Let's try to give the spotlight to some smaller games, so that maybe they find some new players:

This game was developed by Abbey Games, who also created Reus and Reus 2, not to be confused with the abbreviation of this game: REIS. First I will explain a bit what makes it special and then why I like it so much.

What is REIS?

It's a Roguelike in which you select a team of 3 Adventurers and go on a grand adventure tour with them Indiana Jones style. The game consist of mainly three parts: world map, adventure map and the encounters. First the world map between adventures where you use your found treasures to e.g. buy tools, train your team or research technology.

Then you select from the available adventures one to go on. These adventures can be for example on a tropical island, in Egypt or in the Himalayas. When you enter the region you go on a map with a randomly generated network of points of interest. Each point of interest is embedded into a little story (similar to Heroes of Might & Magic 3), either because your team find something, fight someone in an encounter or solve some problem. You need resources to move during an adventure, which makes planning your route necessary to still reach the goal, but explore as much as possible. For each map there are also some connected stories to discover, Who you choose for your team and how you evolve them determines the skills you will have and which problems they can solve. You have a mechanic, a linguist or a sailor? Then you might get a special solution for a certain problem (similar to FTL), but if you don't, you can still try to solve the problem with a certain chance which is influenced by the level of your characters in the necessary skill.

Finally the encounters are tactical and round based, but what makes it special is that the fights have a Mood, which is affecting all characters abilities, and those abilities are part of one of three categories: friendly, aggressive or devious. Instead of HP, characters have fighting spirit and you lower that with all 3 categories. When it's 0 the character either doesn't want to fight their opponents any more because they like them now, they are KO or because the other side was really, and I mean really, mean to them.

The moods are influenced by which category of abilities is mostly used: if everyone is friendly, those same mood abilities will be a little less effective, but an aggressive ability will do double damage, but that betrayal of course destroys the friendly mood and now devious abilities are enhanced. This rock paper scissors relationship between the three moods makes it necessary to focus on a certain tactic but still be able to counter the opposites counter to your tactic.

Why do I like REIS?

I like this game for its atmosphere and also for its mechanical depths. Those endorphins you get when you have a special event and you have the correct skill/item with you to solve it in a special way is simply marvelous when first experiencing. And due to the different layers (world map, team composition, abilities, etc.) and interactions between the layers your playthrough will feel different every time. And it will take a while before you have seen most of the possible interactions on the maps. The atmosphere is best described as Saturday morning animation. Yes there is violence and "bad people", but all in all this game is kid friendly in a positive way. It doesn't feel dumbed down, it simply isn't as cynical as so many other games. And that honestly feels refreshing from time to time.

And the turn of the 19th century gentleman (& gentlewoman) adventure is something I'm always a sucker for. And when you beat the enemy by being friendly and they leave the encounter area with a big smile on their face? It gives me a big smile myself

Then I get back into the game with my heart pounding.
It's my first time.

How is it in 2024 now that it’s finished? A lot of reviews I see are based on when it originally came out but I’m curious about the current state of the game. With it being on sale now it seems like it’s worth it even with flaws.

For some context, I’m not a huge city-builder guy (I’ve played some here and there) but the sci-fi setting and the narrative are what interest me here. I don’t really care about replayability as long as one play through is entertaining enough.

Any thoughts?

Earlier this year I posted some thoughts on the games I'd been playing. Here are the ones I've completed recently.

Paradise Killer

As a fan of the Danganronpa series, I’d heard great things about Paradise Killer. And the ways in which this game was inspired by the former are obvious, with an eclectic mix of characters embroiled in a complex murder plot. It heavily leans into the vaporwave aesthetic and soundtrack, often crossing that border into the satirical (Hypnospace Outlaw springs to mind). Unlike Danganronpa, it’s quite open ended and allows you to draw your own conclusions about the true resolution to the case. On the whole I enjoyed my time with this game, though I didn’t feel quite as drawn in to the story or attached to the characters in the same way as other detective games.

