effects every facet of the game, from navigation, to fighting, and even looting. For example, while hoofing around on the moon Neil Armstrong style, players can cover a great amount of distance with a single leap. Those giant jumps can also be extended thanks to players' oxygen tanks, which can be vented so players can double jump, and descend slower. Like grenades, there are different types of oxygen tanks, each with its own effects, like increased life, better double jumps, etc.
Oxygen vents on surface will keep you from worrying about having to worry about managing your supply, or pick up more tanks, and there are also oxygen generators scattered around if you're really running low. But you'll want to consider how turning them on or off will affect gameplay. Case in point, just like players are subject to gravity, so are enemies. Toss a grenade at a group, and they'll launch right off the planet, along with all that lovely, lovely loot. The same effect can also be had on players who aren't careful.
Say Hello to Borderlands 2's Most Annoying Gun
This new environment will also change what weapons you'll use. For example: fire weapons won't be all that effective since there's no oxygen to keep a fire burning. But use a sniper rifle to take out an enemies oxygen bubble? Such options make tactical decision making a big part of gameplay.
Borderlands has always been known for its bazillions of guns, so of course, Gearbox is throwing more options at players. For The Pre-Sequel, the developer has added lasers and cryo gun. As you'd expect, the cryo gun can freeze enemies into solid ice, which players can then shatter. Players will have to wear their health down before they actually freeze, but when they do, it's ever so satisfying. As for the laser, the video didn't get too heavy into details, but it looks great.
Gameplay was limited mostly to Athena, although there was some looks at Willhelm and (eventually) Claptrap. We learned that Willhelm will change visually as he gets upgraded, kind of telling the story as to how we would eventually take on his robotic appearance in Borderlands 2, piece by piece. We also caught a great demonstration of Athena's action skill, "Kinetic Aspis."
Using her shield, Athena is able to absorb enemy (or friendly) fire with her shield. The more damage the Aspis takes, the faster it spins, or charges. Once it's set, players can throw the shield at enemies, causing a whopping amount of damage. The ability can also be customized and upgraded to cause more or different types of damage, ricochet off of targets, and more.
The only character who didn't show up was Nisha the Lawbringer, though Gearbox promised they'd have a look at her at a future date. In the mean time, check out the footage in the video below.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is set to release this Fall for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. Expect more information at this year's E3.
