Borderlands Reviews

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Written by BuckGB on October 27th, 2009

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Borderlands is one of the best co-op games on the market. It's fun and easy to pick up, and its unique combination of RPG and FPS elements makes it unlike anything else out there. The wide variety of skills and weapons gives you a lot of freedom in developing your character, and there is very little punishment for experimenting or playing around. However, the single-player doesn't hold up as well, and gamers who are not looking for a multiplayer experience may be best off waiting for a price drop. On top of that, a pretty substantial number of glitches falling through an elevator, losing the ability to fire your gun, etc. and design problems mar the experience. These glitches can pull you out of the game at a moment's notice, but if you're willing to overlook them, you'll find one of the best co-op FPSes on the market. Combining the ease of play of a FPS with the loot collection of an RPG, Borderlands has the potential to become one of the most addictive games you've ever played.

Wildly entertaining and loaded with enough bullet-fueled action to keep action aficionados more than pleased, Borderlands for the Xbox 360 should be on the very top of your Must Have list. Filled with more than enough missions, plenty of skills and loads of guns, this is over-the-top action at its most insane.

Overlooking certain flaws, Borderlands ultimately delivers what players are bound to expect from it - pure and addictive RPG-flavored FPS action, extremely engaging co-op and altogether a vast and mysterious world waiting to be explored. Gearbox made a great foundation for potential DLCs and sequels. We only hope that the next installment brings more substance, with a richer history of Pandora, additional work poured into some of the characters and generally a more detailed story.

Borderlands manages to combine two normally distinct genres into an impressive and potent blend of FPS and RPG entertainment that is best played with friends. Grab your buddies and get hunting.

Do not dismiss Borderlands as (just another shooter.) Co-op play is all the rage in FPS games these days, and not only is it featured here, but it is encouraged. Most importantly, the co-op play is addicting and nonstop awesome! Before instantly running for that copy of Modern Warfare 2 this season, make sure to give Borderlands a look, especially if co-op play is your thing.

Borderlands is dragged down by a few key issues that are all bought into sharp contrast by how stunningly well-built the rest of the game is. My heart actually told me to give this game a higher score than I have, but my head also tells me that these issues cannot be ignored. Heart or head, Borderlands is definitely worth picking up and playing through at least once, if not more.

If you are looking for a solid FPS that succeeds where so many would be Diablo-esque adventures have failed, then Borderlands is going to be for you. You are going to need to rely on those twitch reflexes for the waves of enemies but you're also going to have to give a little though to how you empower your character to do so. The consistent system of acquiring new loot is just as fun as it always is, and trading that regular gun with white text description for with green, blue, purple, or orange text is addicting as it always is. Pushing forward until that next precious drop that will render your foes helpless and the rest of your arsenal obsolete. An addictive experience best played with friends, and one I recommend without reservation.

The blend of FPS and RPG is a risky venture and whilst it doesn't excel in either field, it is more than competent in both and executed in a pleasingly confident manner. It requires a certain mindset and patience to become familiar with its mechanics and the more time you dedicate, the more you'll get out of the experience. Some may struggle to forget the lack of aesthetic customisation and awkward trading system, but if the premise already piques your interest then you're guaranteed plenty of entertainment for your money.

Borderlands is an unexpected and very welcome addition to this winter's line-up of games. For a really fresh gaming experience this will keep you going through the winter months.

Thankfully, despite the dire conditions, with many inhabitants using tattered rugs for doors, procreation is quite a popular pastime. In fact, the time from pregnancy to birth is about, say, one mission. Once you've cleared out a particularly difficult set of enemies, the trek back will be filled with all of the children of those prior slaughter victims. That's impressive, even if the whole of Borderlands is not.

Summed up, a great story with an intriguing, funny and original premise, but suffers from a lack of personal character interaction and somewhat lazy replacement of what should be voice acting with text based mission descriptions.

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