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. =)

• from

This RPG FPS is an ok game. I rented it and have a little bit of withdraw after a returning it. I can't say I'd be happy owning it though. I'll compare it to Fallout 3, since one of the developers mentioned that it's like Fallout 3 but with more action.

1. The say the game has a lot of weapons. True, but most of the time it's just a little tweek to the particular weapon. During my time where I made it to New Haven, the weapons fuction pretty much the same with a slight tweek on it's color, effectivenes and effect. Fallout 3 at least can say it had a lot of different types of weapons. Fallout didn't just have similar weapons thats in Borderlands, but they had a weapon that shot out anything you can get, they had a rifle gun, lazers etc.

2. They said that its more action than Fallout 3. Well, yeah. Fallout 3 had a lot of loading and after the DLC, those loading screens were longer than the cut-scenes. Borderlands basically has huge maps for you to work on without loading, unless your traveling to that seperated maps like Headstone Mine and New Haven. Their were loading screens that were long, but you hardly have to deal with them unless you want to progress into the story.

The problem was that their was too much action were it became redundant and repetitive. Here is an example:

I was sent to a mining town where I had to take down a boss. Upon entering, I was confronted by enemies. Mine you that the map of this location is huge. So I basically had to press through each part of the map by taking down bandits and other enemies slowly. Each section was a battle. Finally I manage to get to the boss and defeated Sledge. Now it was time to go back to the exit and then to location to collect my reward. Now here is the problem, all of the enemies that slowed me down have regenerated with full health. I was pretty much out of ammo and I wasn't going to run back to the boss area to buy some more of it. Especially since I wasted most of the money purchasing upgrades. I don't mine enemies spawning, but the game should give you a good amount of time for you prepare in dealing with their enemies. I fought all of them. The least they can do is let me have a safer way of going back to the previous map to collect my bounty. SPAWNING ENEMIES ALL THE TIME SUCKS! I bet them in this map, in this mission, so please savor my victories.

The driving SUCKS! I hate the driving.

What is better on this game than Fallout 3:

1. FPS.

2. Works.

3. Less load screens.

What's not better:

1. Boring missions.

2. Boring Weapons.

3. Horrible Driving.

At least it's a long game.

• from

I have only two bad things that I can think of about this game is that the human PCs and NPCs look like plastic dolls.. And the story is a tad on the weak side. But the sheer fun of it more then makes up for those.

That aside? Great gameplay! I think that I ran the same mission 4-5 time last night with different friends and online groups. Its different every time. Different people, Different skills. Different guns.

Finding new and different guns every playthrough, more powerful when online, leads to some VERY intense online battles since the enemy difficulty can through the roof with a 4 player team. In playthrough 2 you can get into some battles that are ridiculous. But DO NOT let that discourage you frm this game as the rewards for such a battle can be HUGE. A rocket launcher tat launches 3 rockets at once that spiral around each other as they fly and then explode with incendiary bonuses and set fire to enemies within a 20 foot radius. Extremely satisfying. Or maybe a shotgun that fires mini-rockets? Or a sniper rifle that fires highly explosive rounds? A scoped revolver that replenishes its own ammo? Nearly endless possibilities.

Great game. A MUST own in my opinion.

• from

In this review I'm only going to cover the weapons part of the game but thats the major selling point so I think its a good thing to address.

The concept sounded great and at first it was but "87 bazillion guns" is just too much. One bazillion guns would have be plenty. About 98% of the guns you pick up are worthless becasuse they are a lower level than what you already have and most of the time are crap guns. I personally only kept like one in every 100 or so weapons I picked up the rest I sold for cash.

There are two ways(well actually 3 but the third is never used) to get weapons. either by monster drop or weapon casses you find in the wasteland. The First, by monster drop is very effective in the begining of the game where only a select few enemies drop weapons. However later in the game it becomes a LOT more frequent. Like everything you kill drops a weapon and this is annoying becasue they are never or rarly any good. So when there not you can sell them to vendors. The second way is to find a weapon case and when you open it you get anywhere from 1 to 4 guns and some ammo and grenades. There tends to be a better chance to get a good gun when you open these and that should be the case because they are less frequent than enemies. It doesn't really make sense that there are only two kinds of weapon casses but 8 different weapon manufacturers.

