Who says you need a body of water for pirates to set sail? Certainly not Gearbox Software.
The developers behind "Borderlands 2" have announced that next Tuesday their hit shoot-and-loot game will receive its first add-on campaign — a pirate-themed adventure called "Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty."
With a hooked hand and a missing eye, the pirate queen Captain Scarlett will set players sailing off on a sandy hunt for treasure.
"You can sense the pirate theme across the landscape, even though there's no water," Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford told the Associated Press. "It's all dried up. It feels more like Tatooine than an ocean. These bandits have really embraced the pirate lifestyle, and there's the legend of a treasure. That kicks off this whole adventure that the players can go on."
Speaking of the Tatooine theme, there's also a sand ship that players will have a chance to pilot as part of the add-on. Check it out:
It seems Gearbox is channeling not only "Star Wars" but perhaps a bit of "Dune" as well. According to the AP, players will battle new enemies such as sand worms and collect a new currency called seraph crystals. Of course, a hunt for pirate booty certainly seems appropriate for "Borderlands 2" — considering just how much searching for loot is already a part of the game.
Meanwhile, you don't need to have completed the main game to play the add-on. It's a campaign that any level of player can jump into, Pitchford said.
"Captain Scarlett" is the first of four add-on campaigns announced for "Borderlands 2" and will run players $9.99 or 800 Microsoft Points for the Xbox 360 version. It's also available as part of the "Borderlands 2" Season Pass which bundles all four campaign add-ons for $29.99 / 2,400 Microsoft Points.
For more on the game, check out our story "7 tips for playing 'Borderlands 2' with friends" and be sure to check out InGame editor Todd Kenreck's full review below.
— The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Winda Benedetti writes about video games for NBC News. You can follow her tweets about games and other things on Twitter here @WindaBenedetti, and you can follow her on Google+. Meanwhile, be sure to check out the IN-GAME FACEBOOK PAGE to discuss the day's gaming news and reviews.