Okay, the game just came out and I have a few hours of Borderlands game play under my belt. And the first impressions are that it's absolutely amazing.

Amazing.

That is not the reason that I am taking the time to write this.

I just want to say that I own both an Xbox 360 and a PS3 and that I would not even consider buying the 360 version when the PS3 version comes with the free Playstation Network and Xbox Gold requires a monthly fee. I believe that when given a choice, as time goes on, that all cross platform online related games will be owned lock, stock, and barrel by Playstation 3.

This is the future and Xbox 360 has no place in it --- unless they come to their senses.

In the meantime, I urge you to support the excellent game on Playstation 3 and ignore the greed of Microsoft.

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The story of this game is awesome. It looks great and the game play is amazing. I love how I can play with my friends co-op on this game.

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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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Definitely one of my favorite games of the year. Very fun and very addictive. I completed my first playthrough in about 32 hours and I fully intend to start the second playthrough right away. I can't think of much to say that you don't already know -- millions of guns, lots of exploding heads, great style and character to this game. I giggled like an idiot the whole time. Highly recommended!

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I'd give it a 4.5 if I could, it's not a 'perfect' game by far, but I commend it's work in pushing a genre or two together. The RPG and FPS conglomeration works, both are a bit simplified in this game, but ultimately fun.

Some knocks - I would have liked even more skills and customization and the story is pretty weak. This game would have benefited a LOT from cut scenes instead of the angel in your brain monologues. The missions involve a lot of running back and forth which is pretty standard in games since Diablo and up to WOW, and the game is a bit monotonous at first, and even a bit dreary to look at in the beginning -not a knock on the graphics, just the scenery. However, once you get going, once you get some fun gear that you can explode things with, and once you find people to play with, the game really takes off and it's pretty impossible to put down. And that's really the mark of a good game.

You really need other people to make this good game great - The game scales up with more people, it increases the challenge, the loot, and the excitement. Well done Borderlands, you need some polish, but you're a very good game. I'd be thrilled to see what a sequel would look like once they add some further complexity and depth, and a better way to exchange items! Helloooo!

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I found Borderlands to be a fun action packed game that kept me wanting to go on and on and not stop playing.

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I first saw this game mentioned on a web site about 6 months ago. I watched some videos and thought this would be great if they can pull it off.

Well, they did.

If you like first person shooters and RPG games, get this game!

As some have stated it does start off a bit slow, but it kinda has to, to get you up to speed with how things work. but once you get over that learning curve, it's btw from then on. The art style is great, the cell shaded look is very cool and a nice departure from the ultra-realistic games that are out now.

Co-op is really where this game shines. Go online, get some buddies and go out and wreak havoc on everything on Pandora! The game will adjust the number of enemies and strengths accordingly.

There was an issue with friends lists on the launch day but Gearbox got that sorted out within 24hrs. Kudos to them for the fast response.

Also, there are new add-on packs/expansions coming that will extend the game beyond it's primary programming!

bottom line - this is a great game!!

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to start off, this is what Fallout 3 should have been

(with Fallout 3's great story of course)

you are able to shoot FPS style as of you were playing Resistance 2 or the like and you collect loot via a Very Diabloesque loot system

it's really like playing Diablo first Person with a mad max theme

this is an absolute blast. while the story may be a little light

and isn't as story driven like Fallout 3 however, the fun to be had here rivals that of fallout 3 easily if you're an FPS fan.

the co-op options aren't limited here either with 4 player co-op (online) 2 player split screen and 4 player LAN.

I think this is one of the sleeper hits of the entire year and everyone within visual range of this review should buy this game. you'll not be dissappointed.

Graphics: 4 of 5 stars could be better but Very Clean and a interesting art style.

Sound: excellent, exactly what you'd expect 5 of 5 stars

Gameplay: the controls are a tad odd at first but a very nicely embedded tutorial will guide you through it. (R2 fires L2 aims etc)

Fun: 5 Stars! the weapons handle great and the difficulty is perfect as well. enemy A.I. is good too.

Overall: 5 Stars

A worthwhile purchase for all the Fallout 3 Fans that wished it relied upon their FPS shooting skills and not the game's V.A.T.S Mechanic this is THE GAME FOR YOU!

I am a BIG battlefield bad Co./1943 fan and also COD

and if you're an RPG fan as well as into FPS games

you DON'T want to pass this title up!

(PS3 Review)

Buy Borderlands here (PS3 Version)

Borderlands

and for Xbox 360

Borderlands

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I bought this in-store right after it came out and my wife and I became immediately addicted. This game is Definately the baby of an RPG and a first person shooter. We've only played it with us two and it still was a great experience.

