Borderlands DLC Review: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx

This is our first guest article on StartGame, written by our good friend spooferbarnabas. A hardcore Borderlands fan, here’s his review of the latest DLC pack, ‘The Secret Armory of General Knoxx’.

As the dust settled on the planet of Pandora and the post-Vault era began, many thought the barren wastelands would return to peace and prosperity. Well, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Unfortunately, the Atlas Corporation has returned to Pandora with a gargantuan invasion force, and the aim of obtaining power and seeking revenge upon the Vault hunters. Apart from Athena, a rogue Atlas assassin, the Vault hunters provide the only opposition to General Knoxx and the seemingly boundless masses of the Atlas Corporation.

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is the third instalment of DLC from the team at Gearbox and is an ambitious continuation of the original storyline. Regarded as “the largest DLC for Borderlands to date”, it provides a vast array of new content, which includes: a higher level cap, three different vehicles, brutal enemies, a pearlescent rarity of weapons, an extensive environment and other features which provide hours of captivating gameplay.

For those who reached the staggering heights of level 50 over the past four months, Knoxx provides a formidable challenge with the level cap rising to level 61 and the XP required within each individual level increasing dramatically.  Subsequently, the levels and difficulty of the enemies in Pandora increase rapidly and appear more brutal and menacing than ever. The Crimson Lance are the Vault-hunters main adversary; however, other enemies from the original campaign return such as the psychotic midgets and skags. Variation in foes is provided throughout the missions with some Crimson Lance piloting jetpacks and monstrous mechanical suits, while other soldiers possess resistance to certain elemental damage. Gearbox have listened to the consumers and have even included a behemothic creature which easily surpasses the level cap and will require a co-ordinated, herculean team effort to defeat.

In conjunction with the increased level cap and the increasingly menacing adversaries, Gearbox have provided fresh features regarding weaponry and loot. Advanced, technological Crimson Lance chests can be found throughout the DLC and they contain twice the capacity of the normal red chest (plus the opening mechanism is spectacular).  ‘Pearlescent’ weapons are available within Knoxx; however, these rare weapons are thought to only be available on the second playthrough. In Pandora, looting is perhaps the most gratifying feature of Borderlands and Gearbox have grasped this principle completely with this DLC.

The focus of The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is T-Bone Junction, which acts as the area from which the missions, side-quests and other areas are connected. The small town of T-Bone Junction is surrounded by a network of highways which meander throughout the various areas within the DLC. The environment is meticulously designed; however, in my opinion, it is perhaps the greatest downfall of the DLC as, for some absurd reason, there are no fast travel stations, which results in repetitive journeys on the highways to reach the surrounding areas, and excessive driving distances.

The majority of your travels within this DLC will be completed in vehicles, but which one do you choose? Knoxx provides three new vehicles, each equipped with a variety of weapons ranging from mines to guided missiles. The decisions on which vehicle you use are often vital depending on the nature of the mission which you are undertaking and the wrong choice can often result in certain failure. The vehicles range from the nimble Racer to the menacing Lancer and provide the necessary variety for your travels.

The plot in this DLC is often vague and the missions could do with a greater level of connection, but what else do you expect from Borderlands? However, it is improved by the introduction of familiar faces from the original campaign and extended humour which is often displayed through the audio recorders (one of which rambles on about ice cream) and specific characters such as General Knoxx himself.

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx concentrates on the aspects of Borderlands such as loot and weapons, which make it the addictive and enjoyable experience that it is. Gearbox have clearly listened to its fan base and have provided a DLC which is an improvement when compared to the others. Providing over 10 hours of solid gameplay for the low price of £5.49, this is a valid reason for people to rush back to Pandora. The negative factors prevent the DLC from being perfect, but it is close.

Originally posted on Gazzagb’s Blog on 10th March, 2010.