Inscryption

I don’t really want to say too much about this game for those who haven’t yet played it. Please go in blind if you intend to play it! But at the most basic level, it’s a card game that plays with and bends its rules in very interesting ways. Undertale vibes in the best way possible. If that sounds at all interesting to you, I beg you to give this one a go.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

A few years back I played the excellent Ratchet and Clank (2016) and had a blast. It was just pure, classic gaming fun with lots of silly weapons and scenarios in which to use them. Rift Apart continues this formula in a beautiful sequel that shows off the capabilities of modern hardware while refining the nostalgic gameplay style of the series. The introduction of a new Lombax didn’t necessarily add much to the game (she’s essentially a reskin), but it made for an interesting story in a range of unique, beautiful locales. As always, the weapons are great fun to use and the game encourages you to swap your arsenal constantly, keeping things exciting throughout battles. I was able to 100% the game relatively quickly, but doing so was a real joy.

God of War

Many people have recommended God of War to me following the game’s release in 2018. And wow, now I can understand why! This was simply an incredible experience in terms of gameplay and story, with deep characters and plenty of customisation that has a significant impact on your moveset throughout the game. By the end of it you really feel like a god. I got the impression that Santa Monica Studio had taken notes from the Last of Us and Uncharted (in terms of a large open world with puzzles and character development), and from that they crafted something incredible. Impressively satisfying to play and I can’t wait to give Ragnarok a try.

Dave the Diver

This is a wholesome game that doesn’t take itself too seriously as you alternate between diving to catch fish and then selling said fish at your sushi restaurant in the evening. I enjoyed my time with Dave the Diver, though I couldn’t help comparing it to Stardew Valley throughout. Yet it never quite scratched the itch and hooked me in quite the same way as Stardew. I think the issue is that the many faces of DtD (fishing, cooking, growing vegetables) all felt like separate disconnected systems or minigames, whereas Stardew was much more holistic. This is probably why I had no motivation to continue playing once I’d completed the main story. But don’t get me wrong – this is a charming game with a fun gameplay loop and beautifully hilarious pixel art cutscenes.

Ghost of Tsushima

A friend of mine described Ghost of Tsushima as an Assassin’s Creed clone. And I totally see what he means, but I don’t think that does it justice! Let me just get this out of the way: this is an absolutely stunning game to look at. I was constantly using the game’s photo mode to stop and take screenshots of, say, a golden sunset, the glint off Jin’s katana in the moonlight, the mist over the hills and many other gorgeous environments. The way in which the game captures the different weather changes is incredible, really providing the backbone for the atmosphere during my journey. Whilst the story didn’t do anything ground-breaking, I liked the exploration of honour in a world where the protagonist has to be dishonourable in order to survive. The combat was fun and varied, with a range of different sword techniques and tools at your disposal. Playing stealthily is a big part of the game and it would have been nice to see a bit more variation in the gameplay here (press square to assassinate etc.) but despite this I found myself enjoying these sequences until the end of the game. I’ve just finished playing the DLC content too, with which I was pleasantly surprised at the way certain gameplay elements were remixed and expanded upon. This was an excellent game which I'd recommend to anyone.

Obligatory GOT screenshot collection below!

spoiler

Has anyone played any of the games above? Let me know what you think :)

Mostly referring to the release of the latest WoW extension which isn't discussed anywhere (or maybe I missed it)

This is the Ultimate HD version on Vita, and man it has been my goto for just relaxing strategy games. I just wished it explained the controller better, like pressing Square to drop bombs if you have 5 gems.

It's available on Steam and I can only image how good it'll be on a Steam Deck, as the game was fantastic on the Vita and PSP.

I have added 2 Steam and 1 GOG game libraries to my HLTB account. Then I have categorized the games based on completion/pad controller usage etc.

Afterwards due to long backlog of games I have sorted the list by main story completion time from the shortest and began playing one by one. Of course not all are worthy/interesting enough to finish, but most are.

Having the list and the goal of going through these titles let me focus what I already have instead of grabbing another title, which will stay in library for the next months or years.

