2k’s latest epic borderlands may be overlooked by many especially with the other big titles coming out for the remainder of this year, but those that do will be missing out, Borderlands doesn’t just serve as a game, it serves as a round-up of all the best bits from the best games of the last few years.
The game literally has everything. And portrays it in the most beautiful form of cell shading seen this side of a current or previous gen console.
From what I have seen so far the story revolves around one of four characters each searching a post apocalyptic wasteland for untold riches and power. Each one of the characters has their own class and specific class skill set which unlocks at level 5 and can be upgraded one step along the set skill tree for every level gained, this in turn adds skill boosts to your character. The game itself plays like the ultimate gangbang between Halo, Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, Shadowrun, Fallout 3, Crackdown and Mad Max. Each borrowed element fits the game and game world perfectly and after the first hour you stop noticing the similarities and see Borderlands in its true light. The game that every RPG that has been released on the XBOX 360 so far has been striving to be.
The multiplayer element that has been included with Borderlands could not be more fitting, a drop in drop out affaire with up to four players. Whoever is the game host will have the other players inside their game world and will continue to play from the point they last reached.
The only two niggling problems with that are that weapon drops do not have a player-related time limit to them, so you could have been slugging away at one of the “special” creatures, it drop a fancy new shotgun or sniper riffle for you, and then somebody else could run in and grab it before you, and unfortunately that is the same with quest rewards as well, the party share EXP. But it’s only the person who trades in the completed the quest that will get any item reward.
The developer has taken this into account though and has added a “duel” function so that players can fight each other at any point they like. The perfect way to settle any item related feuds.
When all is said and done, I can say from personal experience that this game will demolish your time. Today I played for eight hours continuously, and only gave up long enough to write this.
Graphics: 9
Gameplay: 8
Controls: 9
Multiplayer: 8
Overall: 8.5
WRITTEN BY JIM SCOTT
