The Secret Armory of General Knoxx

A journey worth taking, albeit with some caveats.

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is an interesting DLC pack if only because I can’t seem to make my mind up about it. When I first booted it up, I found the quests grueling and unreasonably difficult, and while I would normally be willing to admit that it may be my own lack of skill holding me back, in this case I’m talking about a game that I’ve sunk over sixty hours into (and have thus had sixty hours to get less terrible at it), and it certainly isn’t like I was the only one complaining; my teammates, which ranged from Berserkers to Soldiers and everything in between, all agreed that their experience with the new zone (at least initially) left them wondering what they were doing wrong as their Vault hunter collapsed for the twentieth time that hour (the first hour, I might add). 

However, the Armory is really well put together as far as mission structure and zone layout go, and the narrative we’re provided with moves along at a steady clip and doesn’t get in the way of the action (which is great, when it’s working), so I wasn’t ready to give up on it just because of a few scrapes and bruises (and, y’know, millions of dollars lost in Pandora-bucks). Thankfully, it isn’t long after the initial grind (or perhaps “bashing-of-face-against-wall” would be a more appropriate description) that the Armory finally picks up, and as soon as I figured out that I would have to use elemental-appropriate weaponry against some of the newer enemies (the Shock Trooper variant of Atlas soldier and the highway drones come to mind) I was flying through missions and across highways in my Monster (truck). 

Speaking of the Monster, I should talk briefly about the three newest ways to cruise around, specifically the Racer, Lancer and Monster. While it seemed a bit trivial to me when I first heard about the addition of three new vehicles, I must admit their presence in “new” Pandora is much appreciated and, for the most part, each of the new vehicles handles well (if very specifically) and none of them feel like a throwaway vessel. 

The Racer is best suited to a single occupant, as it’s high speed and touchy controls make vehicle combat a last resort as opposed to a priority; it’s best used to scout out non-highway zones before entering them in earnest, especially since the plains of the Armory are covered with huge, vicious spiders called “Drifters” that can put even the heavily-armored Lancer out of commission with a few well-placed shots. 

The Lancer is an armored personnel carrier that doesn’t become available until a little further into the DLC, which is probably good, since the four-man tank can rip through just about anything in its path with mines, built-in explosives, a light machine gun turret and some kind of vehicle-mounted laser cannon that poses a significant threat to even the aforementioned Drifters. Unfortunately, the sheer number of things that the Lancer can do coupled with the fact that you cannot transfer seats without exiting the vehicle mid-combat makes it a choice best suited for full squads. 

Finally, the Monster incorporates aspects of the core game’s buggy with a bit of the Racer’s speed and some of the Lancer’s armor for good measure. What makes the Monster unique is its heat-seeking trident rocket launcher, mounted on the back of the jeep’s body. By having the most effective turret in the game, the Monster can prove lethal to large enemies (such as the Drifters), as its considerable firepower and automatic target tracking is backed up by surprising mobility. It’s the obvious “middle of the road” choice, and the vehicle I most often take out onto the highway. 

As for the highways (and bases, and dungeons, and midget shanty-towns) themselves, well, they feel a lot like Borderlands, and I don’t say that disparagingly. What I mean is that the core game’s frantic bullet-slinging is intact for the Armory, and the new mix of enemies that roam Pandora make for an interesting engagement almost every time. Unfortunately, with the rest of the game play came Borderlands’ suicide AI, that which compels frothy-mouthed enemies to hurtle toward me through a hail of bullets with no regard for their own personal safety, the result of which is often me running around in backward circles (is that even possible?), unloading shells into slackjawed nitwits that have never wanted anything so blindly as to see me in a body bag. 

The other problem that could not be eradicated by a DLC pack is the ever smaller number of people actually playing Borderlands. The majority of the time I spent wasting Atlas goons I spent by myself, and not for lack of trying; it’s just that after an hour of surfing sessions (each more aimless than the last) and an hour more of hosting sessions just so a handful of glassy-eyed morons that are twelve levels higher than me could engage in their own exercise in futility by bashing me with lead pipes for ten minutes before their tiny attention spans can direct them to the “exit game” option in their menus, I got a little tired. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem for me, even in a multiplayer game, but given the difficulty of some of the new missions and the fact that more players always means better loot throughout Pandora, the scarce session lists (and even scarcer decent sessions) make battling through the Armory just that much harder. 

Now, before I continue, let me state that I understand that not every XBOX Live-goer is like this and that I have in fact found one or two decent people whilst playing through the Armory. What I described above is merely indicative of my experience. 

I didn’t think I would ever be able to get back into Borderlands after investing so much time the first go around, but with The Secret Armory of General Knoxx Gearbox has provided enough new content to make the trip back to Pandora a pleasant one, if best experienced by a group (assuming you can find one). 

Thanks for reading,
End_Boss.