About the cash system...well...it's not nessisary because the only thing you use it for it when you die the NEW YOU POLE you respawn at charges you for it's servises.(Opps not weapon related) I never bought a single gun from the venders or grenade mods because the stuff you get from killing enemies is better, even the crappy stuff is. You can also buy ammo from these venders but theres no need to becasue theres ammo casses everywhere you go and they are free.

But i have to commend GEARBOX SOFTWARE for trying something new. They didn't hit all the right notes but Borderlands is an enjoyable game that will take you a while to beat.

• from

Before you attack my review, which someone will surely do since I'm the first to give it less than a 5 star rating, please keep in mind that I don't hate it. I had a pretty good time playing it other than the few problems that I encountered, which is why in my opinion, it isn't 5-star worthy.

Overall, the game is mildly enjoyable. It reminded me quite a bit of Fallout, which I did enjoy but found some aspects overwhelming. The controls are fine, the cell-shaded graphics look great, and everything sounds up to par.

What I didn't care for is the back-tracking, the constant respawning enemies, and the multitude of mutant dogs (or variations of) that I encountered in the first 4 hours of the game. There are millions of these stupid mutts, and all of the back-tracking to and from mission start points force you to either navigate around or kill them. If you do shoot one, typically three more come flying out of their den to attack you. They're not difficult to kill, but not fun either. They're irritating and they're everywhere. The mission objectives are fine. But so far, all of the missions either involve killing mutant dogs or making it to some object which is on the other side of 30 dog dens. The only variety comes in the form of hordes of large flying creatures, who just like the dogs, attack in packs.

The online multiplayer seems alright, although every match I joined, the host was way ahead of the rest of the party, leaving us to kill mutant dogs while he/she completed the objective. Its my bet that this is the more enjoyable way to play if you all stay in the same vicinity. The single-player mode got just too repetitive.

I don't regret buying this game and will continue to play it, but most likely only in the online mode.

• from

One of the sleeper hits of the season, Borderlands is a quality title packed with fun. Either solo or with up to three other friends, Borderlands serves up a unique brand of shooter/RPG hybrid that is fun for fans of either genre.

While not a perfect title, the loot-collecting aspect and unique visuals suck you in, and keep you engaged for the long-haul. First-person-shooter mechanics mixed with Diablo style loot generation give you a reason to keep coming back. And don't let the reviewers scare you off with comments like "best with friends!" I played through most of the game solo and had a ball. The experience is made even better with multiple players, but you'll still have fun on your own.

Some of the downsides include a janky driving model, a whole portion of the game with a lot of unrealized potential. Everyone gravitates towards the soldier class, as the other classes seem less... important. They are certainly interesting in theory, but I've yet to see anyone playing a non-soldier class be as affective as my soldier. The other classes' benefits should be more clear. The skill tree could be expanded also.

None of these issues take away from the core mechanics that make it so fun to play. Hopefully Gearbox will address these issues in a sequel--because I'm certainly going to buy it.

Notes about me:

I enjoy RPGs primarily. I generally steer away from twitchy FPS games, which I am not very good at. This one was right in that sweet spot of challenging, but not frustrating.

I am on my second playthrough (after you finish it the first time, the game resets, and "monster" levels get amped up). I spent about 3/4 of my time solo. I really enjoy playing with others, but my schedule makes that difficult. The game really is better with other players, but I want to be clear that it's still very enjoyable solo.

I played both over the network and with split-screen. Split screen really requires a wide-screen TV. I can't imagine playing it split on an SD TV. Split screen worked fine. I personally miss the "on the couch" multi-player, as the industry jumps whole-hog into network-only.

• from

ok I have to put this out there and that is this is not fallout 3. I'll say again THIS IS NOT FALLOUT 3! I have read to many reveiws about hoiw people keep comparing this game to fallout. Yes fallout was and is a great game but let's really compare the two:

Graphics:

Fallout 3- Great graphics and real world feel to the post DC area.

