Borderlands 2 Xbox One X Preview

April 6, 2019 at 4:20am

As part of the Handsome Collection, Borderlands 2 has been given a Xbox One X enhancement. This is rather surprising as I assumed the game was just finished in terms of additional content or updates. Luckily, they took the time to boost the resolution and quality of this title. This was part of a sweeping motion to get the entire franchise enhanced and the results are excellent for the most part.

What we’re getting here is a boost to a 4k resolution with HDR support at the existing 60fps that was present when the collection did initially release. This boost is provided as an extra pack that can be downloaded for free from the store.

While this is a massive improvement in terms of quality, there’s a bit of an issue. When you load any area, or the game in general you’ll face a few seconds where textures haven’t loaded. This presents some ugly textures for everything in the game. Again, that’s just for a few seconds and then it’s perfectly fine from that point onward. That is, until you venture to another area.

This problem is also evident on “The Pre-Sequel” as well, though faster in terms of loading here. Other than that you’ll see minor bits of pop-in, but I’m not entirely sure if that was present before this update went through. This aspect is very visible when you’re in a vehicle and driving by the grass. Vehicle grass pop-in always seems to be an issue in games. That aside, this is generally a very impressive update. Getting past those few seconds you’ll be greeted by a gorgeous world with vastly improved textures. It’s great that these titles were cel-shaded as that art style holds up so well and it will continue to do so.

I think even further down the line it’ll just take a further resolution boost and we’ll see results like in the first Crackdown on Xbox One X. That being a gorgeous looking game, years past its prime. In general, this is a great time to check out the second main Borderlands entry if you haven’t already done so. If you’ve been meaning to hop back in, this is a fantastic reason to do so. While I never forgot how fun it was, it was still a nice nostalgia trip to hop in and run around for a bit. The gore really pops now, and those jokes still haven’t gotten old.

This is an excellent coating of paint and it’s very important for securing the longevity of this franchise. It’s a real treat that players will be able to experience the entire franchise in a similar visual quality as the style is retained, and just improved upon with each new entry. That’s about it for this one, it’s definitely one of the best titles I’ve played. If this wasn’t enough Borderlands, read our original review of the Handsome Collection below or check out the franchise hub for additional coverage on these well loved games.

Read our Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Review
View our Borderlands Hub