Borderlands Review [550 words] – CallsignHUSKER
. It’s tempting to go easy on Borderlands merely because of its genre, or lack thereof. There aren’t many first person shooters that combine vehicular combat, fast paced cooperative action and an expansive loot system. Did I mention that Borderlands also lets you modify your character’s abilities as you gain experience and level up one of four unique character classes?
. This all sounds like a gimmicky attempt to mix disparate styles of gameplay with the obvious pitfall that these elements won’t complement one another. However, this is where Borderlands gets it right; the mix of high octane shooter action combines well with a loot system and gameplay that echoes action rpg exemplars like the Diablo franchise and it actually works! But what has 2k games done with this match made in heaven?
. Guns, guns, guns! Borderlands developer 2K Games alleges that the game has ’87 bazillion’ guns in it just waiting for you to collect and use in devious ways. Liars! Fine, they may not be far off in their estimate but this is certainly a half-truth. Most of the weapons in Borderlands differ only slightly from one another and there are only a handful of item types in the game; pistol, rifle, smg, rpg, shield and a few others. These weapon types may be sufficient for most shooters but in a game driven by loot and not storyline the variety in firearms leaves much to be desired.
. The stylish cell-shaded feel of the graphics distinguishes Borderlands from similar games. However, the post apocalyptic setting of Borderlands is underwhelming. The landscape and set pieces are often uninteresting or repetitive.
. These flaws are all the more glaring due to the wild popularity of Fallout 3 released nearly a year ago. If you are looking for a post apocalyptic adventure that oozes character and originality and can do without the multiplayer there is no reason to get Fallout 3′s ugly sister Borderlands.
. Borderlands has decent sound design and the most important thing, the guns, sound great. However, the soundtrack is forgettable and there isn’t enough voice work to make the game world come alive.
. Enemies are easily recognizable and the combat overall feels good. It’s what you do outside of combat that can be frustrating. The game’s scattered save points makes it cumbersome to save your progress.
. Borderland’s bosses are anticlimactic and ironically they tend to yield worse weapons than the average dumpster. Quests are usually mundane tasks that require you to kill a certain number of a specific enemy or fetch something. Again, the items you are rewarded are usually worse than those you find wandering around.
. The New Game+ option allows you to play through the entire game again with tougher enemies and better loot which adds replay value to the game. Borderlands is a game best played with friends. Having some players join you makes enemies more formidable and livens up the pace of the game. If you have some friends that can look past flawed gameplay elements and a bland setting you can go gun crazy with Borderlands.
Immersive – 6.0 – The setting is generic and uninteresting but Borderlands can be addictive.
Technical – 5.0 – Graphics are mediocre and gameplay lacks refinement.
Value – 8.0 – Replay value and engaging multiplayer help make up for the guns they owe us.
Average = 6.25/10