Also you wont have to worry about new releases, because you have already something to finish with certain goal in mind, will effortlessly wait until the price drops significantly with nice cut, all dlcs, packed in Limited/Definitive/GOTY edition.

Team Fortress and Counter Strike too. It's nice to jump on and play every once in a while and not have to deal with all the mobile game crap.

***Edit: deux ex

So I have access to the ps plus catalog. I'm really excited they have disco elysium the final cut, and dues ex mankind divided

My brain has muddled these two awesome franchise pop culture knowledge where I feel like I'm more or less able to go into either blind and I wanna preserve that! The thing is it's not really clear to me for either title if I'd be playing a sequel (or something that is better enjoyed with prior context)

So I guess my question is for these two games, what should ideally be the order placement? Even if I just watch a yt essay on a previous game I don't have access to just to have some good groundwork context.

I also am curious what games you discovered that is available through similar subscriptions. Were you pleasantly surprised? Just meet average expectations?

I have very fond memories of the first Halo on the OG Xbox. It was very cool to be able to do the campaign together with a friend.

Finally time to pull the trigger on this one!

EA has a big sale on lots of other titles, too.

I am having so much fun with this one. The systems are super polished and everything feels so smooth. If you are into platformers and somehow missed this one too, watch me play for a bit. It seems to have everything.

If you have any pointers that aren't blatant spoilers, I would love to hear them. Thanks in advanced.

Stumbled upon this video, which kind of summarizes the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxaIP8F3K8

In summary

• lack of risk taking by the industry
• lack of creativity
• industry prioritizes profit by making games compatible with the previous consoles generation
• removal of split screen
• outdated voice communication compared to PC Discord
• disabled voice communication by default

For people here who have a current console, what do you think about this?

Another video on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61lX2mixdKQ

TL;DR This is a review of both Turnip Boy indie games. The first is a sort of classic Zelda clone, the second is a rogue-lite twin stick shooter. Both are short to play and I recommend them but especially the second game.

Tax Evasion Persuasion

The last thing I ever want my veggies doing is paying unjust taxes. The good news is that Turnip Boy does not want to. The first game of these two is one that I played months back and I ended up having a really good time with it. This game is obviously based on some of the older adventure games, particularly older Zelda games, and so you should expect that coming in. It mostly consists of doing small quests for people but the game never gets too elaborate and does not have a huge map making it too complex.

What even is a joke game?

I'll bring this up again later but this game is very lighthearted and most of the mechanics here are in service to the comedy and joking nature of the game and its characters. If you've ever played a game that does this, you'll know already that this tends to polarize the game into being either way too focused on the joke to the detriment of the gameplay, or it ends up with the gameplay being passable but the joke falling flat on its face. I'm happy to report that this game does neither of those things and balanced it pretty well, though not to my full satisfaction.

If only the Triforce was cantaloupe

In totality, the first game is a nice and tidy adventure with a decent amount of fun and jokes and with just enough depth to sell the fun of the game without over complicating it or dragging it on for too long. You can beat this in just a couple of sittings and if "Classic Zelda joke game" sounds like a good time to you, go play it!

He's not done squashing yet

To move on to the second game, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, this is where I had most of my fun. The game becomes a twin stick shooter on just one map where you break into a bank, take as much cash as you can, leave, and repeat until you've found and defeated all of the bosses and done as many quests as you have desire for. Unlike other rogue-lite games, this one is very approachable and not having a procedurally generated levels means that you get to know where you're going over time. The jokes are also better though the story is lighter here. All of that exists in the shadow of the gunplay though, the weapons here are the real highlight. The first game I didn't really find much challenge at all with, the actual gameplay was almost more about questing than its bosses. Here though, you have some decent boss fights and enemies, very fun mechanics.

Theres a few donut sized holes

The main criticisms here are that despite the mechanics being deeper: There is a gun locker that is almost pointless, the upgrades don't feel balanced, the gun trade in system is not worth utilizing, and the different areas do not do money scaling very well.

