Borderlands

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this is my first review, hope it's helpful (feel free to leave a comment and tell me what i did wrong/right). anyway, on with the amateur ramblings!

when i first saw the trailers for Borderlands a couple of months ago, i said to myself "that looks amazing (in both the graphical and gameplay departments), but it seems to be trying way too hard". i also thought it looked like what Fallout 3 would've been if it was a FPS with RPG elements as opposed to the RPG with FPS view that it is.

as a bit of side information, i got Killzone 2 a week ago and have been playing it nonstop. i've already beaten it twice and i've spent pretty much every waking moment (to my girlfriend's annoyance) playing the campaign or the multiplayer. when i woke up today there was a delivery on my stoop. i told myself i'd open up Borderlands first (i also bought Resistance 2 and a few old school PS1 games (FFIX!)) and play it til the first save or checkpoint. this was at 11am, i'm writing this review at 11:30pm and save for going to dinner with my friends and dropping my sister off at the dorms, i've played the entire time. this game is just that engrossing and sheer fun

i don't think i can explain exactly what makes Borderlands so fantastic... there's just something about it. reviews i had seen on a few sites said that it takes a while for the game to get going and that by the 10th hour or so it really starts to be fun. well, if the game gets much more fun than this, it will be close to my game of the year. everything about Borderlands oozes style and love (meaning you can just tell how much the developers cared about this project). the pacing of the game is fantastic, the difficulty is a little up there, but it works and is never frustrating. the controls are spot on as far as responsiveness, but some of the button mapping is a bit strange (who maps fire to L2? and there doesn't seem to be a way to change it). the AI is fantastic with weapon-based enemies finding anyplace they can to duck behind and fire for cover, while the dog like creatures just get right up in your face. this can be frustrating, but it really makes you feel good when you finally blast them away.

the RPG elements are just kinda... there. while i don't think they detract from the game, i also think that they could have been implemented differently without the overall game changing on a base level. that being said, Borderlands does a great job of Diablo style leveling-up. part of the reason i couldn't stop playing is cause you're ALWAYS building up your character in some small way. it's just incredibly addictive and fulfilling. the one minor nitpick that i can throw in here is having to press square every. single. time. you wanna pick up an item. you can hold it down to pick up multiple items that are very close to each other, but you'll be pressing square A LOT. i know tehre's some things you might not want, but you spend so much time in your inventory screen anyway, they may as well have made it so you just run over something to grab it.

Borderlands sells itself on the concept of it's "87 Bazillion Guns". i've heard real estimates that say there's at least a few hundred thousand and that sure seems to be true. you'll NEVER stumble on the same gun twice. it's both a good and bad thing. obviously it's fun to try out all sorts of different combinations, but a lot more often than you'd like, you'll wind up with a weapon that, while not useless, is just pretty lame and underpowered. when you do find that perfect sniper rifle that shoots lighting, has a 500-round clip and a 120x zoom (just as one of soooo many examples), it'll all be so very worthwhile.

the rest of my nitpicks, and by the way, that's all they are, cause i don't see a single legitimate big complaint with this game, would be as follows: while the game looks cool in it's own way, it think it's almost like a cop-out art style, maybe they didn't feel like doing textures or something. there's also severe framerate issues where you're in the middle of large battles. the vehicles, which make getting around so much easier,don't handle good at all and you get less Exp when you kill an enemy with your car as opposed to being on foot. i wish there were large online multiplayer deathmatches and CoF battles and the like. i'll have to check out the online "duels" at some point, see if they almost make up for that.

when you get right down to it though, this is just an amazing game all around. the graphics have a sheen and polish that not many games have (it's fun to see little HP numbers rolling off someone as you shoot them in the face). i still think Borderlands is trying a bit too hard to be "cool" in the way a Tarentino or Guy Ritchie movie would be, but it just works anyway (much like a Guy Ritchie movie haha). in the end there's just something about Borderlands, some intangible quality, that makes it such a worthwhile experience. i haven't played the online co-op yet, so i can't speak to that, but the single player is one hell of a ride. the areas might all look a tad samey, there's only four character classes to choose from. the driving physics are pretty bad and there's not much variety in your enemies. thing is, none of that matters, Borderlands is amazing in spite of all of it's very minor flaws.

if you've ever liked an FPS, if you've ever liked level-up-fests like Diablo, etc, hell, even if you wanted more action from Fallout 3, you owe it to yourself to at least give Borderlands a chance. this, along with Killzone 2, BlazBlue, Uncharted 2, Dirt 2 (and i can only assume the new Ratchet and Clank game) is one of the top 5 best games of 2009. there's a damn good chance that this game is considerably better than any other videogame you're looking to get on Amazon... pick Borderlands immediately. you won't be let down.

enjoy. hope this helped. =)

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This game is very fun to play online! I think the single player option is nice but not the true way the game was meant to play. Its easy to pick this game up and run through a couple quests in half an hour or even join on someone else's game. the action is great and if you minimize travel time between action can be rather short. cars are fun and the addition of challenges make for a fun addition to the game. The four classes are a nice idea but the ability to develop their skill trees differently give these classes more variability.

