With the recent release of Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for free on the Epic Games store, fans are eager to take this opportunity to jump back into their favorite games. However, with Borderlands 2 having one of the largest rosters of playable characters throughout the franchise, players are constantly changing their playstyle, eager to find one that fits them best.
Considering the unique abilities for each hero, these characters can be played in both solo and co-op mode. Because the game can alter the enemies based on how many people are playing, it is important to consider which character you may use at the beginning of each playthrough. But which Vault Hunter is best for single-player mode, and which is best to use with friends?
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Whether players are long-time Borderlands veterans or recent converts, the various abilities of the characters will always cause a large impact on how they play each Borderlands game. With Borderlands 2 being the most popular game of the franchise, many fans are flocking back to this nostalgic favorite, eager to dig out their mains or learn how to play someone new. In the Borderlands franchise, the roster of playable characters usually includes a siren, with varying powers depending on the game; the brawler, who enjoys charging headfirst into combat; the soldier, who can often deploy a turret and is well versed in combat tactics; and an assassin-like character, designed to distract enemies before attacking them from behind.
Fan-favorite Borderlands 2 is no different, boasting a selection of six different vault hunters. The original four that came with the game are Axton: The Soldier, Salvador: The Gunzerker, Maya: The Siren, and Zero: The Assassin. With the additional DLC that comes with The Handsome Collection, players are offered two new characters, Gaige: The Mechromancer, and Kreig: The Psycho. Each of these characters not only has a unique ability, but can also be played in a specific way based on how players organize the skill trees throughout the game. However, each of these character's abilities are limited, leading to certain heroes being most useful on their own before we focus on those who are better as part of a team.
For solo players, the best heroes to pick are those that allow for deployable creations or those that have increased health regeneration, both of which help players to stay alive for longer on the battlefield. Axton, Gaige, and Kreig are the best examples of this because they each offer skill trees and passive abilities that are focused on defensive playstyles, or in the case of Kreig, focus on health regeneration speed. Because Axton and Gaige can deploy turrets that will automatically attack enemies, players can charge headfirst into battle or find a vantage point behind their turret and pick off their enemies one by one. However, these turrets both have a limited amount of damage they can take before they are destroyed, and their associated cooldown times are significant.
On the other hand, Kreig is also a great candidate for single-player playthroughs because his action skill allows him to completely heal after killing enemies with melee attacks. This survivability offers an almost invincible character, as his cooldown for the Rage skill seems significantly shorter than those of Axton and Gaige's skills. Although these characters would shine brightest in solo play, they can also be used in cooperative play with friends. But just how does the rest of the roster stack up?
With cooperative characters, players must consider how their hero abilities can help or hinder their team, as well as focusing on the playstyle of their partner so that both players can stay alive for as long as possible. The best Vault Hunters work best as a team after all, and none more so than Maya, Salvador, and Zero. Maya is the siren character of Borderlands 2 who possesses the ability to Phaselock her enemies in the air for a short time, allowing for her teammates to wreak havoc on more difficult enemies.
Zero, on the other hand, focuses on close combat and quick kills, which would present much more of a challenge if he is not sufficiently supported by his team. Although he can deploy a duplicate of himself to distract enemies, it sometimes helps to have a distraction that can shoot back, while Zero cloaks and moves in for the kill. Finally, Salvador is a character that enjoys wielding two guns at once, resulting in massive amounts of damage. However, with this increased damage comes reduced shields and health, leaving a solo Salvador player more exposed to distance based enemies. If playing with a Salvador, be sure to watch for long-distance snipers or particularly challenging enemies that could rip them apart, like Goliaths.
Despite the limitations of the cooperative characters, it is still possible to play and enjoy Borderlands 2 alone with any of the available heroes. While there may be more challenges when Zero's duplicate runs out or when Salvador loses his shields, players that enjoy a bit of a challenge will enjoy playing these slightly more complicated heroes. The Borderlands franchise has been focused on cooperative gameplay since the beginning, and it does not seem to be leaving this unique gameplay style any time soon.
For players that are used to the Borderlands style of gameplay and weapons, any of the offered characters will work well, provided the player knows what sort of playstyle works best for them. On the other hand, introducing new players to Borderlands 2 might run more smoothly if playing with friends, allowing for more fun and loot than punishment for not understanding game mechanics.
All in all, Borderlands 2 is one of the better games in the franchise to introduce newcomers to, due to its wide variety of playable characters and quirky, detailed story. Borderlands has significantly improved over the years in gameplay style, story, and offering more engaging enemies, though many fans seem to believe that the series' best game was Borderlands 2 because of how much it stood out from the others with its in-depth villain and fun, inviting game environment. Although Borderlands 3 just came out last year, Borderlands 2 has an enjoyable story and a varied selection of characters, allowing for a variety of playstyles.
Borderlands 2 is available as part of The Handsome Collection for free on Epic Games' PC store, and for regular purchase for Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Source: Borderlands Fandom: Classes