Borderlands 2 Preview

In case you’re interested in reading some more coverage of Gearbox Software’s loot-heavy FPS/RPG, USA Today is offering a new hands-on preview for Borderlands 2. Here’s a snip:

There’s a healthy selection of enemies for players to test out their robust arsenal, some new and some with fresh powers. The Skags — four-legged wolf-like creatures — are back, in all their sizes and flavors. Some chase you down engulfed in fire, while others spew acid. A new variety of Skag can empower smaller counterparts, such as the giant shock Skag that turns pups into gnarly little forces of electricity.

Players will also encounter Stalkers, winged reptiles that can turn invisible, and robots fighting for Hyperion. They remind me of twisted Transformers, morphing into bulldozer-style attack machines or spinning fast propellers to deflect gunfire.

Of course, they’re no match for the Borderlands 2 arsenal, the game’s main attraction. Weapons are scattered everywhere, hidden in giant chests or even piles of Skag vomit (yum!).

The highlight of the Borderlands 2 demo popped up about halfway through, as myself and a Gearbox rep battled through an army of Hyperion robots, including one that shot lasers and generated all-around havoc.

Or so I’m told. There’s a shotgun in the game made by fictional weapons maker Jakobs. It only fires two shots at a time, but has a scope and great range. While my teammate, playing as Maya, took on the robots head-on, I flanked left down an embankment near a bridge.