A good example is that you have items that cost 10k and you're working towards upgrades that cost 25k. You could buy the upgrades, but it is pointless because the progression item at 10k unlocks and area that lets you get a trophy for 100k with almost no effort. I think that the treasures on the pedestals needed to be scaled better, they kind of undermine the whole game.

This summary is a pickle, or just a vinegar cucumber

Both of these games are worth playing for entirely separate reasons and both will take you no more than 5 hours to beat, I'd estimate 3-4 for most people. They're short but in a very good way and a nice refresher from a long RPG playthrough. As good as these games are though, they don't survive without their specific brand of humor. One is a very short and simple adventure game, the other is a short and simple rogue-lite. I really hope that the developer feels they are able to make a longer game if they feel like doing so because I'd like to see how they could make these mechanics work without just using them as a backdrop to cheeky dialog.

But that's it, I hope that you go play one or both of these games if you have time. Both of these are also simple enough that they'd be welcoming to newcomers to their genres.

People who have played these games, feel free to throw in what you like and didn't like below. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

The last time I touched Xbox was with the 360, and only because I needed to test used games to sell on eBay. But I've wanted to try out modern Xbox to see if things like GamePass and what exclusives they do have is worth it. Especially since on the used market, Xbox One games can be cheaper than PS4 games. With the loose justification of buying Conkers Bad Fur Day as my target price I bought Rare Replay and a Xbox One.

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Console Hardware

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The Xbox I got was the Original Xbox One, mostly because it was cheap, and because I got the Halo 5 version. I don't play Halo, but I love the aesthetics and blue accents. I wanted the Xbox One S since it's smaller and I like the design better. But I had a hard rule of "not buying white" and the color variants aren't as appealing.

From first boot to getting my games installed, I can tell a lot of care an attention went into the hardware and the UI. Might be my imagination, but the interface feels snappier than it does on PS4. And the store is actually usable and not bloated like Sony tends to do later into a console life cycle. I wish there was more customization to the menu, but there is a clear aesthetic which Xbox wanted to have for their console, and I can respect that.

The Xbox One controller has now become the "default" controller for me. Everything targets it, and since it now has a functional d-pad (looking at you 360), it's good. I prefer the musher feeling of a Nintendo D-Pad and shoulder buttons (or bumper as Xbox calls them). But it's a solid controller and with using AA batteries rather than LiPo, it'll last as long as I take care of it.

I really like the overall package. The only thing I wish I could do is test the HDMI In on the system. But I am pretty sure it's broken or defective. No a problem for a Games Box, but it is annoying.

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Games

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I got my Xbox One for one game, Rare Replay. And if I am honest, it plays fine. While I will praise Xbox for not mucking about with the interface there is no denying that this is a game box from 2013. Games play just as well as they do on PS4, and has the same level of support as the PS4 does.

I feel it's interesting that all games even disc ones install to the system. As I know not all games on PS4 like LittleBigPlanet 3 still run parts of the game from the disc itself.

Overall the quality of Xbox One was about as much as I expected it to be. No worse than PS4, and maybe better at times.

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Game Pass

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Nah the big draw for me was two thing, Game Pass and Backwards Compatibility (which is the next section).

Game Pass to me has always been the much needed revival of game rentals. For a modest fee, you get access to a treasure trove of games from just about everyone. And I got to try just about every game I wanted to try for my system. To build a list of games I wanted to play/try.

Unfortunately for Xbox, many of the Game Pass games I've played, like Nickelodeon All Stars 2, Physconaughts 2, and Persona 3 Reloaded, are games I feel I want to play on other consoles or PC's. I liked them, but I don't want them to be tied down to the system. While other times they offered me experiences to stay away from, or confirmed that they were games I wouldn't like.

But there are a few games which I honestly didn't think of or needed to play myself which I will be populating my Xbox with, and maybe even moving over to Xbox for. Like Sunset Overdrive, Halo 5, and Forza Horizons 5. Heck I tried Assassin's Creed Origin's and honestly I prefer to play it on Xbox rather than PS4. Plus the benefit I can have all the original games on one system is really tantalizing. Especially since the original 4 games can be found at bargain bin pricing at any good thrift store.

