This is your scheduled automatic reminder that Gearbox's latest Borderlands 2 DLC pack, Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt, launches today on Xbox Live Marketplace. Feel free to now do what I generally do with scheduled automatic reminders, which is to throw them vengefully across the room. Oh hang on, that's alarm clocks. As the press release puts it, "Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt takes place in Aegrus, the uncharted territory deep in the swamps of Pandora and features new appearances by familiar friends like Sir Hammerlock and Claptrap.



"It also introduces some all-new characters, like Hyperion Scientist Professor Nakayama, who wants nothing more than to derail your hunting trip. With Borderlands 2's cheeky adventurer as their guide, vault hunters will explore the all-new environments of The Sun Swamps while on memorable quests to collect irresistible new loot and fight devastating new bosses, such as the cave-dwelling beast Thermitage.

"All the while, up to four friends will cooperatively hunt down new enemies such as the spider-like Two-Legged Drifters, flying Slagged Spores and insane Vampire Witch Doctors - that unleash swarms of blood-thirsty bats. Vault hunters beware: this is sure to be the most dangerous Borderlands hunt yet!"
It costs 800 MP, and is the third of four Borderlands 2 packs - the final outing's due in June 2013. As always, you can get all this cheaper if you invest in a Borderlands 2 Season Pass, unmissable discounts, etc etc.



"2K prides itself on publishing high-quality, high-value games, and Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt lives up to those standards," 2K's president Christoph Hartmann comments. "The team continues to do a brilliant job extending the Borderlands experience, and the Season Pass allows our fans to enjoy that content at a great value."

"Claptrap needed work and Sir Hammerlock needs help, so Borderlands 2 players are called to action," chipped in Gearbox bossman Randy Pitchford. "Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt is a new, original campaign expansion to the Borderlands 2 experience featuring awesome new content including a new fan boat vehicle that can be rigged with a badass flamethrower to help fight tons of new beasts and tribal enemies and take their loot."

'BUGS'

If you're restlessly refreshing the Borderlands 2 Xbox.com page in search of Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt, you might want to hold those raging horses. Gearbox released a Compatibility Update on Xbox Live yesterday that's required to experience the latest DLC, but some users are having trouble downloading it.

"We're receiving reports that some are receiving a "Can't download compatibility pack" error message while in the process of downloading this content," reads a post on the developer's forum, published yesterday. "We're working with Microsoft to address this and expect the issue to be resolved within hours." Alas, seems it's taking longer than that.



Apparently, downloads are freezing at the 98 per cent mark, and a few players are reporting difficulty accessing online multiplayer. "We're working with Microsoft to get the Compatibility Pack download error on Xbox 360 addressed ASAP - will share updates here as we can," Gearbox tweeted around six hours ago.

Given the upset, the developer has wisely decided to extend the Hammerlock-themed Gear Up online event, which makes it easier to find (though not, alas to slay) certain high-level boss critters.

"The final day of festivities is upon us, as Pandora grows more dangerous (but also more rewarding) for those adventuring online with two or more players in True Vault Hunter Mode," reads an associated post. "Should the varkids infesting Tundra Express, Caustic Caverns or Natural Selection Annex survive long enough to enter the pod state multiple times, they stand a far greater chance of morphing into the fearsome Vermivorous the Invincible.

"However, those that emerge victorious in their struggles against Vermivorous the Invincible also face greater rewards as the legendary Norfleet weapon is far more likely to appear upon his defeat."

Source