It's six years old at this point but that hasn't stopped Borderlands 2 from still being a hot commodity for Gearbox Software. In fact, the company is reviving the game for yet another platform... virtual reality. Yes, Borderlands 2 will be playable as a VR game for this generation of gamer, but it comes with a rather gut-wrenching caveat for those of you who truly enjoyed one very important facet of the gameplay.
Borderlands 2 in VR will not have cooperative play.
That's right, the upcoming VR re-release of one of Gearbox's most popular games will be a single-player only adventure for PlayStation VR gamers. According to IGN the game will officially launch later this year on December 14th, 2018 for the PlayStation VR.
The game's user interface and control schemes will be completely re-oriented around the use of the DualShock 4 or the Move motion wands that come with the PSVR bundle. Both options will net you full compatibility with scouring the wasteland, finding cool loot, and shooting some of the wackiest bad guys from last gen.
Gearbox, however, is compensating for the lack of the co-op play in the new Borderlands 2 re-release by including a rather inventive mode for the game called BAMF Time. It's short for Bad Ass Mega Fun Time, which allows players to slow down time and gives them the ability to better pick their shots and kill the baddies when the going gets tough.
This is a common feature in many VR games due to the way the VR environments work, where full 460 degree movement can sometimes leave gamers feeling disoriented or completely overwhelmed by the amount of freedom and action taking place on screen. So, slowing down time is a good way to give gamers some measure of nuanced sensory feedback that allows you to survey the area(s) in slow motion.
You'll be able to navigate the menus either using the DualShock 4 by moving through them in a traditional manner, or you can use the Move wands to point-and-click on what you want via the on-screen pointers. You can also click and drag icons, objects, and entities through the menus to help make the quality of life features a lot easier for VR users in the first-person shooter.
Some of the skills have also been redesigned to accommodate single-player gameplay, and all four characters can make use of BAMF Time, with certain characters receiving buffs based on how the BAMF coincides with their specific set of skills.
Now, some of you are probably wondering how traversal and movement works in Borderlands 2 VR given that, typically, in most VR games, it uses teleportation instead of locomotion. Gearbox will actually make it so that both forms of movement options will be available. When using the DualShock, you'll have traditional locomotion as your traversal method, and when using the PlayStation Move wands you'll have the aim-and-teleport mechanic to move about the levels.
According to the article the vehicles will still make an appearance in the game but driving will be done with the joysticks while aiming will be done manually using the VR headset.
Sadly, the game will not include all of the DLC that came out for Borderlands 2 following its release. The VR version will only include the base game and the four base characters, Zer0, Salvador, Maya, and Axton. Gaige and Krieg will not make the cut, nor will the additional expansion content like Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep.
The game will be available in December along with a dynamic PS4 theme available for those who pre-order Borderlands 2 VR for the PlayStation VR.