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Backwards Compatibility

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Which neatly brings me to Backwards compatibility. Like the native games, disc games are installed via the web rather than run off of disc. And I am fine with that. And it runs soooo well. Honestly I feel it's worth owning an Xbox One for the Backwards Compatibility alone.

Sure not every game works. But most of the ones you'll want to play are here. I've been replaying the crap out of Saints Row 2, and finally getting the chance to enjoy Saints Row 1. Or at least I was until the Xbox Servers went down.

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Online

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Now I've always known Xbox as the online gaming console. For the guys looking for achievements and playing Call of Duty with friends. But that's not me. I just want to play Rare Replay and other single player games.

But man has online gaming on consoles gotten bad since I last checked on PS3. I couldn't even start EA's Star Wars Battlefront II, with them demanding I make an account with them (or link my Xbox one to theirs). Most Xbox games I played almost expect you to be playing online and have that lobby menu thingy along side it. Guys I just want to play Halo, I don't even have the friends to even try co-op with.

Nope, but what killed any recommendation for this system was when Xbox's servers went offline, and my Xbox immediately turned into a brick. Sure I could look at things. But no game I installed would boot, not even my disc games and the system won't work unless I am signed in. Even my backwards compatible games refused to load a save until I remounted the "cloud storage".

On PS4 or Switch this isn't an issue, but if it was, one could make a Guest account, or an offline account. But that's not possible on Xbox. It's required that any account on any Xbox has to have a Microsoft account attached with it. Even for kids.

This wasn't a requirement on 360, and I remember Microsoft being a laughing stock of E3 2013 with their whole, "online only thing" and "Discs being locked to a single console". And while we didn't get the latter, I am shocked that the Xbox community is OK with the former.

But I wouldn't blame Xbox for this, as this decision has corporate Microsoft's hand prints all over it. Mandatory log in are now apart of even Windows 11. Ads taking up the lower third of your screen is also being baked into other aspects of Microsoft's software too.

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Conclusion

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And what's tragic is that this strong arming is hurting the end user experience on their hardware. I can't in good faith recommend an Xbox to friends or family, especially since if they want their kids to play Minecraft, they have effectively two choices. Let Microsoft track their kids and their every movement, or give their kids access to daddy's credit card since they have to use his account.

But as I said, I don't blame the Xbox team for this, I blame corporate Microsoft.

And for the services and continuing support for what is a 10+ year old console at this point. I am extremely impressed. Xbox One is still an extremely viable system in 2024 and I don't feel it's been outright abandoned like other systems of it's age, like the Wii U.

Honestly who I would recommend an Xbox to is the same demographic I use to see playing Xbox, teenagers. It's cheaper than a PC, plays almost all of the same games, and if they want to play online they'll need to jump through the same hoops.

And unlike Sony or Nintendo, who've destroyed their previous game console's library during the transition to newer hardware. I feel I can at least trust that Microsoft will continue to bring forward their game library to whatever they do next.

Yes Sony has more exclusives. But that's quickly becoming a very short list, as they've languished in the years which the PS4 has had dominance.

So If you don't want a PC which is the only other hardware with a larger game catalogue, or don't want to deal with the shoehorned in third party drm for every publisher. Then the Xbox isn't a bad platform to invest into, especially if you want to explore new games you want to try that's available on Game Pass.

I have this loosely defined made-up genre I call "Summer Games".

It started a long time ago subconsciously. At some point I realized that during the hottest time of the year I gravitate to certain games that I mostly play on a small device (laptop/switch/steamdeck), laying in bed, late at night, when I have trouble sleeping because it's too hot. A friend of mine once said that the reason she loves super high temperatures so much, is that what you experience leaves more vivid, burned in, memories. I think she has a point.

