What Borderlands 2 Needs to Do to Keep Me Satisfied

No, Borderlands 2 hasn’t been announced yet, sorry if I got anyone’s hopes up. But it’s going to happen. It’s inevitable: a game that sold that well with a fan base so dedicated, most of them will buy an extra $30 worth of content, how could it not?

And when it does, I’m almost certain the hundreds of hours I’ve put into the original will become obsolete (though if there’s a non-game-breaking way to transfer my siren and her guns over to the eventual sequel, I will roll around my dorm room floor in ecstasy-fueled celebration.)

It’ll be hard to let go, but here are a few things that may make the transition a little easier (not that Gearbox owes me anything, but wish lists are always fun. And hey, maybe there's an off chance one of the developers will read this):

1. Player Appearance Customization: It’s something we all begged for. It’s something that was just unfeasible for Gearbox to do. But it’s something just too important not to include in a sequel. Changing the color of my hair and the stripe on my shirt isn’t going to cut it in Borderlands 2.

2. At Least One More Class: My favorite part of Borderlands was the ability to have truly different paths that could achieve the same goal. Berserkers would go in guns blazing, sirens would tactically daze enemies, and snipers would pick off enemies from a distance. And if you tried to play a sniper like a berserker, fail. Keep the class system (hell, make them even more specialized if you want,) and throw us a new one or two. Maybe an Eridian that specializes in alien weaponry?

3. More Raid Bosses: When gamers make it to the endgame (which we are sure to do in a matter of days, no matter how much content you throw at us,) they’re going to be looking for the most efficient way to get the best loot. Crawmerax was awesome, as Michael Rousseau’s and my countless runs can surely attest, but when it becomes the only thing to do, it’s going to leave gamers bored. Having one or two more raid-able bosses that are equally as loot-worthy could extend the life of Borderlands 2 significantly. Perhaps give each boss a tendency to drop certain categories of items (a boss that tends to drop high level revolvers, or one that drops shields.)

4. Better Storage And Trading: I’m glad a bank was included in Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot, but it really was something that should’ve been included from the start. Make sure the next bank is able to hold all the legendary weapons you throw in the game (collectors like me became pretty frustrated when we were unable to hang on to a complete set.) Also, a more secure trading system would be a welcome addition as well as an in-game means to settle loot disputes (in-game Rochambeau?)

5. Expand The Story But Keep It From The Spotlight: I for one, actually enjoyed the story of Borderlands, but it relied way too much on reading menus. With a bigger budget, Borderlands 2 can certainly step up on the voice work and do a better job of keeping gamers in the action, instead of scanning text on a screen. But even though I want to know about Pandora and the rest of the Borderlands universe, it’s not the main reason I play the game. Keep the focus on the shooting and we’ll be golden.

That’s my Borderlands 2 wish list. Did I miss anything Bitmob community? Or should Gearbox screw making a sequel and just focus on downloadable content? Let me know in the comments.