Hey guys, I've been gifted Borderlands 2 recently and it's been sitting in my library for a while and I really want to get into, but I'm wondering if I'll be able to enjoy the story. I know it's a sequel, but I'm wondering just how much are the two stories connected? Do I need to play Borderlands 1 to know what's happening in Borderlands 2? Or are the sequels like GTA or Fallout where previous games have no influence on the story?
Not at all. There are winks and references to the first one but it is not necessary to enjoy the game by any means.
Are those winks and references like in GTA where they're totally irrelevant to the story? Or do they add a certain dimension to the story?
Well they do provide a bit of background, primarily about the corporations and Claptrap. It is a very good game and I'd suggest you give it a shot, but it's not required to enjoy BL2. The main storyline is a bit anti-climactic but that's part of the joke and whole style.
Hm, then I think I might give it a shot. Borderlands has been a series I wanted to play in a while, so I guess it shouldn't matter to me which one I play first.
Like what everyone else has said already - it's not necessary, but I would recommend it. There were scenes and easter eggs in BL2 that would not have had as big of an impact if I didn't have the history and background from playing BL1.
I didn't play Borderlands 1 but enjoyed the hell out of Borderlands 2. So no, you don't have to play Borderlands 1, even though there are characters and references from that game. Either way, you'll enjoy this great game for sure.
I actually joined this forum because I want to play Borderlands, it seems like an interesting game. It is good to know I don't necessarily have to play the first one to understand the second one. Still, with what you guys are saying I will play the first one before I attempt the second.
I personally started with Borderlands 2. When I went back and played the original Borderlands I had quite a few "so that's what they were talking about" moments. All in all it didn't detract from my experience and any order should be fine.
I would definitely play borderlands 1 before playing 2, not only is 1 a great game on it's own, but a lot of the characters you interact with were introduced to you in Borderlands 1, Tannis for example.
No, not at all, you'll still enjoy and understand the story of the 2. But, the 1 is also really cool so you'll be making a favor to yourself if you play it too!
Good question, but I'm sure you can enjoy Borderlands 2 without actually playing the previous one. It does have a lot of references but you pick up on them along the way.