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" Borderlands 2 is the hotly-anticipated follow-up to Gearbox Software&amp;#039;s surprise 2009 hit. Back when its forbear was unveiled, the studio made something of a big deal about it being an original IP in a genre rife with sequels.  Well, it seems that Gearbox doesn&amp;#039;t think sequels are such a bad thing after all, and if what we saw at gamescom 2011 is anything to go by, they know a thing or two about what makes an effective one. It&amp;#039;s been in the works since the first game proved a success in the software charts, and the developer has promised fans that this is far from one of those cookie cutter offerings. We were shown a hands-off demo during the Cologne event, which Gearbox vice president Steve Gibson informed us takes place one-third into the game after our &amp;#039;Gunzerker&amp;#039; protagonist has been left for dead in a frozen wasteland by the game&amp;#039;s villain Handsome Jack.  The first thing that struck us is how much more polished this one looks compared to its predecessor. It sports the same hand-drawn aesthetic, but with an extra layer of polish, and animation sharp enough to cut yourself on. Tough enemies and tougher weapons After exploring the icy expanse, the player was attacked by monstrous creatures known as Bullymongs. It seems the developers have taken the AI-related criticism they received the first time around on board, as these were smart blighters. Gibson explained that all AI behaviour is non-scripted, so characters will behave in a potentially unique way every time you play.  The beasts were shown hurling debris at the player and heading for the high ground to get the drop on them. Humanoid AI seemed much more reactive too. They take on a limp when wounded and hide or group together when outgunned. Borderlands packed a bigger arsenal than the Russians during the Cold War, and the sequel looks on course to continue this tradition. Specific weapons manufacturers will be more prominent in the follow-up, and their merchandise will have a recognisable visual design. In the gamescom demo, the player started out packing a TDR, which Gibson called &amp;quot;the Bic razor of guns&amp;quot; as they are quickly tossed aside once their ammo is spent. In one instance, an empty TDR struck a Bullymong in the face as it was discarded, stunning the creature. A gun constructed by the bandits (who fans of the previous game will have killed legions of) was also showcased. It was a crude and clunky construction, though able to hold a vast amount of ammo in its chamber. There was also a heavy duty shooter that looked like a cross between a gatling gun and a hose pipe, capable of spitting out bullets at a frighting quip. Vehicular segments also played a significant part in the original, and there has been an overhaul here. As well as power-sliding and realistic suspension, vehicles can now carry four players during co-op missions. What&amp;#039;s more, transports will no longer snag on parts of the environment. And while we&amp;#039;re on the subject of the environment, this is a new and improved version of Pandora.   A bigger Pandora The world is seamlessly connected to give the player sense of context. For a high vantage point, you can see Hyperion City to the West and deserts in the East. It has more of a living, breathing feel to it, with non-playable characters going about their business whether they cross paths with your character or not.  As Gibson so aptly put it, this universe exists &amp;quot;with or without you&amp;quot;. It&amp;#039;s much bigger too, so an omnipresent map sits handily in the corner to help you find where missions are located. Other tweaks include revamped skill trees geared towards gaming changing upgrades, rather than ongoing stat increases, and refinement in the co-op multiplayer department. The latter system has been reworked to help players catch up with their friends along the same quest line quickly.  The missions themselves have also been given an injection of variety. Apparently, it will no longer be one fetch quest after another. During the demo on show, the player embarks on a rescue mission while warding off attacks from kamikaze robots, who still crawl at you Terminator-style when their legs have been blown off. Borderlands 2 looks like an extremely promising sequel. Gibson spent most of the presentation explaining how Gearbox has improved on every single aspect of the original, but we have to say, they put their money where their mouth is with the demo.  It looks more refined and sophisticated, while staying true to what made the original Borderlands a smash hit - guns, loot and attitude. Borderlands 2&amp;gt; is released for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in 2012. Watch the Borderlands 2 teaser trailer below:  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/gamescom/news/a335721/borderlands-2-preview-gamescom-2011/>