'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel' review roundup: More of the same, in a good way

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is the latest installment in the quirky, co-op shooter franchise, and the reviews for it are finally in. While not developed by Gearbox--the company responsible for the previous two Borderlands titles--Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel still manages to stay true to the forumula of the franchise, while adding a few unique additions for fans.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is all about Handsome Jack. He was the sarcastic love-to-hate villain of Borderlands 2, and this time he's back. However, because the game is a prequel, players get to watch Jack's transformation from egotistical, sarcastic jerk, to the evil, and still sarcastic, owner of Hyperion Corporation we all know and love. It's in the humor department where The Pre-Sequel, like the games before it, still continues to shine. IGN's Vince Ingenito in his 8 out of 10 review writes:

"Writer Anthony Burch shows a real knack for storytelling here, drawing a more sympathetic portrait of Jack without ever making him into the clichéd misunderstood villain. He's every bit the hilarious, ego-centric asshat here that we remember him as, and his excellently written and delivered dialogue is responsible for the lion's share of the laughs."

New additions to the tried-and-true Borderlands formula of shoot, level up, score loot and repeat are also welcome additions, even if they don't do too much in pushing the franchise forward. Pandora's moon of Elpis, where the game takes place, features low gravity, allowing players to double jump. This brings a whole new, vertical approach to Borderland's traditional on-the-ground combat that should come as a fun change of pace for fans. One new elemental weapon type, ice, joins the battle, as does new laser beam weaponry. Of course, it wouldn't be Borderlands without new character classes, and for the first time players can play as the quirky robot companion Claptrap. Jim Sterling of The Escapist gave the game a 4 out of 5 in his review, writing:

"Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a funny cartoon shooter that compels you to keep playing and score more guns. Just like the last two. Laser weapons and moon bouncing add a little extra flavor, but if you don't like Borderlands by now, this won't change things."

If you were a fan of Borderlands before, it sounds like Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will be easy to love. If not, don't expect the new environments, weapons and characters in this latest installment to change your mind. Below are more critics chiming in, as well as the game's launch trailer. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.