Allow me to sum this game up in one fantastic sentence: Borderlands is Modern Warfare meets Diablo II. Oh yeah. Mixing first person shooter mechanics with role-playing elements which include a skill tree system, experience points, level ups and more, Borderlands is a breath of fresh air in a genre that’s become oversaturated as of recently. In Borderlands you play as one of four classes: A hunter, soldier, bruiser or siren. Much like any RPG each class has its own set of skills and abilities. The story begins with your arrival on planet Pandora in search of a legendary vault, which is said to contain a wealth of treasures. On your journey you meet everyone from crazed allies to evil corporations. Unfortunately Borderlands falls in some places, but the overall experience is still very fresh, and if you’re a fan of games like Diablo II, this is one game you don’t want to pass on.
What I liked:
Loot, guns and more guns! – The greatest thing about Borderlands is the randomly generated loot system. Each gun, heath and shield modifier carries its own stats, which means your chances of picking up the same item with the same stats twice are extremely low. It’s possible to spend hours simply looting locations over and over to find better and stronger stuff and it never ever gets old.
Presentation style – Everything from the music to the characters makes Borderlands very unique and gives it individual style like nothing seen lately. The art style especially makes Borderlands stand out in such an overcrowded genre. A cell-shaded comic book style provides Pandora, its inhabitants and the overall presentation with a unique and fun alternative to the dull-colored, realistic approach of other modern day shooters. Its actually a nice change of pace and compliments the comedic undertone of the entire game.
No rest for the wicked – Each class in Borderlands plays very differently, and on top of the looting mechanic and online co-op, there’s a lot of replayability to be found in Borderlands. Not everyone may agree with that, but again, if you’re a big fan of looting in games, you should feel right at home in Borderlands.
What I disliked:
The story – There’s almost no story in Borderlands and instead tries to mimic Bioshock by putting back stories and narrative in audio files you can find in the wastelands of Pandora. It’s a nice touch for completionist and explorers, but the overall story doesn’t feel very fleshed out. I guess Gearbox wanted to leave something for a sequel to touch on, but that also leaves a lot to be desired from Borderland’s story.
Super AI – For the most part, combat is pretty satisfying. However, Borderlands suffers from having unfair AI. Enemies are able to shoot you from miles away and even throw grenades way further than humanly possible, and they never, ever miss. It’s manageable once you’re used to it, but that doesn’t make it any less cheap.
Weapon quality – Although there are an almost infinite number of guns you can obtain in Borderlands, very few are actually useful and seldom differ in variety. Rarely will you ever come across a gun that exceeds your current weapon’s stats without sacrificing another feature or stat in return. It makes for some difficult decisions, but considering this decision comes with almost every single weapon you ever find, having to weigh the pros and cons of switching a weapon can sometimes be a tedious chore that stops me from continuing. Add to the fact there are no storage containers and the dilemma of throwing away a possibly good weapon becomes even more difficult.
Borderlands may only appeal to a niche fan base, but those fans are without a doubt ecstatic. With style like no other, attitude and presentation that make up for the lack of story and a loot system that heavily resembles Diablo II, Borderlands is a winner in my book. If you’re looking to try something new that doesn’t try to be like any other shooter on the market, Borderlands is definitely one of them.