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On September 30, 2014, Steam released Borderlands 2 for Linux, two years after its initial release on Windows PC. Having played the original Borderlands, I was kind of excited to find out that its sequel – Borderlands 2 – would be coming to Linux. Like other games I've reviewed in the last few months, there was no indication of this game being able to run on PCs with AMD (or Intel) graphics cards, it was supported only for Nvidia. However, once again I decided to read the reviews from AMD owners and almost immediately I felt comfort in finding that the game was running pretty well with AMD graphics cards. So, I decided to give it a try and play it. So far, so good.
Borderlands 2 is an action, first person, shooter game, developed by Gearbox Software, published by 2K Games, and ported to Linux by Aspyr Media. The timing of the Borderlands 2 release for Linux couldn't have been more perfectly planned, as ‘Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel’ was released a mere two weeks later for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Linux. The Pre-Sequel serves as a sequel to the original Borderlands, but also a Prequel to Borderlands 2, so basically somewhere in between. If this sounds confusing to you, don't worry, it is confusing to most of us.
Borderlands 2 can be played with a mouse/keyboard as well as with a game controller. No matter what input device(s) you use to play the game, the game-play mechanics are pretty much the same as most first-person shooters. You walk, run, duck, jump, shoot, etc, just like you would in most other FPS games, but you can also perform your character's special moves. In fact, I made a lot of progress without the need for a tutorial before I found out about the special moves – because of how similar this game is to other first-person shooters.
What sets Borderlands 2 apart from other FPS games lies in the presentation and in its comedy. The artwork is a sort of hybrid cartoon/realistic style. Ever since the original Borderlands game, the developers decided to go with what they call ‘cell shading graphics’ which is what differentiates the game from other FPS games that might look more realistic. The comic, cartoonist effect actually fits well with the direction the Borderlands series has taken. Not only that, but it also completely sets it apart from other games from the same genre. The comedy is not only outrageous, but also very often just plain old crazy, off-the-wall humor that leaves you wondering who in their right mind thought about these things.
Borderlands 2 can be played in one-player campaign mode, or there's also the option to do a multi-player mode where you have the possibility for up to a four-player co-op. With that said, you've got four players, or Vault Hunters, to choose from. Each Vault Hunter comes with his (her) own playing style, abilities and special moves. The game takes place in the planet of Pandora, where you must find a series of vaults – before Handsome Jack (the villain) finds them to carry out his evil plans. Leading the way and guiding you as you progress on your quest is a robot by the name of CL4P-TP (ClapTrap), who kind-of reminds me of a loopy R2D2. The little fellow does have a few redeeming traits, like helping you in opening many doors & gates, or getting past other odd characters who otherwise wouldn't let you through. Anyone who's played the original Borderlands will definitely remember ClapTrap, as well as many returning characters. Although there may be many familiar faces from the original game, there are also as many, if not more, new characters introduced in this game. The story takes many twists and turns along the way, but it keeps you engaged as you progress in the desolate planet of Pandora. It's a well made game that keeps the player entertained.
To play Borderlands 2, it's imperative that you have a Steam account. If you don't have one, you'll have to get one. Through Steam, you can currently get the game for $19.99, or be on the lookout for a special deal from other sources, though once you purchase it, you'll have to open a Steam account.
Conclusion
I've encountered very few and minor glitches in Borderlands 2 since I began playing it. I had my doubts as to whether I'd be able to play this game with my AMD Radeon HD 5770 graphics card because the minimum requirements list only Nvidia graphics cards, but I can testify that AMD cards work just fine. Other than the occasional and very rare 2-3 second delay that I've so far encountered only twice, there have been no other problems with the actual game. The real bug I've come across is when I take screen-shots. The screen-shot itself will look perfect, but the left side will always be elongated thus making the screen-shot seem longer than it really is. I've taken the time to clean up the screen-shots for this article simply by cropping the part I need. It's a very minor detail since it's not something you'll encounter while playing the game, and I believe it's experienced only by AMD graphics cards so it's almost a non-issue.
I am not a big fan of first-person shooters, but this game is on a category of its own, and it has been very enjoyable to play. I definitely do recommend this game whether you like the FPS genre or not. Maybe it's the way it looks; instead of going for the realistic look, it opted to go for the cell-shading cartoon look. Maybe it's the humor, because it has quite a bit of it, and some of it is outrageous. Or maybe it's just a great game, like many critics have said.
I give the game 4 out of 5 stars because of AMD cards not being fully supported yet.
My Gaming Setup
I played Borderlands 2 with my custom-made desktop PC consisting of an AMD FX-6100 3.3GHz CPU (over-clocked to 3.5GHz), an Asus M5A97-EVO motherboard, a Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 graphics card, 8GB of Kingston Hyper X RAM, and a 1TB Seagate Barracuda hard drive. The software used was Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS with Unity desktop and AMD 13.9 proprietary graphic drivers.
Minimum System Requirements: OPERATING SYSTEM: SteamOS, Ubuntu 14.04 CPU PROCESSOR: Intel Core 2 Quad, AMD Phenom II X4 CPU SPEED: 2.4GHz MEMORY: 4 GB RAM HARD DISK SPACE: 13 GB VIDEO CARD (NVIDIA): Geforce 260 VIDEO MEMORY (VRAM): 1GB