The previous 2 DLC packs for Borderlands hit Xbox Live and PSN with gamers still clamoring for more to do on the distant world of Pandora. You have built your individual character to your liking using Borderland’s in game “path” RPG system and gamers have grown fond of their creations. Trouble is, when the second playthrough of the game is over and the stash of unique weapons runs dry, most gamers put their killing machines up on the shelf. The greatest thing about the third Borderlands DLC is that it allows you to take your one of a kind character and kill, kill, and get more loot.

 I’m going to treat this review as if it’s a full retail game (not just a DLC) because all of the content Gearbox lovingly put into this add-on equates to enough gameplay for other sixty dollar game title. The new guns, new loot to find, new character mods and shields all add up to a ton of new things for you and your character. But guess what, you are going to need it; all of it. The General Knoxx add-on is hard, and the difficulty shoots up dramatically after the other DLC packs. This is what Borderlands players asked for, and Gearbox delivered. This DLC should only be tried with Level 50 characters with pretty heavy weapons in your arsenal. I finished the single-player and Zombie Island DLC as a Level 42 Berserker, and even that wasn’t enough to make General Knoxx fun by myself without the assistance of a few friends. Just trying to defeat the Level 64 Crawmerax at the end by yourself is near impossible and will drain your bank stash fast if you haven’t gotten to the level cap yet.

Borderlands is not supposed to be played solo though, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience to share with your friends online. Hopping into the new vehicles and setting out onto the long elevated highways and sand dunes can get monotonous at times in between missions, but overall General Knoxx packs in about 7 to 8 hours of great gameplay that shouldn’t be missed.

This Borderlands DLC is not without its faults though, as there are a few glitches in the game that I experienced, as well as the addition of a new character with no real back story. Some of these glitches were good for me and some were not so good for my bank account. Falling out the back of the garage at Scooters and other weird glitches have been talked about, but getting exclusive access to the vault without the timer going off is one of my favorites. Plus, Gearbox for some strange reason tried to add the character Athena to the long list of classic Borderlands NPC’s that includes the like of T.K. Baha, Crazy Earl, and Scooter. Athena as a character just doesn’t fit in with that memorable company.

With these very small downfalls for The Secret Armory, it’s still Borderlands, and it still rocks your fucking socks off. Gearbox listened to what all the gamers asked for, and like the ad said, they kicked it up to 11 and delivered (hence the new level cap of 61). The Secret Armory is by far the most challenging Borderlands DLC to date, and I would have to say is the top DLC to get if you get just one. General Knoxx is a must buy, then Zombie Island, and then if you’re a complete Borderlands freak, you’ll need Mad Moxxi’s Underdome to round out the trilogy. Good things do come in threes.

Pick up The Secret Armory of General Knoxx on the Xbox Live marketplace for 800 MS points.

[A download code of the DLC was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]