Having said that, the game is still not without its flaws. First off it is a grind fest. If you like blasting baddies into next week all day and night, or if you're in-tune with leveling and loot gathering this is the game for you. Take into account though that enemies respawn at an alarming rate. This wasn't so bad closer to the end of the game after leveling up and learning the game's mechanics but closer to the beginning it was a nightmare. Enemies would respawn every few minutes giving no break inbetween. Once, we cleared out an entire town of bandits only to have them all respawn, including turrets, all at once. Other times they would spawn faster than we could kill them, having to re-kill every enemy if we had to go backward or after respawning ourselves. Also, there were technical difficulties like not being able to sign in from multiple accounts on the same system, or having to reset the brightness(we have a very dark TV) every time we play even if it said it was up all the way(you have to turn it down and back up again to get it to work right). The driving could also have been better(no splashes when driving through water?), and the frame rate dropped pretty far a couple of times. Last but not least some of the textures look last-gen. I actually forgot that I wasn't playing our Wii a few times.

The good, however, out weigh the bad. The game has TONS of guns and loot and the guns(although most of the "bazillions" are just better versions of the same ones) really do give the playstyle a different spin, I especially like the elemental damage that some guns have. The game has what I like to call keep-play, in other words, playing on after the main quest-line has ended so you can go back if you miss something. It also has high replay value as you can keep your stats and equipment and play through again. The enemies are verried and you have to change up your tactics so it isn't just a shoot till they die affair. The best news in my opinion though is that you can play two player local(on the same system and TV) without the need of an internet connection. All in all it could have been polished a lot more but in the end it was worth it and I look forward to playing thought it again.

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I have to say I love the Action-RPG genre in general. That said...

I'm sorry, but it's not really that original. It has a few original elements other than being a much more monotonous version of Fallout 3 with a less interesting story and less character variability and only 1 character who can really "sneak".

The original elements (for an action RPG) are: Randomized weapon features, same-screen co-op, and vehicular manslaughter.

The talent tree idea is from Blizzard games (they even have 3 separate trees!), the "look" of the game is exactly like the game XIII (if you've ever played that... if not, you missed out) except set in a post-apocalyptic-esque universe very reminiscent of Fallout. The intro is pretty cool, though.

There is basically nothing in the first 2-3 hours of playing that is grabbing me by the balls or is making me go "wow, now that is new." Fallout did this to me, Oblivion did this to me, Borderlands has yet to do it. So far it's been just one grindfest quest after another. We've had 5 years now to get beyond fetch quests, kill X of Y quests, and the like... Any game that expects, nay, *takes pride in* having you grind out that monotony from the get-go is an insult to my gamer intelligence.

In the first 2 hours of Fallout 3 you got tons of story and escaped a virtual prison. In the first 2 hours of Borderlands you have killed many, many doglike things, as well as raider types who don't have very good AI.

I really do want to support these guys and I really was excited for this game. They had the funniest game promo I've ever seen (search youtube for "borderlands is for real gamers").

It may be unfair to compare it to Fallout 3, but "real gamers" have been through Fallout 3, and it set the bar pretty damn high.

I'm going to give it a little more time, but it's not looking too hot. I'm considering returning it and either getting Uncharted 2 or just starting another Fallout 3 character.

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Borderlands is a great game. Basically you play as one of four character types on the planet of Pandora. Your goal is to find and open the "Vault" which remains a topic of local lore. Your character choice determines what extra bonus skill. Once the bus doors open in town and you exit the bus, you're on your own. It's time to make your way through the barren wasteland. And the world is just that; a barren wasteland where better days have been gone for a long time.

The graphics are great. They're not designed to be 100% realistic. They've got a cartoonish edge to them that really works. There are tons of monsters available and they have various skills and levels. So as you level up, the monsters will level up too. The game can be tough but now we have to talk about the guns. Basically, a good gun can make an entire section of the game simple. The game has a random gun generator so that you won't know just what guns you'll find in the game. Some of them set enemies on fire! Some make them explode. And some electrocute your enemies. So when you find a good gun with a good rate of fire, it makes that part of the game that much easier. Plus the guns are all different. Some have scopes so you can play from afar and blast away. Others are close range like some of the pistols and the shotguns. There's so much freedom in how you want to play.

The story won't reveal itself until you start undertaking more of the missions. Basically everyone on the planet wants to find the vault and survive. Mostly survive. And everything seems to want to eat you. So if you want more of the story, you'll have to do some of the side missions of which there are a ton. The side missions will have you moving from area to area to kill/locate stuff. They have enough variety that I haven't gotten bored. Plus you'll find new guns and stronger enemies the further you go. And basically, you'll have fun looking for the guns. This is a really fun game that I would highly encourage you not to miss!

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Love this game. My husband and I play it together all the time. Have already beaten the game, but it's still fun to play. If you have PS3 downloading Jacob's Cover (zombie missions) is a must!

CHALLENGE: A

GRAPHICS: A

SOUND: A

STORYLINE: B

LENGTH: B

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I love the online RPG - Shooter. This is the way console games need to move.

This game is addictive. It is hilarious. The art is awesome. It's pure fun. I hope Pandora keeps growing!

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So I bought this game expecting it to be good, and it started off that way. But all of a sudden I started loving it. Then I had my cousin over and played coop and had a lot of fun. Great thing about this game is that as you level you player up, you can play with it in single player, coop or online.

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This game is really fun

The beginning is really slow but it picks up after a few missions. This game is meant for co-op. Friends is the point of this game. No good story but 10 billion guns means epic fun. Controls are call of duty with halo jump. Which is a good thing

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