Borderlands®4 - Bounty Pack 2: Legend of the Stone Demon Review Summary

Excellent gameplay with fun bosses and an impressive new area, but the DLC is far too short and overpriced, and the story remains weak and boring.

Bosses are fun and cool: The DLC features a variety of bosses, including the final boss and optional mini-bosses, that players find cool, fun, and challenging. The new mechanics and fights are generally well-received.

New area is impressive: The new location, featuring ancient temples, caves, and a dark arena, is highly praised for its design, beauty, and size. It is considered a big step up from previous bounty pack areas.

Gameplay is excellent: The core gameplay is described as awesome, the best it's been, and the only thing sustaining the franchise. Players enjoy the combat, platforming, and overall play experience.

New weapons are strong: The new weapons, including legendaries and pearlescents, are considered among the strongest and most interesting seen to date. Players find them fun to use and effective in dealing damage.

Loot is plentiful and fun: The DLC offers a large amount of legendary loot, pearls, and dedicated drops that are fun to farm and use. The new pearlescent rarity and improved drop rates are particularly appreciated.

DLC extremely short: The DLC is widely criticized for its very short length, with many players completing it in under an hour. This brevity is a major source of disappointment and contributes to the poor value perception.

DLC overpriced for content: Players consistently report that the DLC's price is too high for the amount of content provided, with many calling it a cash grab or rip-off. The cost is frequently compared unfavorably to previous Borderlands DLCs.

Lacks typical DLC content: The DLC is seen as a single, linear mission rather than a full expansion, lacking side quests, multiple bosses, and a new area. This makes it feel more like a glorified side mission than a proper Borderlands DLC.

Weak and boring story: The narrative is described as basic, uninteresting, and forgettable, with no real lore or reason to care. The plot fails to engage players and adds little to the overall game.

Technical and performance issues: Some players report performance problems and bugs, describing the game as an unstable mess. These issues further detract from the overall experience.

DLC includes multiple bosses: The DLC features a main boss, optional bosses, and mini-bosses, providing a variety of boss encounters. Players can engage in boss farming for loot.

DLC adds new weapons: The DLC introduces new weapons, including pearl rarity guns, along with cosmetics and skins. These items offer new gameplay options and loot incentives.

DLC includes new enemies: The DLC introduces new enemy types with unique abilities, such as crystallized enemies and those with inflated HP bars. Some enemies are recolored or reskins of base game foes.

DLC is similar to headhunters: The DLC is compared to headhunter packs from Borderlands 2, being a mix of headhunter and vault card content. It includes a bounty pack and vault card cosmetics.

DLC features dungeon setting: The DLC is set in a dark arena with ancient traps, functioning as a dungeon to clear. It includes deep water, platforming, and secret loot spots.

Shader compilation is too slow: Players report that shader compilation takes a very long time, sometimes almost as long as a story mission. This creates a frustrating wait before gameplay.

Performance issues persist after updates: Multiple players mention that the game still runs poorly, with some noting that an update made it run horribly. This indicates ongoing optimization problems.

DLC performance is poor: The DLC is reported to have bad performance, and one player experienced a hard crash at the end. This detracts from the DLC experience.

Unresolved bugs and performance problems: Players highlight that the game has many unresolved performance and bug issues, affecting overall experience. This suggests a lack of fixes over time.

Multiplayer lag issues: One player reported lag in multiplayer, which can affect competitive play and enjoyment. This is a common but less detailed complaint.

DLC not worth buying: Many reviewers strongly advise against purchasing this DLC, citing poor value for money and lack of worthwhile content. They recommend skipping it entirely or waiting for a significant discount.

Avoid at full price: Several reviewers explicitly state that the DLC is not worth its full asking price, with one saying they wouldn't pay an extra dollar. This reinforces the perception of poor value.

Wait for a sale: A common suggestion is to wait for a deep discount before buying, with some specifying that the DLC is only worth it at 80-90% off. This indicates the content is considered overpriced at full retail.

Consider bundle or deluxe: Reviewers suggest obtaining the DLC through a bundle or deluxe edition rather than purchasing it separately, as this offers better value. They recommend waiting for promotions on these packages.

Mixed opinions on value: While most feedback is negative, a few reviewers find the DLC worth playing, especially for dedicated fans. They dismiss complaints about short length and bullet sponges, suggesting it has some merit.

Community fair range: $1.00 - $5.00.

Game completion: 0.8h.

Story completion: 0.8h.

Session length: 0.8h.

Endgame: 1.5h.

Players consistently report the DLC as boring from start to finish, citing tedious enemy mechanics, short length, and uninspired bosses, with no point at which the experience becomes enjoyable.

Friction: Vile enemies require shooting crystals before taking damage; Very short mission length (~30-60 minutes); Bosses are buffed regular enemies with boring designs; Reused maps and enemies from the base game; Boring method of earning pearls.

Disappointed Veteran: Plays all content, expects depth and replayability, likely solo or co-op. Motivation: Quality content and fair value that respects the franchise's legacy. Stance: sale.

Loot Grinder: Grinds, farms, and optimizes builds for rare drops. Motivation: Loot chase and endgame gear acquisition. Stance: no buy.

Defensive Fan: Casual, co-op, not focused on grind or endgame. Motivation: Defending the game and enjoying it despite criticism. Stance: buy.

Monetization: The reviews primarily complain about the paid DLC being overpriced, short, and low quality, with reused content. There is no evidence of microtransactions, pay-to-win, gacha, or other predatory monetization. The complaints are about the value of the DLC itself, which falls under base price complaints and cannot push the score above 20.

DLC is too short: Multiple reviews consistently report the DLC can be completed in under an hour, with some noting 30-40 minutes of content. This is a major point of criticism given the price.

Unfavorable Borderlands 2 comparison: The DLC is repeatedly compared to Borderlands 2's headhunter packs and other DLCs, which are seen as offering better value and more content. Reviewers feel this DLC is worse and more expensive than those predecessors.

Included in premium editions: Many reviewers obtained the DLC as part of the Super Deluxe Edition or a bundle, which may affect their perception of its value. Some note it was previously given away for free, making the paid price seem worse.

DLC is a Bounty Pack: The DLC is identified as a Bounty Pack, which is a major update or paid DLC rather than a story release. This classification helps explain its shorter length and different structure compared to traditional story DLCs.

Unfavorable Wonderlands comparison: The DLC is also compared unfavorably to Tiny Tina's Wonderlands DLCs, with reviewers noting the current offering is shorter and less interesting. This comparison further highlights the perceived lack of value.