As many individuals know, I have spent many nights playing Borderlands. Something about this series has always brought me joy. Perhaps it’s the seemingly endless supply of loot or the unique characters with surprisingly deep storylines. All I know is, once I heard word that the Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck DLC had been released, I cleared my schedule instantly.
Who is Krieg?
Krieg was brought to the Borderlands world back in 2013 as a playable character for Borderlands 2. He was a man who was born into a family of bandits. After enduring a traumatic childhood, Krieg was captured by Hyperion’s forces, who turned him over to Dr. Benedict. She disregarded the Hippocratic oath and ran experiments to turn innocent people into “Psychos,” some of the most abundant evildoers in the series. These experiments split Krieg in half; his saner side burrowed inside until a fragment of his former self killed Dr. Benedict, to stop Hyperion from testing on children. At this point, Krieg’s Psycho side became his dominant personality, and he could no longer communicate with others. He has since joined the Crimson Raiders, fell in love with Maya, and managed to make some friends. At least, that’s how the audience views it.
The DLC
The Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck DLC brings players literally into Krieg’s mind. Tannis recruited the Vault Hunter to help her with her experiments. She believes that there is a single thread that bonds all Psychos together, which she dubbed Vaulthalla. However, most Psychos were not keen on the idea of people prodding around in their brains, so their friend Krieg was the logical choice. In this plane, players team up with San Krieg and Psycho Krieg to unlock Vaulthalla, one terrifyingly painful memory at a time.
Quick Thoughts
When I played Borderlands 2, my favorite playthrough was with Krieg. I prefer to tank, and when I was offered the chance to do so, I took it. Hearing this DLC was dedicated to my favorite PC, I was ecstatic. However, I never took a moment to think about how sad it would be. I teared up several times throughout the playthrough. Maybe it was the psychology student in me, or I have also found myself in similar situations. Either way, it was an emotional rollercoaster that I should have seen coming. It was nice to see Krieg humanized and not just a super badass tank, and for that, I am thankful. Overall, Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck DLC was the perfect way to end the Borderlands 3 story.
