A vault hunter’s work is never done, and this new Borderlands 2 add-on throws you deep into a loony bin full of new and familiar characters and quest-givers.
Deep in Pandora’s desert lies the absurdly named “Badass Crater of Badassitude,” where you’ll square off against all manner of thugs and bandits on the whimsical orders of weapons manufacturer Mr. Torgue. This hilariously belligerent scenery-chewer wants you to enter his Mad Max–style arena showdown, but first you must secure some sponsors via a plethora of new quests. Your ultimate goal: nab the top slot and face one of Borderlands 2’s most ludicrous bosses to date.
Mini-boss fights are a blast, although they’re a bit easy if you’re high-level and not playing on Vault Hunter mode.What ensues is six hours of pure madcap insanity that includes fetching chocolate-chip cookies for Tiny Tina and killing “game critics” whose review scores Torgue doesn’t like. And there’s no shortage of ridiculous humor and errands to run in this DLC’s newly accessible areas.
Even for those who’ve hit the level-50 ceiling, a handful of new quests are available, including a boss fight that doesn’t open up until you’ve cleared this side-story’s final quest. Yet those same tiered fights — ones where you must clear multiple waves of enemies in a given area or arena — often make you feel like you’re trapped in recycled scenarios. But don’t let that stop you from diving into Campaign of Carnage — the jokes alone make flaming skags worth weathering.
Don’t worry: if your level’s high enough, you’ll survive Pyro Pete.PUBLISHER: 2K Games • DEVELOPER: Gearbox Software • ESRB: Mature • MULTIPLAYER: 4 in co-op over Xbox Live • ACHIEVEMENTS: Standard (125G total) • COST: 800 Microsoft Points ($10) • RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2012
+ By including story quests, its challenging arena battles avoid devolving into the same territory as Borderlands’ Mad Moxxi DLC.
+ New characters are silly fun with goofy quests; great Mad Moxxi and Tiny Tina cameos.
– Horde-like, three-tier quests feel like retreads/padding.
? Anyone else get a President Camacho/Idiocracy vibe?
