More killer, less filler.
The latest DLC for Borderlands, The Underdome Riot of Mad Moxxi, does not include any new quests. What it DOES include, is a whole shitton of bad guys for you to kill. As someone who has spent 75 hours on my berserker alone, this was both dissapointing and a breath of fresh air. It's almost sublime to just enter one of the arenas included in the underdome, unholster your gun, and kill until you can't kill anymore. I can think of no better way to relieve quest fatigue than this killfest.
Mad Moxxi is full of the great writing I've come to expect from Borderlands, and the addition of a bank system is useful for those who like to hoard equipment. Everything about it feels like it belongs in Pandora, without being oversaturated with the signs and architecture that admittedly seem to repeat ad nauseum in the standard game, as if it is desperately trying to convince you that this is still Borderlands. You don't need to be convinced.
The Underdome brings a slew of arenas to the world of Pandora, and in each one the player fights wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemies. The first wave is always a mix of enemies, the second is always a bunch of guys with big guns, the third is always a horde of psychos, the fourth is always badasses, and the fifth is always a boss. If you survive all 5 waves, the next round begins. To win the arena, you must complete all 5 rounds. After each round, the enemies base stats are increased, and after the first round, every wave brings a different gameplay modifier with it, such as low grav, weak shields, constantly draining health, or every type of gun but one being gimped. They keep you on your toes and help keep the action fresh, something that the most obvious comparison, Gears Of War 2, fails to do.
Additionally, if your character dies, he is sent to the penalty box. The penalty box is a tower overlooking the level, and the player may shoot down at enemies below. If every player is in the penalty box at the same time, then the game ends. You can leave the penalty box after the wave is over.
Your rewards are somewhat lackluster, with ammo pickups and health pickups being your only gift for completing a wave, and a handful of guns the prize for a successful round.
The Underdome is a dangerous place. Me and 3 of my friends, 2 of which had modded shotguns, only lasted until wave 4 of round 2. We are all level 50. As such, I highly suggest you download this content only if you are looking for nonstop challenge.
The DLC does, however, take a turn for the worse when you complete the first 3 arenas. When that is completed, you now have a new objective. Complete a ludicrous 20 rounds on each arena. At this point, only the most masochistic gamers will be determined to continue the massacre.
For players like myself who are gluttons for punishment, Mad Moxxi delivers the most challenging, and fun, spin on Horde mode yet, and for that, I can forgive the lack of new quests. If you like Borderlands, You'll like this.
