I was unimpressed by the recycled landscapes that were very reminiscent of Borderlands 1. Some of the NPC’s, namely Shade, are creepy and disfunctional in a way that makes you feel more uncomfortable than amused. The lack of a new max character level is a huge letdown. And the overall unpolished quality of the DLC is very disappointing. I can’t count how many times I hit a random invisible wall, got stuck inside a rock/chest or saw a visual glitch that ruined whatever event/quest I was currently working on.

However, it isn’t all bad in the barren desert that is most of Pandora. Gearbox has added some great additions to the game.

Aside from Shade (I just can’t learn to like that guy), most of the NPC’s are funny and interesting with their own unique personalities. I often found myself laughing out loud at the excellent dialogue and pop-culture references.  Even though most enemies are just re-skinned in pirate costumes, the addition of enemies like Anchorman help keep things fresh.  And much to my surprise, the boss battles are well designed, interesting and difficult enough to keep you engaged and entertained.

I suppose, if for no other reason than to keep the loot grind going, Gearbox added a new, higher quality gear (red). In order to obtain this new higher quality gear, you have to buy them from (who one can only assume is) Crazy Earl’s twin bother using a new currency, Seraph Crystals. Seraph Crystals only drop off of one of the two new raid bosses, Hyperius the Invincible (yeah, he’s really not invincible at all…liars!).

Unfortunately, somebody at Gearbox thought it would be a great idea to make the new raid bosses killable only once per day, so “farming” for crystals will take much longer if you aren’t exploiting. Honestly, daily timers have no place in the Action RPG genre, and Gearbox should be ashamed. It’s a thinly veiled attempt at prolonging the DLC’s life. We aren’t fooled.

Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty is entertaining at points, but the many glaring faults really take away from the enjoyment. Is it worth $10? Frankly, I would say no. But one thing is for certain, the next DLC from Gearbox has pretty much nowhere to go but up.

Until next time minions.

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