Borderlands 2: Pirate DLC Impressions

I only got to spend about a half hour with it, but the upcoming Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty DLC for Borderlands 2 made a good first impression. It's exactly what I want: more story content, more silly writing, more pop-culture references and, of course, more loot. Whether you've torn through the Borderlands 2 campaign a dozen times or are still working on playthrough number one, you'll want to add this one to your quest list.

Watch a lengthy developer commentary about the DLC.

Once you've either purchased the DLC or downloaded it as part of the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, accessing it is simple. Walk up to any fast-travel point and you'll be offered the option to access Oasis, a one-time vacation destination that's now a wasteland. Moments into it you'll meet your main quest-giver, the tragically and hilariously psychotic Shade, a Hunter S. Thompson lookalike who is more than a little starved for human companionship. Since all the townsfolk of Oasis were recently wiped out, Shade has gone ahead and helped...revive them in creative ways. Helping Shade apparently gets you wrapped up in a quest for treasure, and before you know it you're questing, looting and shooting your way through a land of pirates.

These aren't the pirates of our own world, though. While they may bear more than a little resemblance to the likes of sea-faring pirates, these scoundrels live in an area devoid of moisture. Thus Borderlands 2 introduces us to the concept of sand pirates, even unlocking a new hovering vehicle that looks like an amalgamation of a sail boat and the sand skiffs from Return of the Jedi. It's not a simple reskin, either; the skiff can strafe around targets, has a sense of momentum to its movements make it feel like it's sailing. Plus it can be equipped with a gun that fires exploding harpoons. To what extent and how effectively the Captain Scarlett DLC will make use of the skiff and the pirate motif remains to be seen, but with developer Gearbox's Borderlands add-on content track record I'm quite hopeful.

See the sand skiff in action.

Since the initial leak of the DLC details Gearbox has since confirmed that there is a new currency, but this wasn't explored during my brief demo. Still, anything that expands the loot system and gives me more objects to pine after seems like a good thing when it comes to Borderlands 2. If you're dying to try out the DLC for yourself then you'll have your chance tomorrow, October 16th. As long as you're at least level 15 or higher -- the enemies scale to keep it interesting -- then you'll be ready to hit the high sands. Want to learn even more? Why not check out the rest of our Captain Scarlett gameplay videos below.

Meet Scarlett

Meet Shade

See the "Citizens" of Oasis

Source : ign[dot]com

Borderlands 2: Pirate DLC Impressions

I only got to spend about a half hour with it, but the upcoming Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty DLC for Borderlands 2 made a good first impression. It's exactly what I want: more story content, more silly writing, more pop-culture references and, of course, more loot. Whether you've torn through the Borderlands 2 campaign a dozen times or are still working on playthrough number one, you'll want to add this one to your quest list.

Watch a lengthy developer commentary about the DLC.

Once you've either purchased the DLC or downloaded it as part of the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, accessing it is simple. Walk up to any fast-travel point and you'll be offered the option to access Oasis, a one-time vacation destination that's now a wasteland. Moments into it you'll meet your main quest-giver, the tragically and hilariously psychotic Shade, a Hunter S. Thompson lookalike who is more than a little starved for human companionship. Since all the townsfolk of Oasis were recently wiped out, Shade has gone ahead and helped...revive them in creative ways. Helping Shade apparently gets you wrapped up in a quest for treasure, and before you know it you're questing, looting and shooting your way through a land of pirates.

These aren't the pirates of our own world, though. While they may bear more than a little resemblance to the likes of sea-faring pirates, these scoundrels live in an area devoid of moisture. Thus Borderlands 2 introduces us to the concept of sand pirates, even unlocking a new hovering vehicle that looks like an amalgamation of a sail boat and the sand skiffs from Return of the Jedi. It's not a simple reskin, either; the skiff can strafe around targets, has a sense of momentum to its movements make it feel like it's sailing. Plus it can be equipped with a gun that fires exploding harpoons. To what extent and how effectively the Captain Scarlett DLC will make use of the skiff and the pirate motif remains to be seen, but with developer Gearbox's Borderlands add-on content track record I'm quite hopeful.

See the sand skiff in action.

Since the initial leak of the DLC details Gearbox has since confirmed that there is a new currency, but this wasn't explored during my brief demo. Still, anything that expands the loot system and gives me more objects to pine after seems like a good thing when it comes to Borderlands 2. If you're dying to try out the DLC for yourself then you'll have your chance tomorrow, October 16th. As long as you're at least level 15 or higher -- the enemies scale to keep it interesting -- then you'll be ready to hit the high sands. Want to learn even more? Why not check out the rest of our Captain Scarlett gameplay videos below.

Meet Scarlett

Meet Shade

See the "Citizens" of Oasis

Source : ign[dot]com

Borderlands 2 Pirate DLC Leaks

Information on downloadable content for Borderlands 2 has leaked online. Called “Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty,” the pack appears to have been leaked by files included in yesterday’s early release of the Mechromancer class and features new missions, a new rarity color, new loot and more.

According to a trophy list on PS3trophies.org, three additional Trophies (and presumably achievements) will be included along with the pack: one for completing a mission called “X Marks the Spot,” one for discovering all named locations “in Oasis and the surrounding Pirate's Booty areas,” and one for completing “all Pirate’s Booty side missions.”

In addition, files from the Steam version of Borderlands 2 have leaked significantly more information. A thread on the official Gearbox forums includes multiple images, showing off a new currency called Seraph Crystal, a new pink item rarity, new head customization options for the game’s original four classes, a new vehicle and a plethora of new items, weapons, enemies and bosses. In addition, a text file on Pastebin allegedly includes all of the Echo dialog from the game. According to one entry, the story of the pack is summed up as follows: “legends speak of Captain Blade's Lost Treasure of the Sands. Of a prize so great that men would turn the sands red in pursuit of it. Of a pirate queen, courageous and deadly, who would stop at nothing to find it. Of a monstrous Leviathan. Of the Vault Hunters who journeyed to the desert town of Oasis, not knowing the horrors that would befall them.”

For now, the content is unconfirmed, but we’ve reached out to 2K and Gearbox for comment. Previously, rumors suggested that new downloadable content called Torgue could be in the works for Borderlands 2, but it’s unclear if that and Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty are related. Gearbox hasn’t detailed any downloadable content for Borderlands 2, though a Season Pass currently available for purchase suggests that multiple packs will be coming in the future.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Win A TV And Xbox With Risen 2: Dark Waters

Risen 2: Dark Waters, the pirate fantasy RPG sequel, is hitting Xbox and PS3 on August 3 and to celebrate we've launched an exciting hub packed with information about the game. We're also giving you the chance to win a 40" HD TV, an Xbox 360 and a copy of Risen 2: Dark Waters to bring your new hardware set-up to life!

We've also got five copies of the game to give to five runner ups, so if you want the chance to bag yourself a copy of this fantasy adventure simply head over to http://uk-microsites.ign.com/risen2 and take part in the treasure hunt! Click on the button marked Competition in the navigation menu on the right of the page, then ‘Begin the Hunt'. tThree different monsters will appear on the page, you will need to click all three to be able to enter the competition draw.

You have until 10am on August 2 2012 to submit your details. This competition is open to UK residents over the age of 18 only with full terms and conditions on the competition page.

Source : ign[dot]com