Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games
Rrp: £6.30
Released: 7th January 2010
Available on Steam
Played using: Mouse and Keyboard
Welcome to Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot! Are you ready to release some major carnage and destruction? You’d better be if you hope to survive! It is here you will be battling in the coliseum for the audiences, and Moxxi’s, pleasure.
To begin this DLC you select ‘The Underdome’ in the New-U’s fast travel location menu. Once your past the introductionary cutscene you find yourself in a hub area that allows you to access the three combat arenas and also a Bank.
The Bank, which is now a staple of the Borderlands series, was first introduced in this DLC and allows players to stash the excess gear they may be carrying without fear of losing it. You can upgrade the amount of space the Bank has at a vending machine but it very unlikely you’ll use all the slots, unless you’re a hoarder.
It should come as no surprise that Mad Moxxi Underdome is inspired by the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, I mean, the clue is fairly obvious.
Once you enter any of the arenas (or coliseums as the game refer to them) you will begin fighting in against enemies that come in waves. Each of the combat arenas in themed to a certain kind of environment and has hazards and features that match the area type.
Each wave that attacks will have certain attributes included, at the start the enemies you fight will be at a disadvantage with lowered accuracy etc. But as you get further into the waves the attributes will soon change to give them the advantage.
After each completed wave you will be reward with things like health and ammo falling from the sky. These supplies disappear very shortly after dropping though, so pick them up quickly.
If you are killed your sent to the penalty box, now this is so bad if you are playing with a friend or two in co-op because you can still shoot and be somewhat involved in the fight, even though you can’t leave the box. If you’re on your own however the match is over and you’ll have to start again… From wave one round one.
To be honest I’m not usually a big fan of these kinds of expansions, they lack a story. This one kind of has a story but it’s really bare bones, as in its laid out in its entirety right at the start. Moxxi is looking for a new husband (she’s had 3 already) and the winner of the Underdome will get a great prize and her. The end. Woo….
So yeah, I’m not keen on this DLC, if I didn’t already have the GoTY edition of Borderlands I would never have bought this particular DLC. There’s just not enough to it and I feel it’s far to over priced for what the game provides, especially as there are newer Free to Play games that give better wave based combat experiences.
