Borderlands

Borderlands is the most unique game that I've played this year in terms of gameplay mechanics and visual style, it's certainly different compared to most major releases this year. Initially I didn't know what to think of Borderlands and didn't expect much of it which is why I didn't purchase it on the its day of release. After sinking around 20+ hours into the game I found myself pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the experience.

Borderlands takes place on the desert planet of Pandora and opens with a monologue from one of the supporting characters. There is a myth that Pandora holds a mysterious vault, said to contain alien technology, wealth, fame, power and women. Nobody actually knows where 'The Vault' is and as many children grow up hearing about the stories of 'The Vault' they subsequently grow up to be 'Vault Hunters.' You are one of these Vault Hunters.

Borderlands' storyline is paper-thin and is somewhat cliché and uninteresting. The story is mainly told through a 'Guardian Angel' who appears throughout the game and guides you through it. I often felt confused as to why I was killing a certain person or why I was doing a certain job as there didn't seem to be much point in doing so. A lot of people will miss the storyline completely as they'll probably skip past through most of the text in which quests are actually described. The ending to the game also felt very weak and I was left feeling unsatisfied with what I'd accomplished during the questline.

As well as a lack of story, there is a lack of character development. This is a real shame because the inhabitants of Pandora, as well as the planet itself, all appear to be very unique and could've had very interesting personalities. Instead, they're almost lifeless and do nothing but stand in a select spot and may communicate to you once or twice through your comm device. Dr. Zed, for example, isn't allowed to "cut people no more" because he lost his licence. Well, why did he loose his licence? My intrigue with the characters was met with disappointment and I felt as though there was a huge amount of wasted potential to be had.

Though there is a lack of story to be had in Borderlands it luckily has a couple of saving graces. The first one of these graces is the gameplay itself. When Gearbox first started to advertise Borderlands they stated that it would have 'Bazillions of Guns.' Whilst Bazillion is in fact a fictitious number, there a huge amount of guns to be fired in Borderlands. Though the weapon types are the same that you've seen in every FPS you won't find a gun that has the same properties, nor the same look, as any other gun in the game. Though there is one characteristic that is carried in most, if not all, of the guns. They are very satisfying to shoot.

The art style of Borderlands is another saving grace of the game with a cell-shaded world that is not often seen in a game of this nature. There are also a number of unique looking creatures and enemies to be found as well as side characters. There are a few clipping issues that I noticed while playing but I forgave them due to the massive scope of the game and how beautifully rendered the world is. With that said, a little more variety in environments would've been nice. I understand that Pandora is predominantly a desert planet but I was a little tired of driving through dry, sandy landscapes.

Another unique thing about Borderlands is the style of the game itself. The developers call it an RPS (Role-Playing Shooter), and whilst the game is fairly light on the Role-Playing element, there are number of noticeable RPG elements that have been implemented into the game. There four classes to choose from, each with their own preferred choice of weapon as well as a skill tree which grows as your character grows in level. Enemies themselves also have levels and are resistant to certain kinds of attacks. It's an interesting crossover, and is successful in what it does although it does feel fairly light and I'd like to see these gameplay elements expanded in a sequel.

There is also a co-op option, in which you can play through the game at any point with three other players. Whilst I have yet to actually play through the game with friends, I can see how the game could be a lot more fun with them. Also, when there are more players in a game, the game produces harder enemies which results in better loot. The main complaint I've heard about the co-op aspect is that there isn't any safe way to trade amongst players. Instead, you are forced to drop items in order to share them, so I would recommend that you are wary of whom you play online with.

Whilst there may have been wasted potential surrounding the world of Pandora and its inhabitants, Borderland's unique blend of first-person shooter and role-playing mechanics has had me hooked for hours upon end and has quickly become one of my favourite titles. Simply put, Borderlands is borderline amazing.