Sequels often take the easy way out, relying on the success of the original instead of fostering innovation. But Borderlands 2 improves the 2009 release in every way, creating an even more violent game world chock full of feral beasts, men and, oddly enough, humor. The plot is predictable, but characters are well-developed and feature excellent voice acting. There’s plenty to explore on Pandora, and it all looks beautiful, especially at higher-resolutions on Mac or PC. Borderlands 2 is primarily an excellent first-person shooter with role playing elements thrown in. The frequent shooting and looting allows characters to add skill points. Plowing through the main quest will result in a quick death at the hands of seemingly overpowered foes, but side quests, which add precious skill points, are, fortunately, hugely entertaining.
(Price: $35 on Amazon; Score: 89; ESRB Rating: Mature; Developer: Gearbox Software; Available on Mac, PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

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