So does anyone feel like HJ is being overused?
I don't know, I absolutely loved Borderlands 2. One of my favorite shooters, and despite the shooting aspect I loved everything about it: the setting, the story, and especially the characters, one my favorites being Handsome Jack.
But at the same time, I feel like he is starting to get overused. An entire game about the Rise of Handsome Jack (Borderlands Pre Sequel) and now Tales is incorporating him with the whole Jack AI thing. Anyone else feel this way and hope that BL3 doesn't do something again with HJ?
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Well, this is awkward...
As of right now, no. We get his rise to power (TPS), him in power and destroying Pandora (2), and what happens after his death (Tales). It IS quite a bit of Jack, but as long as they end his story with Tales then I won't have a problem with it. If they DID take Jack into BL3, however...
In all seriousness though, the below was asked/answered on Anthony Burch's ask.fm, and seems to answer your own concerns:
Yeah, I agree Jack's impact on BL's story is tremendous, but soon enough that's all people will expect from BL and then it will become stale (like he says). I just hope Tales from the Borderlands is the last we see of Jack (I mean that in a good way, too much of a character like that will change how some people view the character).
Yeah, I think he's being overused. In my opinion Gearbox regrets killing him and is now trying to put him into every game to keep the franchise relevant. Not to mention they also did a DLC for the Pre-Sequel that basically added Handsome Jack as a playable character. So they basically put another Handsome Jack into a game that was already all about Handsome Jack, which seems like a pretty obvious cash grab to me.
I hope he'll be gone for BL3, but I think he'll be mentioned by different NPCs. I really hope that game will focus on something new rather than just giving us a lot of things we've already seen - like the Pre-Sequel did.
Whoa there friend, I think you need to slow down. Have you actually played as Jack the Doppleganger? The college student over his head in tuition fees he had to take on the role of some guy who becomes the most hated individual on Pandora? Who's name rhymes with Jimothy. Who's afraid of heights and literally states "I'm not like you Jack." in game. The poor little guy.
But yeah, Jack's gotten old. Even though I did enjoy his character.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes he is.
I think the implications of the endings of both BL2 and TPS (more vaults and needing more vault hunters) seem to suggest BL3 will focus on something far greater than one maniacal man...
I'm obviously a fan, so there's part of me that hopes Jack has some sort of presence going forward (even if it's just via Timothy, who's become a break-out character in his own right and means they get to keep Dameon Clarke on as a voice actor), but the BL universe is so rich and vast that they'd be stupid to limit themselves by making Jack the focal-part of the plot, again.
I welcome him with open arms in Tales though, and hope he is a huge part of their story, because TT have an amazing track record with character development and I really want to see what they can do with him.
Yeah, he may look exactly like him, but Timothy is Jack's antithesis in every single way.
Gearbox definitely marketed the Doppelganger DLC as, "Hey look, more Jack, coz you love him so much! Right? Right?!", but if you actually play it you realise that he's a fully-actualised character who is his own person - and that him looking like this maniacal, egotistical despot is all the more tragic because of how unalike the two are.
There are no 'good' people in the Borderlands' universe - just varying shades of asshole - but Timothy comes close...
Yeah, I was talking about the marketing bit. It doesn't really matter how playing Timothy's like, what I was trying to say is that the DLC itself was made solely because... more Handsome Jack. That's what I meant when I said that he's overused.
And no, I haven't played him yet and I don't think I ever will. I couldn't even finish the Pre-Sequel, because I didn't find it interesting at all.
I haven't finished Pre-Sequel. But in Borderlands 2, I felt that HJ was either perfectly used or slightly underused as he spent most of the time taunting you (Or humoring you depending on how you received his threats) via ECHO. He only appeared physically two times in the game (The main campaign.)
That's definitely a fair enough point - as you said, I really think Gearbox didn't realise how popular/critically acclaimed he'd be and regretted killing him, but then they took it to the extreme which led to the weird over-saturation we're currently facing.
I agree, he was pretty much perfect in BL2. I liked it how he didn't talk to you as much, because it felt like he was so sure of his victory and he didn't care about you at all. Once you kill Angel however, he contacts you more because he hates you. That was what I liked most about him, your actions actually impact him as a person.
It's time for a new villain.
The problem is, I don't think they'll be able to come up with one that surpasses Jack.
Yeah, they sure did a number to poor old timmy when it came to his marketing. I was even skeptical of him at first, for that reason. And then I was seeing all this stuff my friend was posting about him and I was actually interested to giving him a shot.
