Borderlands: The RPS Savior is Born

Available On: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Game Type: 1-4 Player Shooter/RPG
From: Gearbox Software/2K Games

As I open what seems like the 10,000th lootable container in the vast wastelands of the supposed paradise of Pandora, a trickle of disbelief crawls up my spine and breaks into a maniacal cackle. As I pick up the AR War Stomper and equip it, I take a couple shots and marvel at the accuracy, virtual lack of recoil, and excellent fire rate. As the in-game music starts thumping, I know something bad is coming. Suddenly, rocket fire hits everywhere and I jump for cover. A Bad-ass Electrified Bruiser seven levels above my current LV 39 had just popped out of a seemingly empty town and crept up on me. "Ok Stomper, time to make Bruiser paste," I think to myself. I let the first 3-shot burst go, and rack up three straight critical hits at about 700 HP a piece. I guess his name should have been Weak-ass Bruiser, because his life bar is gone, and I am speechless. Five minutes prior I thought my weapons were tops, but hey, on Pandora, you learn that something better is just around the corner.

This is really the highest drawing point for this game, the ultimate replay value based in the unheard of amount of loot. With seven different weapons manufacturers, at least eight types for each (pistols, SMGs, rocket launchers, etc.), and literally hundreds of variations on each, you will never run out of fun. I can't even convey the fun of finding that new gun and the anticipation of trying it out on the first hapless Raider or Skag to be the unlucky soul to cross your path.

That's not all you'll find on your voyage through Pandora. Countless towns with a gigantic amount of places to explore in each, I'd be surprised if you put less than 40 hours into this game. On top of that there is huge amounts of armor, grenade mods, and class mods, and you have yourself a game that let's you be you. This was one of the development teams goals wen I read about the game back in September of 2007, and they accomplished said goal in spades. You want to be a tough guy that swings fists of fury, shooting an acid spewing shotgun that launches teleporting grenades and gains an extra 20% experience? No problem. Want to be a former elite soldier with a high powered assault rifle and fire-bomb grenades with a shield that bursts a baddie-shield-draining electric bolt when drained? Go for it. The only obstacle to overcome is a desert full of Bandits and other harmful wildlife.

Which brings me to the next amazing scale of this game: the enemy types. You have the human type Bandits, Raiders, and Bruisers, all of whom will eat you alive for a measly $5 and a low level Repeater. The wildlife contains Skags, a lizard-like/dog hybrid capable of chewing up you and your arsenal in one ferocious bite. Spiderants attack in large numbers with shielded heads and a hidden weak point, while the Schythid and Rack attack similarly with less defenses. There are a couple other types, but I don't want to give it all away. Within each of these categories you'll find a plethora of differences, from the aforementioned "Bad-ass" class, usually with beefed up damage, to the elementals: a caustic Scythid, an electrified Skag, and many, many more. They all add top the immense replayability of this great game. As if the core game were not enough, Gearbox offers three downloadable add-ons for $10 a piece offering new areas, new weapons, and even a storage cache for your most prized finds.

On the downside, the graphics. Don't get me wrong, the graphics are good. But way back in the latter part of 2007 when the game was unveiled, the graphics were that of a realistic looking game, akin to Fallout 3, where the characters looked like any other game: as real as possible. The finished project showed us a cell-shaded look to the game, however. Contrary top my assertion of this down side, I still believe it was a good choice. I assume the sheer size of the game necessitated this change, as the frame rate is a smooth 60 fps throughout. And although the original graphics would have been welcome, I feel in the end it helped to give Borderlands an identity of it's own.

Another downside was the missed chance to expand in-game dialog. Most, if not all of the speaking between your character and the NPCs of Pandora come down to find, click, accept the mission. It's unfortunate there wasn't some feeling of choice outside of accept or do not accept. It would have been fantastic to say "Yes Dr. Zed, I will do this for you, but I'll need a new piece of armor instead of another Repeater and some money." This would have further separated the way we each play the game.


All in all, Borderlands is one of the best experiences I've had on a current gen console. If you like tight FPS controls, a great RPG progression element, or all out total loot-fests, this game is right up your alley. And always remember: in Borderlands, something better is always right around the next bend.

Graphics: Good and distinctive, with smooth fps throughout. However the sheer size of Pandora is in direct contest with its graphical potential.
Controls: Smooth and silky FPS. Anyone who has played a CoD should have no trouble.
Story: Not the strongest, but as with the graphics, the loot drove me to continue while inadvertently causing the story to go slow.
Multiple Play: Quite high - again, you always want more loot.

OVERALL GRADE = 90/100