Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Co-op, sci-fi 1st-person shooter rains blood and body parts.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Borderlands 2
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 31 parent reviews
Based on 85 kid reviews
Kids say this game is a mix of humor and action, featuring over-the-top violence that some players find suitable for teens if the gore option is turned off. While it has plenty of profanity and cartoonish bloodshed, many reviews suggest it is more fun and light-hearted than truly inappropriate, making it enjoyable for older kids and teens despite its M rating.
- fun gameplay
- cartoon violence
- mild language
- suitable for teens
- humor and gore
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
Ushering in a \"new era of shoot and loot,\" BORDERLNDS 2 is an over-the-top first-person shooter that drops players on the planet Pandora to fend for themselves against deadly bandits and alien creatures in a go-anywhere \"open world.\" As with its predecessor, the game has you take on many missions and challenges while firing at enemies and looting corpses for better gear. Borderland 2's key differentiator -- along with its unique art style -- is the cooperative nature of the game; up to four players can band together and take down enemies with multiple weapons -- and eventually defeat the notorious Handsome Jack and his corrupt corporation. Taking place five years after the original tale, Borderlands 2 also adds a role-playing element with various upgrades (namely, skills) that adds to the game's replayability.
Is It Any Good?
Borderlands 2 is a good game, especially if you liked Borderlands. Along with the fast and frenetic gameplay, unique visuals, and multiple modes (drop-in/drop-out, side-by-side, or online co-op (a must!)), this sequel offers many more missions and challenges than its predecessor, exceptional writing, and memorable characters and enemies. Looting baddies gives you better weapons and other bonus items and rewards. This world is generally more enticing to fight in compared to the previous game. There isn't much to complain about with Borderlands 2, except for the odd graphical or audio glitch, but it hardly detracts from the overall experience. Fans of mature first-person shooters will no doubt enjoy running and gunning through this wild adventure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether it was necessary for Gearbox, the game's developer, to make the content mature enough to get a 17+ age rating. Wouldn't the game be as fun without all the carnage, strong language, and sexual references? Or does that add to the appeal? Wouldn't more copies sell if it were rated "Teen"?
What is the impact of media violence?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Subjects : Language & Reading : following directions , reading
- Skills : Collaboration : cooperation , meeting challenges together , teamwork , Thinking & Reasoning : applying information , strategy
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : 2K Games
- Release date : September 18, 2012
- Genre : First-Person Shooter
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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