Borderlands- Cellshade and almost cartoon feel world with lush colors.

Mechinacs:

Fallout 3- life like in the way you move, shoot, and see the world.

Borderlands- Same but more fluid movement through the maps.

AI:

Fallout 3- Some are more smart then others. For the most part the canoon fodder is challenging at times but nothing to stress about.

Borderlands- Challenging at times but nothing that you can't handle with the right equipment. Sometimes more challenging when you level up to quickly.

Stroyline:

Fallout 3- Great mainline story and side stories when you come across them. Not so much fetch and return quests but more of a story derived quests. Nothing really engaging until you get to your quest.

Borderlands- More engaging while on the quest even though you are killing skags all the way and maybe some bandits. But nothing more then that while on the quest. Storyline is vague but there is one if you can follow it but it is there.

Weapons:

Fallout 3- Great guns and some that are note worthy like the garbage shooter that allows you to shoot whatever you find like books, cans, boxes and anything that you can get your hands on.

Borderlands- there is more guns then all the US armed forces combined. But and this is a real big but each one is no different then the last and only by the damage that it can do. I found myself only carrying certain ones even though there were tons to choose from. Even though there are tons of guns they really should have put just a little more thought into the guns that are given or come across. Some you will keep others you will just walk by.

character development:

Fallout 3- No end to how your character can come out and there is no end to the choices either.

Borderlands- Character tree is a good touch and only good for what you want to do in the game. But that is about it. Nothing to really change how you look except for the color but then you can't even see that. Somewhat flat in this area.

Replay value:

Fallout 3- There is a high replay value to this game cause there is a lot that you can miss if you are just following the storyline. And you can have the same character but be totally different then the first one.

Borderlands- Only way you can get something different is to change the character completely by choosing a different one. This is not bad cause each character has a certain special ability that does come in handy while in combat. But the tree is still the same for the most part. And the only reason to replay the game is to play with other characters which is not bad thing either.

Online:

Fallout 3- Have not played this game online but there is one.

Borderlands- Have not played this one online either but have played the co-op though and its great.

Highpoints:

Fallout3- the highpoints to fallout are that the worlds and maps are massive. The storyline is great. The graphics and physics are great and the weapons are one of a kind if you can find them.

Borderlands- The highpoints that I like are the co-op, the tons of guns (even though you don't need them all) and there is always something to kill. Forgot to mention that there is a guntruck that you can ride in to move more quickly in.

Lowpoints:

Fallout 3- Can't really see at night, world is too life like at times and you die a lot if you don't plan well. And you have to walk everywhere.

Borderlands- repetive quests, to many guns that you may never use and a vague storyline.

So I hope that I cleared somethings up to anyone thinking that this is a Fallout 3 copycat. This game holds its own in so many ways that makes it worth getting. I almost forgot that there is some comdey to this game and that makes it less lifelike when it comes this game. In some aspects it does have a Fallout feel but Borderlands is its own game in its own right. I have played to many short and good games along with some bad and long games not worth the money. Borderlands is one to play and have. If you are not playing COD:MW2 you should be playing this game. Bottomline is its worth the $60 if you put the fact out of your head that this is a Fallout clone. Borderlands is good, rent if you don't trust the hype but buy it if you want something completely different. Trust me you will feel like you are getting your moneys worth with this one.

• from

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.

• from

This game is a good change from the usual RPG/FPS. designed with comic type visuals, it is a fresh change from the regular RPG. Some missions are a little repetative, but overall, it's a really enjoyable game with different storylines.

• from

Picked up Borderlands a few weeks ago as I love playing split-screen games with a friend of mine and have to say this game is immensely entertaining. The game itself seems to be marketed as and "RPG-style" type game with "87 bazillion guns" and for the most part, it ends of bring it's own unique style of play to the table on its own that might spawn other games down the road.

