Other than playing Final Fantasy 6 on my DS, I haven’t spent a lot of time playing video games lately. I honestly cannot remember the last time I sat down on the couch for a marathon gaming session. I haven’t learned any new shouts in Skyrim for months and I haven’t dismantled any Decepticons in Fall of Cybertron, even though I got the game for free. In spite of the dearth of video game playing in my life, though, I’m being tempted by a new video game.
Borderlands 2.
I never played the original Borderlands and I don’t even know what the game is about. I don’t know the story for Borderlands 2 or even what the gameplay is like. What I do know, though, is that a lot of my friends have the game and seem to enjoy playing it online with each other.
I’m tempted to get Borderlands 2 even though I don’t really know if I’d play it that much. I don’t really need any more video games; there are some on my shelf that I haven’t even put into my Xbox. However, the temptation of experiencing community while playing Borderlands 2 is very strong.
This is an example of where a good thing may not be the best thing. It would be good to experience community while playing through Borderlands 2. I could play with my friends via Xbox Live and I could play with Alycia sitting next to me on the couch. One of the best parts about multiplayer video games is their ability to bring people together.
However, even though it may be good to play Borderlands 2, it may not be the best. It may not be the best right now to spend $60 on a new video game. It may not be the best to stay up late into the night playing Borderlands 2 when I need to wake up early to exercise and get to work. It may not be the best right now to commit hours to playing a video game when there are more fulfilling ways to spend my time.
I don’t think playing Borderlands 2 is bad, I just don’t think it’s the best for me right now.
That could change, though. I got some Amazon gift cards for my birthday that could go towards Borderlands 2. Alycia could tell me that she wants a new video game that we could play together. All of my friends playing Borderlands 2 could peer pressure me into getting the game or just get it for me themselves (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).
Whether you’re choosing between getting a video game or not, it’s always important to weigh our decisions. It’s easy to choose between good and bad, right and wrong, wise and foolish. It takes a little more discernment, though, when choosing between good and good. It’s in those situations where we need to dig a little deeper and pass on what’s good for what’s better or best.
Have you played Borderlands 2? If so, how do you like it?
If you’ve got anything against excessive profanity and mindless cartoon violence then you probably won’t like the game. Otherwise, I’ve beat the game once and I really enjoyed it. You don’t really need to know the story behind the original Borderlands (it doesn’t really have a focus on story line like the new game does), it’s got a decent amount of content (six straight days to complete it), game play is challenging and actually requires everyone not run around like headless chickens carrying over sized shotguns (which makes co-op that much more satisfying), and a lot of moments in the game I found hilarious but that all depends on how crude your sense of humor is.
Here’s a small side quest you randomly find in the game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVpg0vws10Y
If it makes you laugh, you should buy the game.
If you don’t at least crack a smile, then I wouldn’t recommend buying the game.