History YMMV / BorderlandsThePreSequel

* MisaimedRealism: Without an atmosphere, enemies (and the player) cannot be set on fire. For characters who have some innate fire damage, this just means their total DPS for those methods takes a minor hit. However, for Ceraunic Storm Athena, it’s a ''colossal'' handicap. Ceraunic Storm is a {{Mechanically Unusual Class}}, due to its central skill, Maelstrom. The more instances of [[PlayingWithFire Fire]] and [[ShockAndAwe Shock]] damage you deal, the more stacks you get, and the more bonuses you get from each stack, like increased elemental damage. Of course, this all comes with a {{Necessary Drawback}}; stacks decay over time, and the more you have, the faster they decay. However, the countdown before a stack decays resets if another stack is added. Apply an On Fire or Electrified status effect and, because it counts every time it deals damage over time to an enemy as an instant, you gain Maelstrom constantly while completely [[NoSell No-Selling]] stack decay. So, what’s the problem? Simple! ''You can’t apply On Fire in a vacuum''. Because of this (and {{Elemental Rock Paper Scissors}} in full effect), you’re forced to use Shock (which is only effective against shields) against flesh enemies (who comprise 90% of the enemies you fight) who are weak to fire instead. [[SadisticChoice This means you either]] A. Commit completely to Shock and hope the Maelstrom stacks can carry your DPS or B. Occasionally switch to a fire weapon and hope your stacks don’t tank. Combined with nearly halving the damage of Smite, your main source of burst DPS, it tanks your DPS either way.

** The [[BonusBoss raid boss]] that you can fight after completing the main story is even worse in this regard, simply being a stronger version of the final boss with no major changes beyond a couple new attacks that behave very similarly to ones it already had. Unlike most of the raid bosses from the previous game, you're not even locked out of the arena if you die before the fight ends; as long as one teammate is alive in the arena, you can reenter as often as you need to.

* FanPreferredCouple:
** Claptrap/Felicity is steadily gaining popularity.
** Nisha/Handsome Jack is also gaining support. It helps that they were a canon couple in the second game.

* {{Woolseyism}}: The Japanese dub gave Nurse Nina a [[LightNovel/CoffinPrincessChaika Chaika-esque]] accent to distinguish her instead of the Russian accent of the original.

* AcceptableTargets: Several sidequests parody a number of political and activist groups.
** The Concordia People's Front are a group of bloodthirsty environmentalists, representing groups like PETA who care more about animals and the environment than people. Once said animals turn out to be ugly, though, they turn their back on them. A later mission, Recruitment Drive, also reveals most members are far more concerned with blogging, drinking coffee, making shirts and passive-aggressively abusing each other in meetings than actually accomplishing anything.
** The People's Liberation Front is a DirtyCommunist organization that thinks they can solve all their problems if they just get enough guns to start a revolution and lead the disenfranchised to rise up. [[spoiler:Actually, they're a parody of SeriousBusiness TrueArtIsIncomprehensible artists who think a few weird art pieces will fix everything.]]
** Captain Chef is a bold British explorer and 19th century-esque imperialist who holds FantasticRacism views regarding the inhabitants of Elpis as well as a staggering MoralMyopia to killing them (to be fair, they were trying to kill him for "claiming" their world). This is PlayedForLaughs as the inhabitants of Elpis are space-travelers themselves. Chef, nevertheless, is treated as an enormous joke and fool. Becomes somewhat HarsherInHindsight or FridgeBrilliance when you realize it's probably a reference to Australia's own checkered past with native peoples.