When you first jump into this game, you'll need quite a bit of patience. The in-game tutorials happen progressively, and several gaming options open up later seem to take forever which may lead to early complaints. You'll find yourself asking "How come I can't do this...?" and end up figuring it out yourself later or having the option unlocked down the road. This may tempt you to start over completely. For example, it took me forever to learn on how to sell stuff, an important aspect of the game since the game is based on loot. The "87 bazillion" guns is a nice feature, but a bit misleading. There are several types: reapting pistols, revolvers, rifles...etc. Each weapon has a level prequesite with it's own unique design and characteristc which some are a few re-hashes. Some weapons may decrease your damage, but offer something else in return, but more than likely you'll find two and stick with those for a long time before something else comes along to sweep you off your feet. Lastly, this game is must play with co-op, especially locally. The more players playing = more enemies that are tougher = equally more chaos. Even going from 1 player to 2 players seems to literally double the difficulty. All in all, this game is pretty technically sound and must own for audiences of the "loot drop" genre who love guns.

Pros:

+ Total unique gameplay that will keep you busy for months

+ Fair gaming system; couldn't find anything to exploit

+ Pure fun with co-op

+ Tons of weapons, character abilities, missions and enemies...nothing too repetitive or predictable

Cons:

- Slow start off; may frustrate some impatient or younger players

- Drastic, punishing penalties for attempting missions above your character level (e.g., don't attempt a Lvl 15 mission if your character is Lvl 13) as almost all power-ups you have are negated

- Slightly unbalanced character class; one dude can drop a machine gun turret...one can turn invisible?

- No duck and cover/peaking systen. Either hide or shoot out in the open...good luck in higher levels

• from

It's a good game, tons of variety in weapons and grenades, and the establishment of 4 distinct classes is very nice. Ive played through about 10 levels with the female stealth class, and the sniper class. It is an enjoyable game, however after playing through Fallout 3, I find the environment and color palette to be a little too similar. The music is enjoyable, but there cou ld be more of it. The decision to use a cell shaded art style is very nice, and over all it is an enjoyable game. I will continue playing it and I do enjoy it. As a caveat, I have not played the game in multiplayer mode, which perhaps would remove some of the bleakness of the game. Also I am looking forward to enjoying some of the DLC that is now making its way out for this game.

• from

The game has lots of visual appeal, but also has numerous visual issues. Load times are rather lengthy, transitions from one area to the next look choppy, shadows are probably the worst I've seen from a PS3 game.

All that aside, the game is a lot of fun and has loads of stuff to do. The action is intense and always present. There isn't much time to stop and breath. It fun playing by yourself, but even more fun with friends. Gearbox did a decent job with this one, I look forward to many more hours of play.

• from

Title says it all. If you're a typical Diablo fan, you'll love this game.

Pros:

--If you like Diablo, you'll LOVE this game... it's the same game, with guns instead of weapons.

--Graphics: They're a refreshing change, and I enjoy them, but I do concede they're not for everybody.

--Guns, guns guns. All sorts of guns, each with all sorts of attributes.

--Coop play is fantastic.

Cons:

--Not much of a plot at all.

--Although there's an awesome variety of weapons out there, you eventually do get to a point where you learn what the best weapons are to shoot for. Once you get those, there's not much incentive anymore, given that weapons are your only real reward in the game.

Overall, it's a fantastic game. Been playing since Thanksgiving, and I haven't put it down yet!

• from

Borderlands has so far proved to be an immensely enjoyable game delivering in many ways where Gearbox promised. I feel it will be equally appealing to fans of shooters and dungeon crawlers alike.

You start the game going through a little story intro and a bit of a bus ride. Shortly after a bit of introduction you'll be asked to select one of the characters and exit the bus to start your adventures. The game doesn't come right out and tell you these are your "classes" but for the interests of the RPG elements of the game that's what they are. Your choices are basically between stealth/special weapons, sniper, support/healing, and tank/melee. There unfortunately isn't a vast amount of customization in their looks available but you can alter a 3 color scheme for their outfit and customize your name almost immediately after stepping off the bus.

