As I’ve mentioned on the site many times before, I tend to have a strange problem where if a game doesn’t immediately look interesting to me, I’ll never look too deep into it, despite how popular it might be. The truth is, though, that it’s rare when I play a game and still hold the same first opinion. There was Civilization V, for example. I thought I’d hate it, and turned out to love it. The latest game? Borderlands.
Until a week ago, I wasn’t too familiar with Borderlands at all. I knew it had neat cel-shaded graphics, and was pro co-op, but aside from that, I knew little. I did give it a quick shot when it was brand-new, but I found the UI clunky and didn’t really understand anything, so I just shelved it. But in an attempt to find a good game to play with my co-op game-loving brother, we decided to give Borderlands an honest go.
At this point, I’ve put about 20 hours into the game, and I can honestly say… this is one of the best games I’ve ever played. Yes, ever. My brother feels the same, and stated that this is one of the first games he’s played in a long while where after so much time put in, he couldn’t muster up an actual complaint. Through and through, the game is fun, and at this point, I’m only half through.
There are many co-op games out there, but many aren’t co-op the entire way through like Borderlands is. In Call of Duty titles, for example, co-op missions are special, and have no real flow or story. In Borderlands, you and a friend or friends can go through the entire game together, work together, unravel the story together, and kick ass together.
For those not too familiar with the game, the best way I can describe it is that it’s an RPG FPS, with countless MMO elements. Like an actual MMORPG, there are levels to be earned, quests to be done for XP and loot, and a persistent world when multiple players are connected to each other. Like an RPG, enemies give XP once killed, and if you want, you can even grind to earn levels – though it’s not required from what I’ve seen so far.
In the RPG sense, there are many quests to go back and forth to, with a bunch being optional. Some might find the number of typical quests to be tedious, but I find that the grind is broken up nicely here, and some of the boss battles easily break up any potential tedium, and are some of the best I’ve ever played. The best thing about this game is that it’s not exactly easy. Some quests and bosses are, but others are mind-bogglingly tough.
From a value standpoint, Borderlands is also one of the rare games I’ve played where I can say the purchase price is well-worth it. Currently, the game sells for $20 without DLC, and that’s about 40 hours of gameplay for the average Joe. Past that, there are DLC packs that add about 10 hours of gameplay per, and cost $10. I generally hate paid DLC, but the value is certainly here with this one.
If you’ve overlooked Borderlands in the past and want an epic game to play with your friends, or even solo, check it out. There are many from our forums who play the game on a regular basis, so I’m sure there will be other opinions there as well.
With its addictive action, frantic first-person shooter combat, massive arsenal of weaponry, RPG elements and four-player co-op, Borderlands is a breakthrough experience that challenges all the conventions of modern shooters. Borderlands places you in the role of a mercenary on the lawless and desolate planet of Pandora, hell-bent on finding a legendary stockpile of powerful alien technology known as The Vault.