Just when you thought you had collected all 87 billion guns, slain every zombie, and conquered every arena wave, 2K and Gearbox find a way to keep you coming back for more. The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is still pretty...well, secret, but what IS apparent is that the new DLC will introduce at least one giant Crimson Lance-affiliated robot, creatures that resemble a gigantic daddy longlegs (or harvestman, depending on where you're from), and a raised level cap.
That's right. There's room to grow past level 50.
The pacing of the expansion packs definitely earns kudos. The main campaign left bounty hunters hungry after the first playthrough, instilling a gnawing inside that could not be sated by the unimpressive finale. With a few levels before the maximum of 50, gamers began a second playthrough where they found tougher enemies and even more guns. Too many guns, in fact.
Zombie Island helped liven up the place with lots of dead folks. While exploring the haunting expanse of fresh content players were reacquainted with lost friends and introduced to new (albeit short-lived) characters. The first DLC poked fun at the game's shortcomings, from joking about the waypoint system to providing an arguably better final battle with the content's oh-so-mysterious villain. Backpack SDU helped free up a little space for the wasteland packrats that everyone had become. Honestly though, it wasn't enough.
Mad Moxxi came at a time that gamers began to pore over new retail releases, taunting Brick, Mordecai, Roland, and Lilith to prove their worth in grand arena battle. Fresh out the gates, players were granted a much needed item bank that let them free up to 42 inventory slots. Gameplay took the frantic shootouts that often happened in the original campaign and made them commonplace, while Moxxi turned things upside down with her array of battlefield-changing variables.
Now the Borderlands teams are addressing one of the few remaining qualms brought about by the player base: the level cap will be raised. Let it not be said that the folks behind Borderlands do not listen to the fans. From serving up exactly what the people demand to making good on promises, Gearbox is setting a darn good example while breaking away from its peers in the industry. Instead of giving you the newest version of Grand Theft Auto/God of War with even more nudity and gore, the teams behind Borderlands are proving that it's still possible to deliver a quality product that earns your money by giving you what you want instead of conning you out of your cash by imitating the newest market fad.
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