From here you do a short and sweet tutorial which throws you right in to the action relatively quickly. The controls are tight and will be very familiar to fans of popular FPS games such as Halo, Resistance, Gears, Unreal, and many others. You have the ability to jump, duck, melee, shoot, toss grenades, and eventually use a class specific special ability such as placing turrets. Aside from the general control of your character menus are easy to navigate for all of your weapons, the map is easy to read, and the HUD is simple and informative.

Following the tutorial you progress the game from doing various quests. These quests can be found on mission boards, from NPCs, and occasionally from random stuff lying around. The quests themselves so far haven't been anything particularly noteworthy in the grand scheme of RPGs. It's still a lot of "kill XYZ" "collect a fistful of whozawhatits" or "go talk to random NPC" but they have streamlined them enough to where the don't feel forced but rather serve as more of a beacon of where you should realistically be taking your character and scoring some nice exp and loot while you're at it. Quest objectives can also be tracked and objectives are clearly marked on your compass.

Outside of questing there are a decent number of monsters to kill. I still don't really have much of an idea as to what dictates when an enemy will respawn but it seems if you wander around enough you will likely run in to something to kill. It's typically not a mindless slaughter either, I would highly recommend trying fighting tactically much like you would in a shooter. Until you out-gear or out-level your opponent you will find that the game can actually be quite challenging at times and reward clever use of your equipment and abilities. The game did a great job of encouraging this too by making your enemies respond to grenades logically, implementing cover well, and of course rewarding you with devastating critical with our beloved' HEAD SHOT!

Sizable amounts of experience can also be earned through completing various challenges which are like in game achievements, some of which are actually tied to achievements/trophies. It's mostly killing various things with various weapons but early on it's a great source of experience and you can track your progress on them.

Starting at level 5 you will start to acquire skill points every level. These are used to boost various abilities of your character via a talent/skill tree. There aren't a lot of choices and you can get quite a few of them with the number of points you wind up with but most of them are fundamentally decent options allowing for some individual diversity in how you build your character without having to over-think it. Aside from that each level your character will get a generic health, defense, and attack boost.

The weapons are pretty cool but I will state that some of the "87 Gazillion" claims were perhaps a bit exaggerated. While it is true that many of the weapons can do quite a bit of unique things, the vast majority of the weapons and gear you will find are going to be slight variations of each other much like any other similar dungeon crawler such as Sacred, Titan Quest, or Diablo. Perhaps later in the game the unique generation of weapons becomes more apparent but I could so far fairly compare this to the way the weapons were in Hellgate: London. As for the size of the actual database and possible combination of weapons, I'm sure their claims are accurate but I can only comment from a practical standpoint of what I've seen. In addition to weapons you also get shields which can do various things such as regen health or do elemental bursts when depleted and grenade modifications which allow your grenades to do all kinds of things such as teleport, stick to things, and bounce.

Looting is probably one of my few mild gripes with this game. You can't simply auto-loot everything in your proximity. What the game has you doing is finding in item, hitting the loot button, and then holding it to pick up other relatively close items. It's not game breaking annoying but the range on it isn't very great and holding the loot button to pick up a weapon will auto-equip it which is something that can be frustrating at times.

The graphics will most likely be a love/hate thing for most players as they are highly stylized. I personally love them and think they're quite well done but there are certainly realism junkies out there that won't care for the cartoon approach at all. I will say that only decent videos of this game should be used to judge the graphics, still screenshots don't do this game any justice at all. Graphics aside the environments are very interesting, the characters are well done albeit a bit generic, enemies are pretty decent (Tremors anybody?), and the animations are high quality.

Multiplayer can be done with 2 player split screen couch co-op and online with up to four players I believe. I haven't gone online yet but the split screen was easy enough. Rather than scaling all of the menus down in split screen they opted to leave them full size and movable so that text wouldn't get smushed together which I thought was a pretty clever move. What this means is both players don't have to squint to read everything thing, simply centralize it in their field of view. Also as you do quests objectives/turn-ins will be shared meaning you don't spend your time waiting for everyone to catch up all the time. In multiplayer you can also duel each other which I haven't tried yet.

