Borderlands 2

A massively improved sequel that fixes the original's thin story and lack of customization with smart, hilarious, surprisingly touching writing and one of the all-time great villains in Handsome Jack. More guns, colorful NPCs, smarter AI, better bosses, and deeper combat make character progression endlessly addictive. Lingering gripes include single loot drops, story told via combat voiceovers, wonky vehicles, occasional glitches, and still-limited character customization, but it is essentially the first game done right.