* ScrappyWeapon: Just like the other ''Borderlands'' games, there are always bound to be some mediocre-at-best guns;
** The Boxxy Gunn [[note]] Tediore SMG that fires ricocheting bullets and has a chance to explode on the player when reloaded[[/note]], which is rewarded from the Digistructed Madness missions, is a SMG that has this note in the description; "Inherently unstable ammunition. Reload carefully!". What this means, is that the gun has a chance of exploding very close to you or sometimes ''instantenous'', causing you to take damage. The gun has a lesser chance of exploding in your hand if it's reloaded with the magazine emptied out, but it's entirely luck-based.
** The Min-Min Lighter [[note]] Tediore Laser that fires slow moving shock orbs that zap enemies but at a very low fire rate[[/note]]is considered the worst legendary in the game, due to it's gimmick where it fires orbs that zap nearby enemies. The orbs have to aimed carefully since the orbs travel slow and the gun has very low firerate. It's often times unreliable for clearing enemies aside from tight spaces because the orbs tend to follow random directions most of the time.
** When it comes to nova shields, the Supernova [[note]] Maliwan Nova Shield that has an increased nova radius[[/note]] is known to being broken upon its release. It is known to spawn in E-tech rarity which messes the stats of the shield up. The effects of this shield aren't very impressive, as it's just an increased radius over a normal nova shield and it can only spawn in fire element.
** Scav (also known as Bandit) rocket launchers tend to fire multiple rockets for just one rocket ammo, but the Thingy [[note]] Scav rocket launcher that fires corrosive-only rockets that explode into homing grenades[[/note]], however fires one rocket for the cost of ''three'' rocket ammo. The rockets have low damage but spawn homing grenades upon its explosion. However, when compared to other rocket launchers such as the Berrigan, which while its burst-fire deals lower damage on larger enemies, it at least takes only one rocket ammo. The Thingy however can only come in corrosive element and this is made by the fact that armored enemies are rare in this game. While the concept of a homing cluster rocket launcher sounds good, it's hampered by the fact that it takes 3 rocket ammo to fire one shot.
* SlowPacedBeginning: After the player lands of Elpis, you have to get familiar with the supporting characters and antagonists, along with sidequests involving them, usually in the vast expanses of Elpis. Once you returned to Helios, the pace picks up as the space station is largely tight and packed.

** The Boxxy Gunn, which is rewarded from the Digistructed Madness missions, is a SMG that has this note in the description; "Inherently unstable ammunition. Reload carefully!". What this means, is that the gun has a chance of exploding very close to you or sometimes ''instantenous'', causing you to take damage. The gun has a lesser chance of exploding in your hand if it's reloaded with the magazine emptied out, but it's entirely luck-based.
** The Min-Min Lighter is considered the worst legendary in the game, due to it's gimmick where it fires orbs that zap nearby enemies. The orbs have to aimed carefully since the orbs travel slow and the gun has very low firerate. It's often times unreliable for clearing enemies aside from tight spaces because the orbs tend to follow random directions most of the time.
** When it comes to nova shields, the Supernova is known to being broken upon its release. It is known to spawn in E-tech rarity which messes the stats of the shield up. The effects of this shield aren't very impressive, as it's just an increased radius over a normal nova shield and it can only spawn in fire element.
** Scav (also known as Bandit) rocket launchers tend to fire multiple rockets for just one rocket ammo, but the Thingy, however fires one rocket for the cost of ''three'' rocket ammo. The rockets have low damage but spawn homing grenades upon its explosion. However, when compared to other rocket launchers such as the Berrigan, which while its burst-fire deals lower damage on larger enemies, it at least takes only one rocket ammo. The Thingy however can only come in corrosive element and this is made by the fact that armored enemies are rare in this game. While the concept of a homing cluster rocket launcher sounds good, it's hampered by the fact that it takes 3 rocket ammo to fire one shot.

** Subverted with the Oz Kits and the gameplay mechanic of using oxygen sparingly. The inclusion of Oxygen and Oz Kits and needing one to survive is NOT frustrating in the slightest, contrary to many people's thoughts on it prior to the game's release who considered the concept both tedious and annoying. Thankfully, the directors took great pains to remove the frustration from the mechanic.
** Also subverted with "Inspire", a skill the Jack's Doppelganger can learn. All it does is adding encouraging words from Jack. Despite how useless it is, players have found it so amusing many think it's worth it.

