Should You Skip Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel? A Comprehensive Guide

As a long-time Borderlands enthusiast who has played every entry in the looter-shooter series, I often get asked:

"Do I need to play Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel before the other games?"

It‘s an understandable question. The Pre-Sequel occupies a unique spot in the Borderlands timeline, set between the events of the original game and Borderlands 2.

So is it important to play before diving into the mainline sequels? Or can The Pre-Sequel be safely skipped?

Below I‘ll analyze that question from multiple angles, blending insight from the Borderlands community with my own experiences to help you decide if you should play this offbeat entry.

The Short Answer

For those looking for a quick yes or no –

You can absolutely skip The Pre-Sequel if your main goal is gearing up for Borderlands 3. While The Pre-Sequel provides backstory on iconic villain Handsome Jack, Borderlands 2 and 3 both stand perfectly fine on their own without needing that context.

However…

As a big Borderlands enthusiast, I think most fans will enjoy their time with The Pre-Sequel. It brings creative new mechanics that set it apart from the numbered sequels, even if the overall package doesn‘t quite live up to Borderlands 2‘s greatness.

So consider giving The Pre-Sequel a shot if you want to experience every piece of Gearbox‘s evolving Borderlands puzzle. Just don‘t feel it‘s required.

Now let‘s analyze that recommendation in more detail across a few key angles:

Does The Pre-Sequel Set Up Critical Story Context?

The overarching Borderlands series tells a scifi tale across multiple games set on the distant planet of Pandora and beyond.

The Pre-Sequel specifically bridges the gap between Borderlands 1 and 2. It reveals how humble coder John became the masked tyrant Handsome Jack that you battle in Borderlands 2.

This background on Jack is certainly interesting lore for fans. However…

• You‘ll understand Jack fine in BL2 even if you skip The Pre-Sequel – Borderlands 2 opening cinematic rapidly catches you up to speed on who Jack is and why you should hate him
• Borderlands 3 features entirely new villains – No prior knowledge of Jack needed

So from a pure story continuity perspective, you can easily skip The Pre-Sequel without missing anything critical.

What Gameplay Ideas Does The Pre-Sequel Introduce?

While light on mainstream appeal next to Borderlands 2, The Pre-Sequel deserves credit for bringing creative ideas that diversify the co-op shooter formula:

Low Gravity Adds Vertical Combat

The Pre-Sequel transports players to Pandora‘s moon Elpis, which has much lower gravity than the planet below. This means:

• Bounding around the environment with enhanced jumping
• More opportunities for aerial attacks against foes
• Overall faster pace of traversal and combat

Lower gravity sets The Pre-Sequel apart and creates some extremely fun scenarios if you utilize vertical space.

New Cryo Weapons and Oz Kits

On top of low grav environments, The Pre-Sequel also introduces:

• Cryo Weapons – Guns that freeze and shatter enemies
• Oz Kits – Upgradable backpacks that let you breathe in space while also enabling devastating "butt slam" attacks from the air

These new mechanics further separate The Pre-Sequel from previous Borderlands games and round out your combat options in fun ways.

Four New Vault Hunters

Each core Borderlands game introduces several new playable Vault Hunter classes, each with their own unique mechanics and skill trees.

The Pre-Sequel‘s even split of 2 male/2 female hunters provides a nice change of pace from other entries. And the skill kits offer fun new ways to play compared to past games.

Should You Play Before Borderlands 3?

Borderlands 3 continues the core numbered series with new Vault Hunters battling the Calypso Twins in their quest to harness Pandora‘s ultimate power.

Is knowing The Pre-Sequel‘s story and new mechanics important here?

In short – no.

• Borderlands 3 occurs after BL2 – It wraps up lingering threads from that game but does not connect to The Pre-Sequel‘s plot
• The only minor callbacks are small references to past characters. Nothing crucial.

From a pure gameplay continuity standpoint, you can easily jump right into Borderlands 3 having never touched The Pre-Sequel.

Critical Reception and Sales – What the Numbers Say

Looking beyond personal preference to hard data – critics and gamers view The Pre-Sequel a small step down from the heights of Borderlands 2, but still an enjoyable expansion of the core formula.

• Borderlands 2 Metacritic score – 89% (Read reviews)
• The Pre-Sequel Metacritic score – 76% (Read reviews)

And in terms of raw sales numbers:

• Borderlands 2 lifetime sales – 24+ million (Source)
• The Pre-Sequel lifetime sales – 5+ million ( My estimate based on early sales data of 2.5 million in 4 months)

So critics and gamers alike confirm The Pre-Sequel brings enjoyable iteration on the Borderlands blueprint, even it didn‘t fully satiate fans‘ desire for a true successor to Borderlands 2.

The Verdict: Should You Play Borderlands The Pre-Sequel?

Analyzing all factors – narrative, gameplay innovation, critical reception, and more – I believe most Borderlands fans will have a fun ride with The Pre-Sequel, even if it never quite surpasses the creative heights of Borderlands 2.

The Pre-Sequel deserves appreciation for:

• Providing more backstory on the rise of Handsome Jack
• Pioneering fun new ideas like low gravity and cryo weapons
• Sporting four intriguing new Vault Hunters
• Expanding the captivating Borderlands universe

However, stepping back to answer the core question:

Can you skip The Pre-Sequel entirely?

Yes – if you wish to focus just on the numbered sequels, The Pre-Sequel is absolutely non-essential. Feel free to leap right into Borderlands 2 or 3 without touching this side story.

Should you make time for The Pre-Sequel at some point?

I recommend it – while The Pre-Sequel has flaws that keep it from achieving true greatness, it remains a fun ride for fans hungry to spend more time on Pandora and its moons.

If you thoroughly enjoy the loot shooter action of Borderlands 2, The Pre-Sequel offers more of that formula with a fun new low gravity twist. Well worth playing eventually even if you skip it for now.

So in summary:

• Skip if seeking only essential stories
• Play if you want all of Gearbox‘s Borderlands tales

I hope this comprehensive guide helps you decide if Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel deserves a spot on your gaming backlog! Let me know if you have any other questions.

What‘s your take? Have you played The Pre-Sequel? I‘d love to discuss in the comments!