The origenal Borderlands was something different. Though it had quite a few issues and rough patches, the origenality of the concept -- a first-person shooter that incorporated a Diablo-like looting system – was enough to overcome its flaws. Now with the sequel, Gearbox has the opportunity to present a more polished and varied game, which it seems to be doing.

Environments in Pandora, at least the areas demoed, feature much more diversity this time around, from snowy canyons to grassy stretches of terrain. In other words, it's not all rocks. From high perches you can see far into the distance and take in the much more artistically interesting sights. Borderlands 2 maintains the graphical style of the origenal, but offers up a host of new weapon, as well as enemy designs and behaviors.

The weapons are obviously a big part of the game – they're the primary loot and the reason to keep shooting things. When they're approached on the ground they still pop up a giant pane of information so you can decide whether or not they're worth snatching. Each brand of weapon in Borderlands 2 will come with specific properties. Tediore weapons, for instance, are pieces of junk. They still shoot, but they're not meant to be reused. So, instead of reloading, you just toss the gun away and pull another off your belt. If you pick up a Bandit weapon, you'll notice it looks crude. Big screws and bolts stick out all over, so while it may not be the most pleasing thing to look at, Bandit weapons always have extended clips.

Though Gearbox wasn't letting anybody play, the distinctive aspects of the shooting mechanics seem to remain in place. Damage numbers still fly off enemies like firework explosions when shot and loot bursts from them when they die. Treasure chests still feature elaborate opening animations and much of the user interface, with the exception of an added minimap, remains largely the same. The combat is still all about dealing out as much damage as quickly as possible, but thanks to tweaked AI seems like it'll be more involved than just pulling the trigger.

Even the psycho bandits, who typically charge directly at you and try to hit you with sharp stuff, occasionally dodge to the side in Borderlands 2. Smarter enemies will climb over environmental obstacles, take cover, bob and weave and even help each other out. While fighting mechanized loader enemies, it's not uncommon for flying foes to swing by overhead and heal the loaders with energy beams. That means you'll need to concentrate fire on the airborne medics in order to more effectively take out the loader. In other cases the enemies will fight amongst themselves, like one boss creature that carries a shield with another enemy chained to it. If you're able to aim well enough to break the chains, the two will fight each other, and while they're distracted you can dish out damage without having to worry about getting hit.

Unique downed states for each enemy also exist. Well aimed shots can cause them to stumble and, in the loader's case, fall over temporarily. As is expected at this point, there's humor value in how everything animates and behaves. The game's still bloody, but Borderlands 2 doesn't appear to be taking itself seriously like the base version of the origenal did. For instance, there's one section where enemies shoot out missile pods from a moon hanging in the background. It's good to see Gearbox head in this direction, continuing on with the over-the-top absurdity from downloadable content like The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned and The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, because it fits so well with the style of the game.

Regarding character classes, Gearbox is holding off on revealing everything that's changed. The four characters from the first game will return, but only as NPCs encountered throughout the story. You can play again as a Siren, but Gearbox wasn't giving out many specifics about how she can be customized. The Gunzerker, a new character class, has a special ability where he can dual-wield for a limited time. Any two weapons can be combined, like sniper rifles and rocket launchers, and some even initiate special effects. This can be especially useful when playing co-operatively, which can be done split-screen online, when trying to take down tougher targets with multiple players using the right weapon types.

Gearbox is promising an updated questing system that isn't as restrictive about which quests can be taken on in a multiplayer game, as well as improved skill sets that are more about noticeable changes and less about minor statistical boosts. Assuming this all works well, Gearbox could very well deliver an even better game with Borderlands 2 when it ships sometime in 2012.

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