Choose Borderlands 2
Choose Borderlands 2 if you want a RPG experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 90.4% positive across 122,109 reviews.
Borderlands 2 vs Shadow Warrior 2
Borderlands 2 and Shadow Warrior 2 both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Borderlands 2 (2012) is 4 years older than Shadow Warrior 2 (2016). Borderlands 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (90.4% positive) than Shadow Warrior 2 (87.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Shadow Warrior 2
Choose Shadow Warrior 2 if you want an Adventure game with Online Co-op. On Steam, it's the newer release (2016) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 8,672 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Borderlands 2 and Shadow Warrior 2 sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player and Co-op, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Borderlands 2 |  Shadow Warrior 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, RPG | Action, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 1.99 USD | 29.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 90.4% positive (122,109 reviews) | 87.3% positive (8,672 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Gearbox Software, Aspyr (Mac), Aspyr (Linux) | Flying Wild Hog |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Borderlands 2 (2012) is 4 years older than Shadow Warrior 2 (2016).
- Borderlands 2 scores higher on Steam reviews (90.4% positive) than Shadow Warrior 2 (87.3% positive).
- Borderlands 2 is currently ~93% cheaper on Steam than Shadow Warrior 2 (1.99 USD vs. 29.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Borderlands 2 is Deck Playable, Shadow Warrior 2 is Deck Verified.
Borderlands 2 vs Shadow Warrior 2 — FAQ
- Which is better, Borderlands 2 or Shadow Warrior 2?
- On Steam reviews Borderlands 2 scores higher (90.4% positive) than Shadow Warrior 2 (87.3% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Borderlands 2 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Borderlands 2 or Shadow Warrior 2 first?
- If you want chronology, Borderlands 2 (2012) came out before Shadow Warrior 2 (2016). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Borderlands 2 and Shadow Warrior 2 similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Borderlands 2 and Shadow Warrior 2 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Borderlands 2 ships Co-op; Shadow Warrior 2 ships Online Co-op, Co-op.