The Borderlands series by Gearbox has been a fan favorite for years and with the 2-year anniversary of the PlayStation VR, Gearbox and Sony have just announced a VR version of the acclaimed Borderlands 2.
March 7, 2019: Gearbox adds official Aim Controller support
Gearbox has released a new update for Borderlands 2 VR that adds Aim Controller support.
The following patch notes detail the specific changes:
- Within the Options Menu, options for swapping sticks, buttons, or both are available. We added this to help people who are left-handed or if you want to switch around the layout of your Aim Controller.
- Also, the option to make movement relative to the Gun or to the Head is available for the Aim Controller. If your movement is Gun relative, pushing forward on the control stick will move you based on where the gun is pointing. If your movement is Head relative, pushing forward on the control stick will move you based on where you're looking.
November 27, 2018: Borderlands VR gets bundled with Beat Saber.
With the release of Borderlands VR imminent Sony has announced a new PlayStation VR bundle with the game, Beat Saber and all the hardware you need to play the games.
The best things in life come in threes.
This bundle gives you everything you need to play Borderlands VR including the Move controllers. At $350 for the hardware and two games including Beat Saber, one of the best VR games around, this bundle is an absolute steal.
November 19, 2018: Borderlands VR gets a "Live action" trailer
We have been blessed with a semi-live-action — it's CGI but still awesome — trailer for Borderlands VR. We get to see a person in the real world step into the body of Maya as she lays waste to enemies. It is a lot of fun for a mini trailer and although it isn't gameplay, I think it will help inspire those who weren't sure about it to give it a try.
October 31, 2018: New Borderlands 2 VR gameplay shown off at TwitchCon
The Borderlands Instagram account gave us our first look at the gameplay from Borderlands VR at TwichCon 2018 and from what we can see from the short clip it looks like a lot of fun.
The gameplay shows a small sequence of combat as well as showing off the smooth motion. I'm one of those people who gets a little sick from smooth motion but they have said that teleport mode will be available.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpaUq8ogijW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
October 25, 2018: No DLC
It looks like Borderlands 2 VR won't ship with the 10 DLC that the original game has now. The Borderlands twitter account tweeted that only the core game will be available for VR.
This is a big blow to those who were hoping for the full Borderlands 2 experience in VR as a lot of the best content came from those 10 DLCs. Will we see these DLCs come to Borderlands 2 VR at a later date? Only time will tell.
Borderlands 2 VR launches with the full core game of Borderlands 2 and the original four Vault Hunters, with the complete experience re-imagined for VR!Borderlands 2 VR launches with the full core game of Borderlands 2 and the original four Vault Hunters, with the complete experience re-imagined for VR!— Borderlands (@Borderlands) October 23, 2018October 23, 2018
Here is everything we know about Borderlands 2 VR.
- What is Borderlands 2?
- What is the control system?
- Is it still multiplayer?
- What on earth is BadAss Mega Fun Time?
- What other VR goodness is there?
What is Borderlands 2?
Borderlands 2, which came out in 2012, is a unique take on the first person shooter (FPS). With a funny and crazy story, Borderlands 2 never took itself too seriously, giving you the chance to enjoy the cel-shaded visuals spraying blood all over you and the literal millions of weapon combinations the game could spit out at you. If you don't own it already in non-VR form, it's still worth picking up and playing through, especially since it's available on just about every platform and console. Even now it holds up as one of the most fun FPS I've ever played.
What is the control system?
Borderlands 2 VR is controlled primarily with the DualShock 4 controller but is said to be "Enhanced by the Move Controllers." The team at Sony have mentioned that the game will include teleporting as your means of locomotion, which has been utilized in a lot of VR games since teleporting helps to reduce the motion sickness that can occur in VR. However, using the DualShock controller will allow you to move around at a walking and running pace.
Using the Move Controllers should allow us to use the melee and gun powers separately for some pretty sweet combos and it will definitely make dual wielding heaps of fun, while the teleporting mechanic will hopefully make boss fights a little easier, or crazier. At least, it'll put a new spin on the game if you've played it already.
Is it still multiplayer?
Unfortunately no, Gearbox made Borderlands VR a single-player experience. That means it edited some of the hunter skills to better reflect that single-player feeling. One example is for Maya, who's going to see the following change:
We updated previous skills that relied on a co-op partner, such as Maya's "Res" ability, which now is called "Empathy" – causing Phaselock to deplete half your current health, damaging enemies based on how much health you lost.
While it's a shame we won't be able to play on Pandora with our friends, it's good to know that Gearbox has reworked the game instead of just doing a straight port, which given the crazy nature of the gameplay would have probably made for a poor port.
What on earth is BadAss Mega Fun Time?
BadAss Mega Fun Time — or BAMF Time — is a new mechanic especially developed by Gearbox to help you cope with the frantic nature of the game in VR.
Essentially, it's a bullet-time mode that allows you to move around in real-time while everyone else is going as slow as molasses. This kind of slow-motion is exceedingly helpful in VR as a way to gather your thoughts and take specific aim at something rather than just raining a hail of bullets on everything.
It'll also allow you to use your skills while in BAMF Time, making kills even easier, or crazier, depending on your tastes. For me, crazier is always better.
What other VR goodness is there?
Borderlands 2 VR will let you play with all the original hunter classes but with their skill list updated to use the VR view and the BAMF Time mechanic. This is another welcome change from Gearbox, showing they have put thought and effort into the VR version of the game.
The other big VR experience is going to be the driving. Taking the unique way VR handles visuals, Gearbox is trying a different approach to the vehicular mayhem from the original game. You'll use the Move Controllers to steer the vehicle while your headset acts as your target reticule. All you need to do is look in the direction you want and your gun will shoot that way. This could, of course, be a recipe for disaster and make you feel sick but I think Gearbox is aware of this and is just trying to have some fun with us.
When and where can I get it?
Borderlands 2 VR is available to purchase digitally for $50.
Updated March 2019: Gearbox has added support for the Aim Controller on Borderlands 2 VR.
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