** Ophas, a strange, twisted Eridian Guardian that looks like the unholy union of one of H.R. Giger's creations and a [[MookMaker Constructor]], [[MightyGlacier they have high health and damage, but rather low mobility]], especially compared to their compatriots, the Guardian Cherus, Sera Guardians, and the like. Not only do they [[ArtificialBrilliance love to distract you, which allows other Eridian Guardians to murder your ass]], but they spawn Puttis like nobody's business. [[FromBadToWorse Further aggravating the issue]], Puttis can generate, or recharge shields for EVERYBODY, which, considering the Eridian Guardians' love for shields, is very problematic. [[UpToEleven The more powerful variants are even WORSE]], with the [[KingMook Opha Superior]] having a crapton of shields, health, and FRIENDS.

* ThatOneLevel: The last 4 areas, Vorago Solitude, Outfall Pumping Station, Tycho's Ribs, and Eleseer, are rage-inducingly hard. To wit, Vorago Solitude contains the Lost Legion Eternals (who have a tendency to regain all their health unless they haven't ascended yet, otherwise they will try to ascend and heal themselves the first time at low health) in large, open areas, which is practically begging to get your sorry ass laser-sniped. It also has a boss fight consisting of several waves of difficult enemies. A short hall after that fight leads to Outfall Pumping Station, with RK-5, a difficult boss in its own right. [[FromBadToWorse Following this]] is Tycho's Ribs, where the Eternals are accompanied by Eridian Guardians, [[LightningBruiser fast, hard-hitting, durable]] enemies that love to show up in groups and change elemental affinity to screw you over. [[UpToEleven THEN]], you get to [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Eleseer]], which ditches the Eternals, but introduces the [[MookMaker Ophas]]; ALL of their variants, combined with new, flying Guardians. [[spoiler: What waits at the end is a FinalBoss with [[MarathonBoss SEVEN FORMS]] (in actuality, four human-sized forms which count as one fight, followed by three [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever giant]] forms which count as a separate battle).]] At least the SceneryPorn and the [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome Visual Effects of Awesome]] mitigate the frustration.

* WhatAnIdiot: At the end of Jack's quest to take the Vault, [[spoiler:Lilith shows up, Phasewalking in]]. You'd expect her to [[spoiler: kill Jack where he stands]]. Instead, she [[spoiler:smashes the Vault relic, scarring Jack, and escapes before finishing him, leaving a psychotic dictator hellbent on getting revenge on her and Roland.]] Could be justified by [[spoiler: Lilith]] not wanting to expose herself to the other Vault Hunters' retaliation, being interested only in [[spoiler:the relic's]] destruction, or the limitations of [[spoiler:her Phasewalking, which only allows her a single strike before reverting to normal reality]].
** Yes Moxxi, threatening the heavily armed Vault Hunter who by that point has probably slaughtered their way through a good chunk of Elpis will probably end well for both you and your idiot son.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The "You Can Stop the Music" mission in ''Claptastic Voyage'' has unused dialogue to corroborate the "Mainframe" song being played constantly by Teh Earworm being catchy [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEiTB8VXuuw by having the Vault Hunters hum and sing along to it.]]

* TheWoobie: Skipper/Felicity, so very much. She seems to be a normal person but is actually [[spoiler: an AI who is essentially a SexSlave for The Bosun]] after you free her she [[HopeSpot thinks her existence will be better]] only to [[spoiler: have her memory and personality erased and turned into a robot making machine.]]

* TheScrappy: Pickle is quickly becoming this, most of the hate being directed at his voice and accent and him stealing your money every time you complete a quest for him. Not to mention how his quests usually involves a long, boring slog. The fact he has little impact in the story besides one mission which could be given by Janey Springs or Moxxi doesn't exactly help, nor does having to listen him for one long story mission.