The criteria aren't super rigid but I hope you get the "vibe" and might know some games that fit:

• Low-stakes/chill gameplay. I'm already sweating, I don't need sweaty gameplay right now

• a warm aesthetic/color palette and/or setting. My outside experience shouldn't feel too different to the games inside experience aesthetic-wise.

• It feels like a road trip, adventure or vacation. I want to get a summery memory out of this.

• the game leaves some kind of impact.

Games I played in the past that evoked that vibe perfectly:

• Kentucky road zero
• oxenfree
• road 96
• firewatch
• sable
• rime
• steins: gate
• life is strange

Games that have fit okay-ish

• tunic
• journey
• citizen sleeper
• nightcall
• no umbrellas allowed
• the talos principle
• the solus project
• the witness
• the vanishing of Ethan Carter

If anyone has a recommendation, I'd be thankful. This year I have started to play chants of Sennaar and it seems to fit the criteria so far.

Ever since it came out I have heard only good things about this game. And it sounds like a perfect fit for me. I enjoy figuring out puzzles, I enjoy figuring out lore and I love to explore.

I picked it up during a sale a while ago and since then I had 3 or 4 attempts of trying to get into the game but after a few hours I'm just too frustrated and give up.

My problem is, that I am so horribly bad at moving around, it infuriates me like no other game ever has. Like, I want to go to that planet, I board my ship, I fly towards the planet. I either slow down too late and die crashing into the planet or I slow down too early and by the time I get to my destination the planet has already moved away too much. So I either wait until it comes back around or I try to follow it wich usually ends with me crashing into it. It's like slapstick comedy. The autopilot let me crash into stuff blocking its path so I gave up on that too.

The few times I managed to get to a planet, I couldn't enjoy exploring, knowing I will have to pilot this spaceship again. When I think about having to be at a specific location at a specific time, it fills me with horror. Moving in lower/zero gravity is also not enjoyable for me.

I want to love this game so bad but I just can't. I know this game is a one-time experience so I am torn on what to do.

Are my problems with this game so fundamental that I should just give up and watch someone else's playthrough on YouTube? Or are my experiences in a normal range and I should keep trying until the movement clicks with me?

I fear that the longer I wait the higher the chance that I randomly encounter a huge spoiler somewhere in the internet.

Thank you for reading and thanks in advance for any recommendations, advice or feedback

Edit: Thanks a lot everyone! I will give it another shot and use a combination of autopilot and manual movement. If that doesn't work I'll look at some mods. If that also doesn't work I'll give up and just watch someone else play it. I feel like I'm extra bad at this because my spacial awareness sucks in real life too. Can't tell if a car in the distance is moving or parked and if it's moving how fast. Don't worry I never even bothered to try to get a driving license lol

Jokes aside. I wanted to do a fun numbers game and see if I could get an Xbox One and Rare Replay for the price of the N64 copy of Conkers Bad Furday. And it turns out I can.

Conkers Bad Furday on N64 costs around $150-$175CAD (before tqx) given the condition and its shipping location.

Meanwhile I was able to pick up Rare Replay for $10CAD at my local EB Games, and I was able to find Xbox Ones for as low as $100CAD, but on average around $140CAD.

This particular Xbox One was $160 at the end of the day, a bit over budget, but I love the colors and design. Even if I don't play Halo.

Totals

Xbox One - $121.39 + $25 Shipping + 21.96 tax = $168.35

Rare Replay - $7.99 + $1.20 tax = $9.19

Total - $177.54 CAD

Things have sort of come full circle for me. When I was younger, I recall playing a copy of Super Mario Bros 3 on Game Boy Advance and never being able to complete it (in fairness I eventually got to the final world). This was the case for a lot of games for me; essentially they’d have infinite replayability.

As I got a bit older I was exposed to more games with linear single player campaigns. Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 spring to mind. At the time, I couldn’t afford to buy that many games so I’d find myself doing a mission here and there, and focusing most of my attention on the multiplayer. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play the campaigns, but rather than I felt like I needed to savour them. Sure, I could just blast through it in the space of a weekend - but then it would feel like I’ve blown all that money on something short-lived.

