Co-op Mayhem

At the recent Borderlands 2 preview event in Singapore, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford devoted much of his presentation to the game's four character classes. But only with the controller in hand does it become clear why the classes are such a major focus area in this sequel to 2009's breakthrough role-playing shooter game. The preview didn't include the campaign, but instead the new Robot Slaughter, an independent co-op mode similar to Gears of War's Horde mode. It puts you in an arena of sorts, with robots of all shapes and sizes thrown at you.

My first character choice was Axton, the assault class, whose special ability is deploying a devastating turret. Levelling him up can equip the turret with extra firepower or unlock the Longbow ability to deploy turrets at a distance.

The most enjoyable class is Salvador, the shoot-first-think-later tank. In Gunserker mode, he can dual wield any two weapons, while activating the 'Come at Me Bro!' ability will focus all enemy gunfire at him.

That's where the assassin Zer0 comes in. He does most damage in melee combat, and his special ability — deception — makes him invisible and creates a decoy, allowing him to circle around the enemy for a critical hit. For those who prefer a support role, there's Maya. She is a healer and her Phaselock ability allows her to lift and suspend enemies in mid-air, where they're helpless and can easily be picked off by her team mates.

A few rounds of Robot Slaughter made one thing very clear — Borderlands 2 is a team game and is best played with friends.

And while Robot Slaughter is mostly about survival, the campaign will allow each character to flex its muscles in offence, as you flank enemies and plan attacks in Gearbox's beautiful, yet hostile world of Pandora.

Game details:
* Release date: September, 21, 2012
* Platforms: Xbox 360
(₹ 2,499), PS3 (₹ 2,499),PC (₹ 999)

Similar games:
* Dead Island
* Diablo III
* RAGE

(The writer is an editor at Indian Video Gamer)