2K Games announced paid Borderlands downloadable content before the title was on store shelves, a fairly controversial move to say the least. It was seen by many as a sign that the game wasn't going to feel complete, since it was fairly obvious that content was left out of the retail copy in favor of having early DLC. Thankfully, once Borderlands landed, there was more than enough content on the disc to justify the price, and while more missions would have been appreciated the game never felt lacking. Either way, a $10 DLC pack mere weeks after release is somewhat shocking. Free downloadable content early on makes sense, as it prepares gamers to pay later down the line, but asking for money this early better mean something special.

In the case of The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, something special is indeed the case. It adds a new quest location to the fast travel called Jakob's Cove, a work area for the Jakob's Company, that has recently been overrun by the living dead. Attached are a number of other areas to quest in, and both an interesting storyline involving Dr. Ned (who isn't at all his brother Dr. Zed with a mustache) and some side quests. Working with Zed Ned and collecting recording devices is genuinely entertaining, presenting what might be the funniest writing in Borderlands so far (though it might be a close second to Patricia Tannis's rambling tapes from the beginning of the campaign). Free from the chains of telling a story about Vault hunters, Gearbox was able to have more fun with The Zombie Island, and it shows, improving the mood, the humor, the quality, and the gameplay.

The inclusion of the undead presents some interesting changes to the gameplay. Instead of being armed with weapons, most of the new enemies need to use melee to attack the player, and, as most of them are decayed corpses, they are pretty slow. Some others, however, break away from that model, either vomiting bile on players or bolting towards the Vault hunters, lashing out violently. Other, more difficult opponents, such as new boss types carrying explosive barrels or loot chests, are much more interesting than the mini-bosses of the regular campaign. It can feel a like Left 4 Dead at times, especially when the gameplay changes from running and shooting to holding out in one location. A few instances, such as waiting for an escape ship to drop or a bridge to lower, are almost eerily reminiscent of Valve's zombie shooter, and that isn't a bad thing, especially when mixed with Borderlands' entertaining combat.

In fact, the entire package presents some of the best Borderlands' gameplay to date, and this first batch of downloadable content is more entertaining than any plot-arc on the disk. While there aren't any driving sections or new items to strive for, the additional locations and opportunities to fight waves of undead fit Borderlands better than slaying Bandits and Skags ever did. The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned manages to pack more humor and wit in its three hour campaign than Borderlands did in all twenty. The only issue is the length, which, when put against the cost, might seem a bit mismatched. Even so, it's quality over quantity in this case, and 2K has proven themselves completely capable of continuing the Borderlands experience past the Vault and I, for one, can't wait for more.