Borderlands The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned DLC Reviews

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Written by BuckGB on December 13th, 2009

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While it'd be great to get some downloadable content that adds in character class skills, heaps of new items, bumps up the level cap, or builds in more interesting and complex quest and encounter mechanics, what's presented here is a guaranteed good time. The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is a well-made and entertaining piece of content, giving Borderlands fans a chance to sink bullets into undead flesh in new environments and with some additional quest goals. The expansion also offers stronger story elements, something mostly propped up with wacky humor and nonsense, which is quite fitting considering the context of a zombie outbreak and ludicrous amount of loot and bullets and death. While it doesn't alter the core of Borderlands in any dramatic kind of way, it is one of the most vividly characterized zones. Considering the strength of the gameplay formula and the fact that it's still fairly soon after the main game's release, what's presented here -- more things to kill and more reasons to laugh while doing so -- is welcome.

The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is great fun and will be sure to extend the game life for people who are maybe just growing bored of the first one. Sadly the level cap isn't extended further however there is enough variety both with enemy creatures and map locations to breathe new life into the core game mechanic. The design is very professionally designed and there will be more than one occasion when you chuckle out loud at the witty story missions and dialogue. The core gameplay is still very addictive and it should extend the life of the game for quite some time, for a very modest outlay - great value for money.

In fact, the entire package presents some of the best Borderlands' gameplay to date, and this first batch of downloadable content is more entertaining than any plot-arc on the disk. While there aren't any driving sections or new items to strive for, the additional locations and opportunities to fight waves of undead fit Borderlands better than slaying Bandits and Skags ever did. The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned manages to pack more humor and wit in its three hour campaign than Borderlands did in all twenty. The only issue is the length, which, when put against the cost, might seem a bit mismatched. Even so, it's quality over quantity in this case, and 2K has proven themselves completely capable of continuing the Borderlands experience past the Vault and I, for one, can't wait for more.

Overall, I'd definitely say that (The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned) is worth a purchase. It extends the already decently long game play of Borderlands by at least five to either hours, adds new items, and gives a well-realized and humorous story to play through. Even with it seeming to be out of season, there being minor hiccups in it playing nice with the game, and a somewhat lackluster final boss, I can't say I regret my purchase in the slightest.

In releasing this DLC, Gearbox and 2K have done what seems to be so difficult for other studios: drop a well designed, value laden expansion pack in a timely manner. With a tighter, more condensed storyline, tons of great humor, lots of varied enemies and fresh, new environments to play in once you finish your first run to the Vault, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is a simply awesome expansion pack and a great way to change up your Borderlands experience.

This DLC really is something, and Gearbox have pulled out the stops with the full game and this DLC. The pricing is ok, but not cheap, and I was discussing this with James a few days ago, In my opinion all DLC has been overpriced since GTA4's sell out to Microsoft, however, this DLC retails at £6.29 compared to the £7-8 of most games, which I suppose will leave you enough change to buy a can of Euroshopper Energy Drink or Super Stardust HD when it's in the sale. So a good all rounder that will keep you entertained and glued to Borderlands for quite a while.

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