Moxxi heist (8)

Borderlands 3 may not have set the world on fire with its story when it popped out of orbit last year, but there’s no denying that Gearbox’s crunchy loot ‘n shooter still had plenty of attitude pumping through every cylinder of its core engine as players got a chance to flex their muscles across a quartet of deadly new vault hunters.

Moxxi heist (1)

In many ways, Borderlands 3 was essentially the same game that had kicked off in 2009 but given a healthy injection of quality of life improvements to further streamline the experience. Ain’t nothing wrong with that! Sticking to its legacy, Gearbox sold the game with a promise of good things to come long after the end credits had rolled, with a brand new selection of adventures to tackle in the form of downloadable content.

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Borderlands originale featured such content, Borderlands 2 raised the bar for DLC with its final offering in the form of a Dungeons ‘n Dragons romp through Tiny Tina’s emotions and even the maligned Borderlands Pre-Sequel tugged at the heartstrings with the surprisingly magnificent Claptastic Voyage. So how does Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot stack up then? Not too badly at all, as this brief trip back to Borderlands 3 offers sharper writing and a surprisingly tender nip of a dangling thread which dates all the way back to the days of the Elpis moon raid.

You son of a bitch, you bet I’m in for this one!

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It’s a tale as old as time that kicks off Moxxi’s grand heist: Head of a galactic corporation murders his way to the top, unlocks ancient alien knowledge and goes completely jerkass with power as he builds an inescapable gambling prison that is home to high-rollers and the walking debt who’ll do anything to escape.

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That’s where you come in, as Moxxi plans to reclaim the casino happens to require a team of heist-ready specialists. The casino itself is essentially a gigantic death zone peppered with colourful characters and murderous gamblers while you work your way across the space station. There’s a whole lot to see, all beautifully rendered and showcasing some terrific level design. From the flashy gambling dens to the seedy underbelly of Trashlantis, Handsome Jack’s alluring death-trap has plenty to offer across its four to five-hour runtime as you assemble a crew and prepare for your heist.

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It’s also a reminder of just how fantastic Jack was as a villain, as even after death his various post-mortem video promos and sneering public announcements designed to remind you of just how rich the greatest villain in video games truly was. In addition to that, you can even try your luck at Handsome Blackjack chests which offer some high-level loot if you’re ready to go all-in on a game of 21.

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There’s not much more to Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot, but as a quick diversion with Gearbox’s unique Borderlands flavour it certainly hits a sweet spot. The homages to heist movies are fun, the ending is surprisingly tender and the action is double or nothing mayhem that is still satisfyingly meaty to wrap your thumbs around.

Last Updated: January 6, 2020

Borderlands 3 Moxxi's Heist of The Handsome Jackpot
Borderlands 3’s first slice of DLC has plenty of action, charm and style to spare as it kicks off a season pass of expansive new adventures with a full house of fun.
8.0
Borderlands 3 Moxxi's Heist of The Handsome Jackpot was reviewed on PlayStation 4
/ 100

14 Comments

    • Pariah

      January 6, 2020 at 15:51

      As the “best” game in the Fallout series, and the only one I’ve played – it made sure I never played another. What a dull game. And that’s not just the colour scheme.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        January 6, 2020 at 16:16

        You either love Fallout out or you don’t. It’s natural like with most games. Problem is when you love Fallout so much you’re still playing Fallout 76. Then it’s time to see a shrink or someone.

        Reply

        • Pariah

          January 6, 2020 at 16:16

          If you need to see a shrink or specialist just for playing F76, what do the people who pay for that monthly millionaires club thing need?

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            January 6, 2020 at 16:23

            A round of golf with Trump at one of his hotels? They’re beyond help.

          • Pariah

            January 6, 2020 at 16:23

            Apt. Much like his hotels, after paying for all the MTX in F76 they’ll be bankrupt.

      • Admiral Chief

        January 6, 2020 at 16:23

        The game has a really slow pace. I think you can’t sprint as well…

        Reply

  1. Hammersteyn

    January 6, 2020 at 15:51

    Ugh that header.
    2K : You guys remember memes? You like memes right? Here’s memes we found on a Windows Vista machine

    Reply

    • Pariah

      January 6, 2020 at 16:16

      It makes total sense in the story itself. It’s cringe AF but it’s intentional, and it works.

      Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    January 6, 2020 at 16:16

    Also, phone me when the rest of the game(the parts they totally didn’t remove to sell us back later) is out.

    Reply

    • Pariah

      January 6, 2020 at 16:16

      Steam release is in a few months, so give it until the Summer sale maybe. 😉

      Reply

  3. Jacques Van Zyl

    January 6, 2020 at 16:23

    I had an absolute blast with this over the holidays! Might go back for some more after work some nights. This DLC was great fun, and a great bit of side content after the main story that felt a bit too long in the tooth.

    Reply

  4. Dresden

    January 6, 2020 at 22:30

    I caved last week and bought Borderlands 3 on Epic. I got up to level 23 and then Epic proceeded to lose my game save file, so now I have to start from scratch.

    Serves me right for supporting an indie gaming platform.

    Reply

  5. G8crasha

    January 7, 2020 at 07:03

    I bought BL3 just before my PC’s PSU decided it didn’t want to work, so I haven’t even finished the main storyline!

    Reply

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