Way more addictive than it has any right to be.
It's a bit unfair reviewing the core Borderlands game by itself these days, considering the well-received DLC and the Game of the Year edition that now exist. Taken as a whole, Borderlands GOTY is a tremendous package, especially if discounted.
But if you focus just on the base game itself, Borderlands' appeal doesn't shine quite as bright. This is pretty much the definitive guilty pleasure game, not unlike MMOs. Borderlands' combat is average for the genre and can get repetitive, especially considering the game's length (30+ hours on playthrough *one*) and monotonous brown canyon environments.
The real hook here isn't gunplay or exploration, and definitely not the threadbare storyline. The main draw are the group dynamics if you're playing co-op with friends, and the addictive nature of RPG-style leveling mechanics, stat building and random loot drops. One cannot understate how addictive the Diablo formula still is after all these years, even moreso when applied to the generally breezy fast pace of a first-person shooter. I'm usually a story-first type of gamer, but I found myself playing Borderlands non-stop for several weeks to its finish, despite how weak the fiction and characters are.
Not that I went into Borderlands expecting any kind of epic, detailed RPG universe. Gearbox always pitched this game as GUNS and LOOT, and nothing more. There's a hint at the great sense of humor that's more fully developed in the DLC add-ons, but there's really hardly any characters here that you'll become attached to besides the hilarious little Claptrap robots peppered throughout the game. The storyline borrows a lot from apocalyptic standouts like Fallout 3 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R., except grossly simplified with a Saturday morning cartoon vibe. Which is totally fine by me. The attitude is a fresh change of pace, even if the fiction is so simple.
Combat is definitely good but not great. The gunplay and enemy AI are on par with what's expected from the genre, but never quite feels as satisfying as what's on display in category leaders like Call of Duty or Halo. Guns don't have the same punch. The endless variety of stats doesn't change the fact that one shotgun basically feels the same as the next shotgun, even if the graphics are slightly different from gun to gun. Borderlands has a decent variety of enemy types that gets repetitive only because the campaign is so long. It would have hugely benefitted from more boss and mini-boss fights to spruce up the overly drawn-out pacing. Tactics are generally fun. Enemies will try to take cover, outflank you or flush you out of safe spots with grenades. The four character classes give you an opportunity to specialize a little bit in various combat strategies -- tank, DPS, crowd control -- but I really wish each class had more than just one single unique combat ability to play around with.
On its own, Borderlands is a satisfying shooter that hints at how great the DLC add-ons would eventually make this game.
