Borderlands

jcfarny's Borderlands (PlayStation 3) review

Atmosphere is King

I would like to preface this review by stating that I didn't find anything particularly awe inspiring with the original borderlands title or any of its expansions in regards to gameplay or visual aesthetics. While I enjoyed these elements, this wasn't my first exposure to cell shaded animation or the loot ranking system that was made popular by the Diablo franchise.

I've clocked over 120 hours in this game and have just recently started a new campaign in anticipation for the second title coming out in September. Why? If there really isn't anything here that's revolutionary or at least an optimized version of past game mechanics then why am I so addicted to the Borderlands experience?

I believe the answer makes itself most apparent in "The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned" expansion. While some may chalk the Borderlands plot up to immature adult humor, I absolutely love it. The downright kookiness of this expansion's plot as well as the juxtaposition between extreme violence and hilarious anecdotes from a lovable cast keeps me hooked on planet Pandora like a meth junky to his spoon.

In conclusion, the success of this franchise, at least in terms of my own personal bias, is greatly hinged on the general atmosphere that the developers, designers, and writers create. There seems to be a perfect match between story, visual aesthetics, and gameplay that makes this weirdly hick planet a blast to experience. As long as the balance is there, I'm a committed vault hunter till the bitter end.

Other reviews for Borderlands (PlayStation 3)

Fun but with a crash 0
Borderlands(PlayStation 3) by reaperofliving on January 23, 2010
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1 out of 2 found this review helpful.

Worth playing 0
Borderlands(PlayStation 3) by hanzoadam on October 01, 2012
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0 out of 0 found this review helpful.