If there ain't no rest for the wicked, Gearbox Software is undoubtedly a haven for sinners. This Borderlands DLC is the third of several planned expansions. Gearbox got off to a strong start with The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, then stumbled a bit with Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot. With Borderlands: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, it seems as though they've hit their stride once again. The modus operandi for this new expansion is "more of the good stuff," and as a result, it's a resounding success. While the occasionally vehicle-heavy segments may turn some Borderlands fans off, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is one of the best downloadable expansions you can get for any game.

Borderlands: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx starts off just like all the other Borderlands expansions: by adding a new travel option to the Pandoran outposts. In this case, that location would be T-Bone Junction. The expansion assumes that you've already finished the main storyline, so make sure your character is adequately prepared.

If you finished at least the first part of Borderlands, you might remember receiving a message from Commandant Steele of the Atlas Corporation. It turns out, her warnings were very well-founded; the Atlas Corporation are not the right people with whom to screw... and provided you went on to open the Vault, you have definitely screwed with them. Long story short, they are throwing all of their resources behind a planetary takeover, for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who's completed the main quest.

The storytelling isn't the highlight, but the humor absolutely is; General Knoxx himself seems more than a bit lackadaisical about the prospect of putting you down for good; really, all he wants to do is get the hell off Pandora. You'll meet Moxxi for the first (or perhaps the second) time, and learn of an interesting connection she shares with Mr. Catch-a-Ride himself, Scooter. You also gain an ally named Athena. This former cyber-ninja has it in for the Atlas Corporation, and she helps you out through a series of ECHO messages, most of which are interrupted by an advert for the Corporation's flagship male enhancement product. However, the funniest moments in this expansion revolves around a place called Lockdown Palace. What starts as a rescue mission eventually explodes into a gay joke that Gearbox's writers almost take into overkill territory. It's a total scream.

If you've heard anything about Borderlands: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, you probably already know that it finally raises the level cap... by eleven. Playing through The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned and Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot without seeing my experience bar fill was a tad disappointing. I wanted to make my Berserker even more powerful. The Secret Armory of General Knoxx rewards dedicated players with the opportunity to progress further down their skill trees.

It's not just the level cap that has been pumped up. There's a ton of new content here. From a whole new environment to new vehicles to ultra-rare "Pearlescent" weapons to new enemies, this is an expansion that doesn't make you think "been there, done that." You can obtain new digistructs for Scooter to upload into his vehicle-making machine. Whether it's the lightning-fast Racer, the fully-loaded Monster, or the Crimson Lancer Tank, cruising the violent Pandoran highways is quite an experience.

There are even some gameplay tweaks that keep things interesting. First off, the enemies are, by and large, completely different. Sure, you've still got the trademark Psychos and Bruisers, but skag-riding midgets, Truxican Wrestlers, and Mini Steves are hysterical. Most of your enemies are members of the Crimson Lance (the PMC contracted by the Atlas Corporation), but what's fascinating is how varied the enemy types are. You'll fight regular grunts, but the bad guys have more than a few tricks up their sleeves. For example, you'll have to deal with Combat Medics, Lance Rocketeers, and giant mechs called Devastators. Looting energy cores off of fallen Lance mercs gives you temporary combat bonuses. You can pick up Shock, Power, and Speed Cores, and they all do pretty much what you'd expect. This is a good thing, because The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is quite difficult -- especially if you've graduated past your first playthrough. You will need a party of four to take on Crawmerax the Invincible, just so you know. Also, if you have Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, go to the bank and unload as much gear as you can before starting on the final mission. You'll thank me later.

Downloadable content is a topic that is heavily debated in the gaming community. Sometimes I'm even conflicted on whether or not I support the idea. However, releases like Borderlands: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx give me hope for the future of downloadable content. The value is certainly there. Ten dollars for several hours of entertainment should be a no-brainer, especially to fans of Borderlands. In a day and age where most DLC lasts upwards of one or two hours, it's refreshing to see a developer inject so much quality into a ten dollar product. With a few notable exceptions (the only ones being Fallout 3's DLC releases), The Secret Armory of General Knoxx shames pretty much everything else on the DLC market.