** Colonel Zarpedon is a subtle case of this as, either way, she's a [[AFatherToHisMen A Mother to Her Men]] who is a WellIntentionedExtremist but some fans question whether she's actually justified in believing the destruction of Elpis is the only way to prevent something ''much worse'' from happening. Given the amount of Eridian technology and side-effects she's showing, it's likely she knows more than anyone else about their technology. A few people reject her NotSoDifferent from Jack due to the fact the latter wants to be known as a hero while Zarpedon just wants to help people. A minority opinion is she ''really is'' a monster as they don't believe destruction of a planet can ''ever'' be justified.

** Is Athena a TokenGoodTeammate to the Pre-Sequel Vault Hunters who is being unfairly persecuted by Lilith? Athena insists she's NotSoDifferent from the original Vault Hunters, which infuriates Lilith. Dissenters point out Lilith spent the entire time following the Pre-Sequel fighting Jack's tyranny and protecting the people of Sanctuary while Athena... didn't. Was Athena actually a PunchClockVillain who chose ScrewThisImOuttaHere over stopping a tyrant? And since she's telling the story, can we even be sure [[UnreliableNarrator her version of events is true]]?

** The [[BonusBoss raid boss]] that you can fight after completing the main story is even worse in this regard, simply being a stronger version of the already anticlimactic final boss with no major changes beyond a couple new attacks that behave very similarly to ones it already had. Unlike most of the raid bosses from the previous game, you're not even locked out of the arena if you die before the fight ends; as long as one teammate is alive in the arena, you can reenter as often as you need to.

* MagnificentBitch: Colonel Tungsteena Zarpedon is the [[BossSubtitles Commander of the Lost Legion]], and the head of the assault on Helios. After her men corner Jack and his Vault Hunters, forcing the latter to flee to [[DeathWorld Elpis]], Zarpedon monitors their movements and attempts to sabotage their efforts to stop her at every opportunity, all the while showing them utmost respect and offering to help them leave Elpis should they no longer wish to fight. Zarpedon is a valorous woman who earned the love and respect of her soldiers, to the point where they will follow her cause even after she's killed, and her ultimate goal--to destroy Elpis with the Eye of Helios--is purely to [[WellIntentionedExtremist prevent a worse fate from befalling the universe at large]].

** Nisha Kadam is a straight-up sadist, but she got hit with this trope as well when she mentions that she got bitten by her own puppy, which was infected with space rabies. It's also heavily implied she was [[AbusiveParents abused by her mother]]. As well as that, she's a much more quiet and actually slightly more reasonable person in Borderlands 2, which is set 3 years after the events on Elpis. Could she have had clawed back some rationality, or did she just need to act more Sheriff-fy when running a town?

* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: A common complaint is that the gameplay is that, minor differences like the new weapons and the OZ mechanic aside, it's virtually similar to ''Borderlands 2'' (This game has been criticized for relying on the same engine as ''[=BL2=]'' but with minor tweaks and all. One can clearly see that the game options, user interface, menus and graphics are just ported over from the second game)... which was nearly the same as ''Borderlands 1'' itself. The writing faced similar criticism for going to the same well for jokes (modern pop culture references and internet memes). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rODiTthXPvY Total Biscuit summed it up here.]]

* DarthWiki/MostAnnoyingSound: The Dahl Grinder will ''not'' wait for you to make your decision when you use it. Barely a second passes and it might already bitch at you for taking too long!

** Yes Moxxi, threatening the heavily armed Vault Hunter who by that point have probably slaughtered their way through a good chunk of Elpis will probably end well for both you and your idiot son.

would end well for both you and your idiot son.

* {{Fanon}}: It is near-universally agreed that Timothy Lawrence had his face scarred by Jack out of jealousy after the events of the main campaign. Funnily enough, [[spoiler: there is a head called "And Jill" that lets the Doppelganger have the scar.]] However, this has been {{Jossed}} if posters depicting Timothy in ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'' are to be believed.