Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Review Roundup

It's not Borderlands 3, but the third game in the Borderlands series is almost here. The Pre-Sequel is set before Borderlands 2, explaining villain Handsome Jack's rise to power, but does its prequel status signal that it lacks the kind of advancements we'd like to see from a new game?

When we first heard about The Pre-Sequel, there was some question about how big the final game would end up being, with Gearbox head Randy Pitchford suggesting it might not be full-priced. More recently, 2K parent company Take-Two has positioned it as a "full-blown" game. You do get four new playable vault hunters, a new type of movement that stems from being on a moon, and a fairly lengthy adventure--albeit one that may not be quite as long as previous games.

We've gathered up some of the first reviews of The Pre-Sequel for you below. For more, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
• Developer: 2K Australia
• Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
• Release Date: October 14
• Price: $60

GameSpot -- 7/10

"Repetition and a lackluster story are its biggest shortcomings, but Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is different enough to separate itself from the shadows of its older siblings. Elpis provides some gorgeous scenery, and the low-gravity environments bring an exciting new dynamic exploration and combat. No, it never reaches the furthest edges of space, but Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel still offers some the best of what the series has to offer: good loot, good laughs, and good times for many hours." - Cameron Woolsey [Full review]

PC Gamer -- 77/100

"The Pre-Sequel is happy to be Just Another Borderlands Game. I enjoyed it for that, but I also finished it thinking my time would’ve been better spent on one of the more original games that’ve released this year. I love seeing Borderlands embrace the FPS trend of unconventional movement. Apart from the low-gravity leaping, though, The Pre-Sequel doesn't do much to freshen what we've been playing since 2012." - Evan Lahti [Full review]

Joystiq -- 3.5/5

"Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel has the makings of a pretty great Borderlands game. There are plenty of enemies begging to have their faces shot. The environments on Elpis are stunning neon spectacles, there are plenty of new guns that are bundles of violent joy to use (including lasers!), and the new characters are well-rounded. The Pre-Sequel is missing just a bit of soul, but it has plenty of heart--hearts exploded by laser rifles." - Jessica Conditt [Full review]

Polygon -- 7/10

"It's a story filling in gaps, adding a bit of nuance to a world that's already had two games worth of exposition rather than exploring new ground. It's the same recipe that's driven two full, long games and a host of downloadable content. But the lark of low gravity proves that the tedious parts of previous games don't have to stay an anchor holding the series down. That addition makes this one last run through the world of Pandora (or its moon, anyway) on the last generation of consoles worth the time." - Arthur Gies [Full review]

IGN -- 8/10

"Despite its tendency to make you jump through hoops before getting to the good stuff, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel delivers where I expect it to as a Borderlands fan. The new gear and low-gravity mechanics mixed with the zany skill trees makes for a fresh experience, and with Jack at the center driving the story forward, you get a deeper dive into the always entertaining, if well-traveled universe of Borderlands." - Vince Ingenito [Full review]

GamesRadar -- 4/5

"Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a hilarious, fan-focused continuation of the series' core values. But lacking any true evolution, it makes for a fun diversion rather than a meaningful new chapter." - David Roberts [Full review]