Today marks the release of the first DLC pack for "Borderlands," "The Zombie Island of Doctor Ned." But it's important not to forget that there was a whole game that came before it. An overwhelmingly excellent game, but also a game which had, shall we say, an ending that didn't quite deliver. I spoke with Paul Helquist, the Senior Designer on "Borderlands" to find out just what went wrong:

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The original "BioShock" offered up a pretty excellent special edition, if only because of the incredibly well-made, desk-worthy Big Daddy statue. Now it looks like "BioShock 2" is following in his large, clunky footsteps with an equally compelling special edition.

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Having already taken my Siren to level 50 (it took 36 hours, in case you're wondering), I don't know how much I'm clamoring for additional "Borderlands" content just yet. After all, the next two weeks are ridden with big game releases.

But, despite my need to take a little break from Pandora, Gearbox is marching on ahead, releasing their first DLC pack for the game on November 24th.

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How do you turn a deeply flawed man into a religious figure? Simple: make a sequel. That's what 2K Games did with the protagonist of the critically acclaimed "BioShock" for the upcoming sequel, "BioShock 2." The follow up to one of the best games of 2007 takes place ten years after the original game, where the inhabitants of Rapture are left with a very deep impression of the original's main character, Jack Ryan; so much so that some of the inhabitants of Rapture have placed him on a pedestal usually reserved for holy figures. At a recent demo, "BioShock 2"'s creative director, Jordan Thomas, had this to say when asked about Jack’s role in the upcoming game:

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"BioShock 2" has a lot to live up to. It's the eagerly anticipated sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed titles of the past two years and it's those very expectations of fans that run at odds with the title's chances of critical (though maybe not commercial) success. Earlier this month I spoke with Ken McClendon, the lead designer on "BioShock 2," about this very issue. Just how does one go about creating a sequel with fan expectations set to such a high bar -- especially when one considers that it was a well-crafted plot twist that cemented the first title's success in the first place?

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Earlier this month I sat down in front of a build of "BioShock 2" in room packed with journalists from the world over. Everyone seemed to be eagerly anticipating the first hands-on experience with the title and I was certainly no exception. But rather than give you all a run through of the hour-long section I played (a section of Rapture called Ryan's Amusements where children are educated of the evils of the outside world) or tell you how the game plays (like "BioShock"), I figured it would be worthwhile to note the differences between the original and this latest outing.

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By now you're probably hip deep in the wilds of Pandora, thanks to the release of "Borderlands" this week. Unfortunately it seems that the skill tree of the Siren is a bit busted, due to one of its top tier skills not being quite as effective as it seems like it should.

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Since it comes at the end of my somewhat lengthy review, and it's the question I've gotten most from readers, I wanted to clarify just how long it took me to play through "Borderlands" with a single character. Keep in mind that this doesn't include New Game Plus, which allows you to replay the game with new enemy types and better loot. This is just the first time through, from the start of the game to the credits.

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Despite its enduring success, there haven't been a ton of "Diablo" clones over the years. Maybe one or two a year, but usually they're pretty forgettable knock-offs. "Borderlands" manages to take the loot-based precepts of "Diablo" and mix in true FPS gameplay for a resoundingly fun and addictive experience. If you enjoy Blizzard's hack-and-slash RPG, or you're just a fan of mindless shooters, or you dug the open world nature of a game like "Fallout 3," you're sure to find something in "Borderlands" for you to enjoy.

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"Borderlands" won't be out on shelves until next week on October 20th, but Gearbox pulled the curtain away from its first DLC package today. "The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned" will be the title for the optional game expansion, and Gearbox wants it out by the end of 2009. So if you pick "Borderland" up in time for Halloween, perhaps armed with its 3,166,880 weapons and the special pre-order guns you received for thinking ahead, it looks like DLC should be around for the holidays.

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