I am recommending this game based purely off gameplay. if the gunplay were not so fun I would not hesitate to thumbs down this game with the fury of a thousand suns.

Gearbox has gotten way too far in to their "Wacky audacious borderlands writing!" So much of the game is extremely pointless menial tedium that was only included under a misguided pretense of comedy, and the rest is ham-fisted attempts at social commentary before trying to suddenly wrench you back to an actual story which itself is terribly paced, with each twist more frustrating and unsatisfying than the last.

you are forced to sit through so much "oh wow this quest is gross ISN'T IT FUNNY", or "Hey people worship livestreamers aren't we funny and meta?", or "OH NO THINGS GOT WORSE WHILE YOU COULD ONLY STAND THERE AND DO NOTHING BECAUSE IT'S A CUTSCENE DESPITE BEING LITERALLY RIGHT THERE"

BUT, if you can ignore all of that and shoot bandits in the face, mess with skill builds, and hear that sweet sweet sound of an epic/legendary dropping, the game is excellent.

I am recommending this game based purely off gameplay. if the gunplay were not so fun I would not hesitate to thumbs down this game with the fury of a thousand suns. Gearbox has gotten way too far in to their "Wacky audacious borderlands writing!" So much of the game is extremely pointless menial tedium that was only included under a misguided pretense of comedy, and the rest is ham-fisted attempts at social commentary before trying to suddenly wrench you back to an actual story which itself is terribly paced, with each twist more frustrating and unsatisfying than the last. you are forced to sit through so much "oh wow this quest is gross ISN'T IT FUNNY", or "Hey people worship livestreamers aren't we funny and meta?", or "OH NO THINGS GOT WORSE WHILE YOU COULD ONLY STAND THERE AND DO NOTHING BECAUSE IT'S A CUTSCENE DESPITE BEING LITERALLY RIGHT THERE" BUT, if you can ignore all of that and shoot bandits in the face, mess with skill builds, and hear that sweet sweet sound of an epic/legendary dropping, the game is excellent.