Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is available now, and fans of Gearbox Software’s tactical first-person shooting series will dig this new adventure. In it, you’ll guide four Vault Hunters working on behalf of Handsome Jack. The goal? Take over a station on Pandora’s moon Elpis while dealing with a number of enemy forces, and of course, scoring some sweet loot.
It can be dangerous out there, so here are a few beginner’s tips that will help you achieve this lunar takeover.
Gravity is your friend
When outdoors, you’re able to leap great distances thanks to the game’s anti-gravity feature. When enemies are on the ground, you can jump and shoot them while making yourself harder to hit. This also applies to aerial foes, because once you jump, you eliminate their height advantage.
Oxygen is somewhat tricky
Always keep an eye out for oxygen stations in surrounding areas, as they will help you refill O2. Running out isn’t advised, as you’re likely to collapse and have to start over from the previous checkpoint.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t need to be up close to an oxygen station to activate it. You can run up and turn it on, but if you’re in a hurry and need to run into a dome ASAP, you can simply activate an oxygen station by shooting it with some form of shock weapon. You’ll find these all over Elpis, left behind by enemies or in vending machines.
Remember, breathe to live.
Stick together, even when looting
The Pre-Sequel supports four-player co-op just like the other games, and even if you’re playing as the weakest squad member (which can happen), you want to stick with your group.
Don’t get us wrong. Wandering off and exploring for extra missions or loot is fun, but if you run into a larger enemy – which you will quite often in this game – fighting alone is suicide.
That said, you’ll want to confer with your team and make sure you’re on the right page. Having a squad to cover your back – while you cover theirs – is a smart tactic, especially when it comes to invading a new base. Sure, you’ll have to figure out who gets what loot in the end, but you’ll stay alive, and that’s a much bigger payoff than having to regenerate and rush back to the point of death.
Sometimes you’ll deal with renegade players who want to do their own thing. If you’re a newcomer to Borderlands, pair up with at least one partner (not side-by-side, but in close proximity) to prepare for larger enemies or challenges.
Look high and low
Finally, Borderlands the Pre-Sequel has a lot more verticality than previous games, including ares that require anti-gravity jumps to reach. In most cases, this is where some of the better loot is kept, so it pays to grab your team and head upwards. There may be some tougher enemies waiting once you get there, but that’s part of the fun.
If you see a spot on your radar (indicated by mission markers) and don’t know where the treasure is, feel free to explore above and in some cases below. You might stumble upon some cool loot – or maybe even a weapon worth the trouble.
Tomorrow we’ll cover some more of the advanced stuff in the game, like redeeming SHIFT keys and getting the most from your skill tree.
Get the complete, official guide to Borderlands the Pre-Sequel, available now.