The mods for the grenades and class skills are excellently done. Also the ability to level up in weapon skills prevents any class from being limited in weapon choice. This game has many layers to it that keep it more fresh than other MMO-type games.

i would recommend it to anyone that liked Diablo/Diablo II's action/RPG elements. The First person shooter element of this game is great!

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Borderlands is a heck of a lot of fun. As a guy who has played a lot of post-apocalyptic games (yes, including Wasteland/Fallout -> Fallout 3), I have to admit that Borderlands hits that nice sweet spot between pure FPS and pure RPG. In Borderlands, you pick one of four characters and get to go for a romp in a fun quasi-post apocalyptic wasteland that is part Mad Max and part Pitch Black. Basically, you are on a different planet that is a rough and tumble outback world filled with nasty aliens, rogue humans, and lots of gunfights. It's a good time.

Borderlands is not as much an RPG as Fallout 3, for example -your character is more of a Diablo style with skill trees rather than fully customizable. Quests are also less elaborate, and a bit more on rails with areas unlocking for exploration only as you advance the plot. Borderlands also reminds one of Mass Effect for its combat heavy emphasis and shield technology, but let's get down to some specifics:

1) Guns, guns, guns. I knew Borderlands was hyping its "17 trillion guns" bit, but didn't realize quite how awesome this would be until I really got into it. It really is amazing how varied the weaponry is. With just a 20th level character, I've already found sniper rifles that launch explosive rounds, rocket launchers that set everything on fire in a 10 foot radius, scoped shotguns that put 8 slugs in a tight circle on target from 200 meters away, SMGs that fire 4 shots at a time and electrocute the target, and everything in between. A good gun can really make a difference in a fight, such as finding a strong sniper rifle early, or getting a machine gun with a +60 round magazine that lets you walk up to someone and put a hundred rounds into their face. Sometimes enemies drop guns, but more often you'll find yourself giddy as you open a sealed gun case and see a gleaming new rifle. Really addictive.

2) Weapon proficiencies. Instead of putting points into weapons skills as you level up, you gain bonuses for them the more you use them. This is more realistic and a lot more fun, since it gives you a way to reinforce your powers through use. Clearing a few caves with a shotgun will quickly net you added weapon bonuses that really pay off. Separately you can also (starting at level 5) put points into your skill trees, so you can get some nice cumulative overlap.

3) Second wind. One great concept is the "second wind" -when you get KO'd, you get a few seconds to kill one of your foes and get a "second wind" that pops you back onto your feet. This is particularly nice when you get overrun by mutant dogs or flying enemies without warning. In a number of fights, I killed nearly every foe only to have the last couple take me down at close range. With a second wind, you manage to survive -and it is extremely gratifying.

4) Level resets. One nice feature is that quitting and reloading the game resets all the areas, so you can farm areas repeatedly for EXP, different guns, and the like. This lets you level up if you are having problems, make money, and get those weapons you wanted.

Now, a few negatives:

1) No armor. Your character gets a wide array of selections between guns, grenades, and shield generators. However, there is no other armor in the game. This seems like a big oversight and cuts into the customizability of your character a fair amount. It would be nice to have slightly less guns in exchange for boots, gloves, helmets etc.

2) Level-specific foes. Enemies have a high respawn rate and scale somewhat based on your level. This usually works fine, although you will face a lot of dangerous and accurate enemies. One problem however is that you seem to do less damage against higher level enemies. In particular, if a foe is much stronger than you, your weapons do almost no damage, while theirs will destroy you. This might be an effort to keep your level growth under control, but you usually find out through trial and error. I had a character go up a level in the middle of a fight, and he went from doing 20 damage to some high level raiders to doing over 100. It was pretty strange.

3) The graphics in the game are interesting and appealing, but there are some unfortunate bug effects. Despite a nice strong jumping ability, it is possible to get stuck in the terrain, which can also effect enemies. NPC scripts can sometimes get broken if interrupted by fights or the like, usually requiring a reload (for example, I've had that little droid from the start of the game freeze up a few times, meaning you can't get through a gate and the game is basically broken).

4) There are vehicles you can drive around in, which is another nice feature. They also make good heavy weapons platforms if you are having problems with higher level monsters. However they are also a little buggy -I had one simply blow up for no reason (and with full shields), and another get stuck on some rocks that wouldn't let me exit and required a reload. And reloads take forever.

All in all, Borderlands is a fun game with much to recommend itself. Popping people with a sniper rifle and then cleaning up with a shotgun or assault rifle is a simple joy that is endlessly repeated. If you're looking for a FPS with character development, or an RPG with lots of fighting, this is your game.