Vehicles haven't really been much more than a way to get around for me yet. They can be customized in color and weapon outfit but my brother and I both agreed that they weren't a very good way of killing anything aside from running them over which seemed to always been an automatic kill. For a giant vehicle mounted weapon they seem completely inferior to even the worst weapon you could collect at that relative level. The controls are very similar (identical?) to that of a Warthog in Halo. They'll probably take some getting used to for new players but they're relatively easy once you've figured them out. I personally find them to be a bit floaty and awkward but at the moment I don't see myself needing clutch control out of the vehicles for combat so they are passable.

The story regards something involving finding a long lost vault of alien technology. While I'm sure it's interesting I honestly haven't paid much attention to it aside from parts of the story which I couldn't avoid. This sort of game doesn't really bank on the story for me.

That's basically it. Quest, kill, loot, level, and become the destructive juggernaut that Pandora always needed while searching for the vault.

Pros:

Great implementation of shooter mechanics

Lots of fun loot

Good multiplayer

Straight forward and simple RPG elements

Graphics

Cons:

Graphics

Wonky loot controls

Maybe a little cliché at times

I love this game and would highly recommend it.

• from

Overview:

A 2 player one splitscreen or 4 player online FPS/RPG-sytle free-range shooter.

The Particulars:

The game is very similar to the Hellgate London-style of RPG/FPS. But that's just where it starts. The multitude of weapons makes it a lot of fun to scour the landscape for new weapons and upgrades. Hop in the vehicles to scour said landscape even further. The four characters each have their own specialties and on top of that, their own special ability. There are also tiers of different specialties that can be upgraded as you level up, allowing for you to unlock additional abilities in a particular tier.

It is fun going through the different adventures and gathering loot. But the game's real strength lies in its ability to Coop online and splitscreen on the same system. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the lower level individual should host, or else they will quickly become overwhelmed by higher level enemies.

I'd recommend trying the game out. It starts out slow and easy and gives you instruction on how to use what you pick up as you go along. The art-style fits with the game and the humor is definitely a part of it, keeping it interesting as you perform quests and move through the Borderlands world.

Replay:

TONS. With four characters and the ability to play through the game with others you could go through the game several times with a variety of different experiences.

Summary:

I'd definitely recommend giving this game a go. It has a lot of different elements put together that make it something for everyone. The learning curve is small enough that I even had someone that doesn't even like playing FPS's playing this game Cooperatively.

Edit: Forgot to include the Good/Bad/Ugly breakdown:

Been playing it for a while, and the game is immensely fun with friends. However, if you're playing with joe randos, you could run into some problems.

1) Ammo/Gun hogs. These individuals take all the good weapons. Weapons you could have used or sold for $$. First come, first served.

2) Single-player, while "ok" isn't that great to go through on your own. This game is really focused on the team aspect and having the different characters to help you through "Pandora." It can get boring real quick if you don't have some company.

3) Split-Screen Experience. When playing offline with another, it feels like you're missing part of the action when the game goes to split-screen. The menus stay the same size, so you can't see the entire menu, but luckily they made it scrollable with one of the analog sticks.

4) Loading / Transport. If playing with others, get ready to be yanked around. If someone initiates travel, chances are you're stuck going wherever they picked using the Fast Track. On the other hand if you try and initiate travel and someone is in a menu, it prevents it. In some instances this can be very annoying if they're doing it on purpose. Also, if someone takes one of the vehicles and races off, the good news is you can spawn in the gunner seat. Or if you're the 3rd or 4th wheel in the group you can spawn yourself another vehicle.

5) Lag. While most of the games can be fairly reliable, there are some that will induce lag to the nth degree, making it near impossible to hit what you're aiming at. But you'll find yourself still taking massive amounts of damage.

Does take a while to level-up, but I found on the 2nd playthrough the "BadAzz" enemies do help for Experience while adding that extra difficulty.

The graphics do take a little to get used to, but you'll find yourself liking the art style more than likely. The humor is pretty funny as long as you pay attention and try to catch the little nuances that are thrown in as well.

Hope that helps!

• from