2K announces the release of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in North America, saying the Borderlands 2 prequel will be released in Europe on Friday. First reviews of the game are showing up, so those interested in evaluations of the shooter can check them out on Destructoid, The Escapist, Eurogamer.net, GameSpot, GamesRadar, Gaming Nexus, IGN, Joystiq, PC Gamer, Polygon, Shacknews, Strategy Informer, and Worthplaying. Here's news of the release:

In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, fans can play as one of four all-new character classes, each with distinct play-styles and personalities, including Nisha the Lawbringer, Athena the Gladiator, Wilhelm the Enforcer, and Claptrap the Fragtrap. This cast of unlikely heroes embarks on a quest to fight alongside Handsome Jack as he tries to save Pandora’s moon. Throughout all of the mayhem, players will experience Jack’s rise to power and witness him becoming the megalomaniacal tyrant fans loved to hate in Borderlands 2.

“It’s been a great joy to have the team at Gearbox collaborating so closely with the talented group at 2K Australia to bring new and fresh ideas to the series,” said Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “The exciting result of our studios’ combined effort is Borderlands: The Pre Sequel becoming the most innovative Borderlands experience since we originally launched the franchise.”

“Working with Gearbox on this next chapter in the Borderlands franchise has been a privilege,” said Tony Lawrence, general manager of 2K Australia. “We started this project as fans of the series, and we are thrilled to have contributed to this mayhem-filled universe.”

In addition to the core game launch, the Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Season Pass* is now available and bundles the four upcoming add-on content packs – a $39.96 value – for only $29.99. The Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Season Pass grants access to download all four of the planned add-on content packs, as they become commercially available on the PlayStation®Network, Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft, Windows PC, Mac and Linux.