6. More Humour, Less Pop Culture
Gearbox SoftwareVideo games are at the forefront of technology and interactive art, so it's no surprise that their makers tend not to be the out-of-touch fogeys we see in other entertainment industries. But even then, Gearbox is a particularly savvy bunch, always eager to echo the trends and topics of the time. Perhaps too eager. Sarcasm was, at one point, the lowest form of comedy, but that was before the age of the Internet, which has since burst straight through the bottom of the barrel and into commonality. Everyone knows what everyone is saying nowadays, how infinitely amusing it is to hear about Portal's suspicious cake and Skyrim's infamously fragile kneecaps for the thousandth time. Consequently, having so much of it thrown into Borderlands 2, along with a medley of quips that toe the line between audacious and just plain stupid, could feel a bit out of place. In-house hilarity is what made Pandora great: Marcus' "just business" return policy, Moxxie's laughably over-the-top romantic life, Lilith and Roland's nit-pick-ridden relationship, and Tiny Tina... just, in general. And who could forget Shooty McFace (seen above)? Gearbox doesn't need to try so hard to integrate the allegedly hilarious topics swarming social media. They've got a far better and more original palette right in front of them.