This mindset stuck with me as single player games became longer and longer. GTA IV, Red Dead and Skyrim for example took me months to get through, as I’d just play the occasional mission as a treat.

But nowadays I don’t have as much spare time as I once did. And it feels like the number of games in my backlog is growing each day.

I actually replayed GTA IV and its DLCs last year, and really enjoyed the experience. But only recently did I work out why it was more enjoyable than my first playthrough all those years ago – and I think it’s because I didn’t eke out the missions. The story felt a lot more coherent because it was fresh in my mind. The characters that appeared at the start of the game no longer elicit that ‘wait who were they?’ response when they turn up in the second act. And I was able to better understand the ways in which the three stories cleverly intertwined.

Recently I got the gamepass-style subscription on Playstation (‘PS Plus Extra’) which includes a bunch of older games I’ve been meaning to get through. And the fact that there’s an artificial time limit to playing them (i.e. I don’t want to pay for this tier of subscription any longer than I need to) has helped me to avoid wasting time.

Just to be clear, I’m not advocating for speedrunning single player games and missing all the side content. On the contrary, I’ve just platinumed Ratchet and Clank: RA, but did so in half the time than it would have taken me before. Previously I might have thought ‘I’ll just do the one mission’, and this was often an excuse to get distracted by crap on my phone for the subsequent 30 minutes. I feel like I now have a reason to focus for games for a little longer instead of wasting time. And as a result, I’ve enjoyed my time with them so much more recently.

So perhaps if you’re struggling with your backlog, try to set yourself a realistic time limit for each game. And don’t treat games like a treat – if you have the time, play them now!

TLDR: I loved Borderlands two and I'm going to start a replay with a different character, which i almost never do.

I had fun with Borderlands 1, but was basically pushing through by the end trying not to fall asleep.

B2, on the other hand, I was very engaged in the entire ride through, although it seemed well balanced and the game ended when it should, even including the side quests.

Improvements -

The writing! I think I heard a reference to Anthony Burch writing in Borderlands 2 from hey ass. Whatcha playing episode, and he got some award?

Experience tiers, which I didn't initially like because it wasn't explained, but basically the quests are more important than farming enemies for experience, so you get much more engaged with the stories because you're following quests instead of trying to kill enough boring enemies in the same way to get high enough of a level to destroy future enemies.

In any case, the writing that I did like in Borderlands 1, was perfect in 2. Not too long, always funny, always engaging, every character very well defined, which brings me to my next point:

The voice acting was hilarious and perfect, again, very well defined and idiosyncratic for every character, just so much fun to listen to. Every time handsome Jack pops up. It's fun to listen to him be an a******.

The quests were so much more satisfying. At the end of the first game, I was basically just following marker to marker without caring what anybody said or what was written down just tapping through to the next wavepoint until the quest was finished.

In Borderlands 2, Even if I accidentally clicked through the introduction to the quest, I would go back and make sure to read because I know that the paragraph introducing and explaining the quest is funny and that the quest is going to be rescuing lab experiments and I have to find a particular valve or putting together a treasure map with a weird lure, rather than just find the bigger bad guy punch him to death.

Driving was huge - I was not into driving in Borderlands 1 and got really bored and irritated every time I had to drive. I felt like the aiming system was complete dog s***, and it was just not very fun to drive around in general, like the handling was terrible.

I loved driving around the Borderlands too and was actively bummed out whenever. I didn't get a car, but it made perfect sense and they used the car just enough so that the game wasn't too easy. But you could still boost and race around however you wanted, or chase down a beer van. So much fun driving, such a huge improvement from the first game.

Larger levels with more interesting landscapes in them, each level felt much more unique than the entire The first game to me, like each area had its own style to a degree I hadn't seen before.

I can't remember a single place from the first game, but I'm going to remember the different style of the underground bug. Bunker and the dust and all these other places that had an impact on the personality of the game.

Lastly, art is more efficient, not as many bold lines emphasizing the comic book quality, which is carried through more by the personality of the game instead of by the specific art.