I had the same problem where I didn't want to finish the Pre-Sequel after it came out cause I was a bit disappointed that nothing had really changed. The friend I started it with had to drag me along to finish it. Playing it again, I've caught a lot of things I over looked and I've actually have come to enjoy the scenery. Much more fun than my first playthrough, even if I'm still a bit upset over what little it brought gameplay wise.
yup
Well, so far EVERY Borderlands game is about Jack- even the first that he doesn't show up in. It happened because Jack wanted it to. Borderlands has the odd point that the closest thing to the main character is the villain who's name never changed from the placeholder. Personally, I think Tales is the last we'll see of Handsome Jack- but I feel Timothy is going to play an enormous role in Borderlands 3, and I still stand by the theory that he may be our masked figure. I don't know how they plan to beat Handsome Jack for Borderlands 3. My friend and I have thrown ideas around a little, and I have a few guesses. One possible- as mentioned a couple times on the forums- is that Rhys: maybe even Rhys and Fiona are being set up as the main villains of 3. I also feel like the major villain corporation (every Borderlands game so far has a corporation as a villain) will be Torgue. In the Waddle Gobbler Headhunter, Torgue's CEO (characterized as a greedy monster who abuses his power over Torgue) fires Torgue. My theory is that Torgue (the company) will start to flounder, and so hire the Vault Hunters (who are keeping Torgue) to go hunting while the corporation destroys the Vault Hunters in some evil way. This, in their mind, will force Torgue back to the company- I wouldn't be surprised if Grandma Flexington bites it.
Wait wait wait...How is the first about Jack?
The entire reason the Vault was opened was because Angel, and we later learned Angel was watching. All the events of one happened BECAUSE of Jack. Without Jack, there's no destroyer's eye. Without the destroyer's eye, there's no Helios, without Helios Moxxi doesn't betray Jack. Without Jack getting betrayed, there's no Borderlands 2. Everything happens because Jack gets the first Vault Hunters to open the Vault for him. Sure, his presence is only through Angel, but still.
Alright, just curious.
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Without a doubt.
But you have to take into consideration that he is a massively popular character and would be hard for a new villain to top. To capitalize on that popularity writers include him to boost sales and interest in a certain project. Some may get annoyed, but the blind majority that don't frequent fan forums are just glad their favorite villain is in it. They have yet to notice his overuse and it will probably continue into the future as long as Jack keeps making the BL franchises trucks of cash.
Yes, he died and he really only should have had 1 game but they made the pre sequal, giving him another chance. He was an amazing character but it's starting to get old with him being in the end of episode 1
I actually agree. I have this problem with most comic-books and movie franchises which are all centered around the same villain. After a while, it gets monotonous and feels a little creatively bankrupt.
Handsome Jack is definitely a highly charismatic character, but I personally feel that he'd be more of an unusual ally to Rhys than an antagonist. Hell, I don't think Tales really does have an established primary villain - rather, the Gortys Project is the central item which draws everyone's greed, protagonists and enemy alike.
Jack's easily my favorite character of the Borderlands series. I don't think he's becoming stale, but I'm one of his fanboys, so take that with a grain of salt.
I agree. But I consider it being classic Telltale episode 1 red harring. Same way never introduced Boy who Cried Wolf was in Wolf Among Us.
Considering next episode is called "Atlas Mugged" probably we will already get to Atlas vault, which means Jack AI's announced betrayal and its eventual elimination.
And, I consider Jack AI's being kind of more Nakayama child then HJ, considering HJ never actually did anything so stupid as announcing betrayal outloud in original Borderland games, but Nakayama often did tell about his plans to his enemies, which caused his downfall in Borderland 2 dlc.
You make a good point. And yeah, you can't just replicate a personality since it is complex and dynamic. I think the Jack AI is based on how Nakayama saw Handsome Jack.
I'm also a really big fan of Jack in the pre-sequel. I personally think that- although some aspects of the game needed work, I thought that Jack's decent (and Damion's performance with it) was fabulous. Especially whenever he kills off a character. And- most favorite SPOILER FOR THE END OF THE GAME after Jack gets the mask, he takes Angel's picture on his desk and puts it face-down in the same place. It's subtle, but there are touches like that all around Jack in the Pre-Sequel.
I don't feel as if he's overused quite yet, but he almost is. Jack was a fantastic villain in BL2, we got to see a different side of him in TPS, and now we're seeing the aftermath of his legacy in Tales. I'll admit I hope he plays a large role in Tales. I'm really excited to see how Telltale handles his character. Although once Tales is over, the BL games need to lay off of him.
As much as I love Handsome Jack, too much of a good thing is bad. I'd rather he go off on a high note than become stale.
I would, however, like to see his body double make appearances in future games. I haven't played the Doppelganger dlc myself, but from what I've seen/heard, Timothy is a really great character. A really sweet kid stuck having the exact look and voice of a complete psychopath. There are probably some interesting stories to tell with him. That'd also give them a reason to keep Dameon Clarke around, which is great. He's a really talented voice actor and I'd hate to see him leave the franchise at this point.
Well, yes and no. For one thing he's a very interesting and messed up character. With his complicated origin to his rise to power (thanks Pre-Sequel). He's also one of few video game villains I felt somewhat upset for. Especially after the death of Angel.
Handsome Jack is the character that set the Borderlands series to new heights, I'd like to see a new villain as much as the next guy. But I can guarantee Gearbox regret killing him off. Especially with how popular his character became. Wouldn't be surprised if they find a way to bring him back in Borderlands 3 also. It wouldn't be a bad thing to me if he does though.
Plus, Borderlands is still a relatively young game series. I don't think anything can become overused just yet.
Nah, it's just you. You forget that Jack was extremely popular, so of course he'd return in some form. Plus Timothy is still alive.
Besides, The Handsome A.I. is technically not the original.