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If you could only describe a game in one word, that word would be "insane." I've just stayed up till 7:30am and it was all worth it. It's like Killzone2 frantic and the RPG elements of the first Baulder's Gate on PS2. I'm a level 28 soldier. Now the weapons are insane, I've had a shotgun that shot rockets, an SMG with explosive rounds, an SMG with a four spread shot so each round is four projectiles, a heavy machine gun with fire rounds, and a revolver with 303 damage and zoom scope (meaning it's my sniper rifle for medium range, HAND CANNON!). The only thing that sucks is if you have a rocket launcher it has no hit detection (if you think your going to hit a target aim at the ground at its feet, its the only way to cause damage, GEARBOX please send us all a patch!).

Other than that, see you on the Pandora on PS3.

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When I first heard of the concept behind Borderlands I immediately got excited about the prospect of playing a cooperative Role-Playing-Game online with a good friend. In the gaming press more than one passing comparison was made between Borderlands and Diablo, "Diablo with guns!" was one term used. Being a huge fan of Diablo my anticipation for Borderlands only grew.

As soon as the game was released a good friend and I purchased our copies and jumped online for some co-op goodness. For the first 4-6 hours I loved Borderlands but after that the shortcomings started becoming more and more apparent.

I guess the most major issue I have with this game is that there is a paper-thin story. This is something that may not bother some but being a fan of RPGs it most definitely bothered me. You'll find yourself in the role of one of four selectable mercenaries on a remote planet called Pandora. Pandora in essence is a horrible place to live and was only colonized in order to mine mineral deposits. It's soon discovered that there's very little of value on the planet and most settlers with the means to do so simply leave the planet. Those that are left eek out a living Mad Max style. Bandits run amok in the Wasteland as do feral creatures known as Skaggs and a few more enemy types.

There are some alien ruins which rumor has it hold some sort of incredible power. That's why you find yourself on Pandora, investigating those alien ruins. Each of the four characters specializes in different things. Mordocai is a "hunter" class character who specializes in sniper rifles and best suited to engaging enemies from afar. Brick is a "berserker" and serves as the games tank character specializing in close range combat. Lilith is a "siren" and the games only female character. Her specialty is small arms and speed. Finally, Roland is the games "soldier" class specializing in machine guns. Each character also features a special ability Mordecai for example can use his pet eagle, Bloodwing to attack enemies. Roland can deploy a shielded sentry turret for taking down swarms of bad guys. Each character features their own skill trees and as you level up you can assign points in the skill tree to increase damage, accuracy, gain new abilities and inflict elemental damage. The upgrade system is pretty generic stuff that has been done in games before. The main problem with the characters and leveling system is that eventually every character feels exactly the same outside of their respective special attacks. So while you may start out playing Mordecai as a sniper, you'll eventually discover that he's just as good using a machine gun, rocket launcher or revolver.

That leads to other problems with the game. Because every class is a jack of all trades, playing online devolves into mindless shoot everything as fast as you can matches. Also because Borderlands doesn't feature much of a storyline and relies heavily on sidequests much of the game becomes a mindless shooting gallery. Go to town `X', speak with character `Y', go to location `Z' and retrieve `item q'. Rinse and repeat over and over and over again. It's mindless and while initially fun it gets old quick.

There are boss battles in the game which could've been so much more. The boss battles are ultimately mindless, run backward while blasting away affairs. It's funny that a gameplay mechanic perfected in Doom so many years ago is still being used in modern games like Borderlands.

The other much touted element of Borderlands that was much touted before release is the looting. Spread everywhere throughout the game is chests containing various types of guns and modifiers for your guns. The problem is that 99% of the stuff you find is garbage that's only purpose is to be sold in towns for money. Much of the game is simply spent running from chest to chest looting what you can carry, tossing less valuable items and moving to a town to sell those items. Occasionally you'll stumble on a rare item which is actually worth equipping. Again, the entire system is dull, monotonous and repetitive.

There are a few things about Borderlands that merits praise. The graphics art style is cell-shaded which I'm a fan of. The game is colorful and bright. The environments are significantly varies while maintaining a central theme. Gearbox did a fantastic job rendering the world of Pandora. If only they had made it an interesting place.

The online co-op is definitely the games saving grace. It's always fun to play online with a good friend, cracking jokes even if it is at the games expense.

Technically there are some glitches in the game. There are some well publicized trophy issues mainly the game not awarding trophies when it should. Additionally there are display glitches with the game where parts of the sky start to flash big blocky pixels of various colors. Another big issue was that that the game was resetting a characters stat level mid-way through after saving. So for example if I were playing as Mordecai and my sniper rifle level was mid-way through level 15 and I saved and quit the game. The next time I started a session my sniper rifle level would be reset to the beginning of level 15, wiping out a lot of progress. Problems like these are extremely frustrating particularly the leveling glitch.

All in all Borderlands will be loved by those that can overlook the games many, many problems and focus solely on the fun of the co-op element. To others I would strongly recommend buying Fallout 3 instead or getting a real RPG or just regular FPS. Borderlands is a rental at best.