Borderlands Previews

If you just can't get enough of Gearbox's Borderlands, you're in luck, as there are several more hands-on previews for you to sift through.

First, MTV Multiplayer continues their character spotlights with a closer look at The Siren and The Soldier:
The Soldier is an incredibly handy class to have in a group. While they're very capable in solo situations, their turret makes them an asset to all. The turret, after all, isn't limited to dealing damage. Certain upgrades will make it a mobile health or ammo station, while others can make it instantly revive downed soldiers. If you're looking to extend the life of your group, a soldier should be your first step.

Then GXBlog gives us a good, long overview:
The skill proficiency is separate from the player's level, so even if he were to hit the level cap of 50 and has never ever used a handgun before, he will be able to equip a handgun and use it to improve his handgun skill proficiency by killing enemies. Due to this game mechanic, it is highly recommended that early on in the game, you find a weapon type or two that you personally prefer and then use those types of weapons exclusively so that you would be able to improve your weapon skill proficiency a lot faster.

Ars Technica picks up where they left off:
When you hit an enemy, you see how many points of damage you inflict, perfect for the RPG fan who lives by the numbers. You can also upgrade your favorites at automated ammo and gun vending machines you find around the landscape. The game features an elegant way to increase proficiency with your weapons; simply use shotguns primarily to upgrade your shottie skills. Want to be the perfect sniper? Stick to your sniper rifle while out in the field. With so many guns, ammunition could be a problem, but the game deftly sidesteps that issue by making the weapons class-based. There may be hundreds of thousands of variations on handguns, but the handgun rounds will work in all of them.

And GameSpy does the same:
Randomized shield and grenade mods provide even more variety, so you'll have to choose whether you want a shield with very high capacity, quick recharge, a flame burst effect, healing, and so on. Grenades come in all sorts of types as well, from contact and sticky grenades to bouncing betties and MIRVs: the grenade that releases a cluster of smaller grenades. These 'nades can also come with elemental attributes, so you might find one similar to the Shock Bouncing Bettie that served me well for several levels.