Borderlands 2 Previews
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PCMag has a write-up on the assassin class:
I got a chance to try the Gunzerker class earlier in the year, and the Assassin played very differently. While the Gunzerker was very hardy and loaded with heavy weapons (with a special ability to wield two machine guns at once), the Assassin requires much more finesse. He lacks the strength or endurance to handle up-close fighting, so he relies on long-distance weapons like sniper rifles and stealthy skills to use melee attacks that kill enemies before they can fight back.
The Assassin's special ability is a combination cloak and decoy that projects a hologram of the character in front of you while you turn invisible. The skill also highlights the weak points on enemies, increasing the chances of getting critical hits on enemies while cloaked.
IGN also comments on it:
From the brief hands-on session offered at E3, the Assassin felt like the most skill-based of Borderlands 2's classes, because precision shooting had such a dramatic impact. By comparison, the Gunzerker, who can dual-wield weapons, and the Commando, who can drop down automated turrets, were more about widespread damage output and support. Accuracy still matters for them, but not on the same level. It seems like the difference between a skilled Assassin and an average one could have a very significant difference on how successful a co-op group is at clearing content.
As previously noted, Borderlands is a superfast shooter that throws waves and waves of enemies at you. Many types of enemies exhibit varied behavior, preventing you from falling into a dull rhythm of combat, forcing you to move around and stay alert. Loader robots come in a number of forms. Some spin propellers in front of their chests to reflect bullets, some charge at high speed, some wander around at a distance firing rockets, and by hitting them in the joints, you're able to sever their limbs. This doesn't kill them, but knocks out their weapons and severely impairs their ability to move around the battlefield, adding a little bit of depth to the encounters.
We finish with a piece from TIME's Techland blog:
Your reward for attacking an enemy with a brand-new shotgun or rocket launcher isn't excessive gore, but the satisfaction of seeing that enemy's health bar deplete by a little more than it did before. Enemies take a handful of shots to die, so each confrontation presents a chance to judge the gun in your hand. Borderlands'˜ reputation as the Diablo of first-person shooters boiling down the carnage to a game of calculations and statistics is well-deserved.
Borderlands 2 plays up the cartooniness that goes hand-in-hand with this approach to violence. The comic-style graphics in Borderlands 2 (cel-shaded, to use the gamer's jargon), seemed to really pop this time around. The futuristic setting of the demo level probably helped, with its blue skyscrapers, bright red and yellow mechs looming large, and changing pace from the first game's endless deserts. All the while, the game's new arch-villain, Handsome Jack, taunts the player with snarky banter. Jack is 2K Games' effort to better define the enemy forces in Borderlands 2, and his barbs, though slightly noisome, help lighten the mood.
