Borderlands

Blog Post: Borderlands: Fresh, Exciting, INSANE (people).

squadcar — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:16:00 GMT

I spent numerous hours on this mad world with a friend of mine as he explained the basics to me. I enjoyed every minute playing through it the first two times with two different friends. Though it had a good amount of glitches to OP and ridiculous hacks and mods it was still enjoyable.

This game was great because of it's random weapon generation, I had never seen so many unique weapons. I also never enjoyed shooting a screaming midget as much as I have in this game. It's all around just a great game experience for co-op though I wasn't a big fan of it.

The game was just thrilling although co-op in an RPG style game always seems to disappoint me to an extent, I didn't like how the rewards were given to whoever turned in the quest and the other player(s) got a second hand piece of crap. I also wasn't a fan of having someone being OP with me because they did every possible quest and I did roughly 10? It just wasn't fun watching a friend dominate enemies, but I cannot put the game to blame on that one. Playing alone was more frustrating than it was fun at points, and co-op had revive which really helped you out and playing as different characters made it run smoothly for the group. I don't like mix matching the quests with characters though because I feel bored when a friend is being a boss through it while I sit back and try to get a kill or when I have to repeat the same quest to help someone else. It's a much better co-op experience if the players do it correctly.

The areas did seem confined to the point of not being able to explore well enough to satisfy the theme of this game. If you did explore you didn't go far and when got anywhere away from where you were supposed to be you were going to die because the enemies don't level with you. That also made going back to old areas extremely boring.

The best way to play this game is the start fresh with new characters with co-op partners and only play when you are all ready to go because this is a game that is great experience with friends, laughing about how the boss shotgunned you in the face when you charged him or even your friend that's a Siren using their ability to sprint past something while you are stuck in the back looking at a ferocious enemy saying, "Umm, dude... I might need help lol."

It's storyline was pretty interesting as well though a lot of time is spent trying to help others to help you get to the point of it. I wish it was more an epic quest to get to this place rather than a slow progression of helping others and fighting a boss later on. I didn't feel the story as much as I expected.

Also, the first trailer with real graphics instead of humorous comic ones made the game look insane. Check it out if you are willing to look it up.

It gets a fair rating of 91/100 from me and I wouldn't play it again unless someone wants to start over from the beginning with me, because just doing everything together was the ultimate part of this game.

Forum Post: Re: Co-op or Single player?

UberSeven — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:27:00 GMT

playing co-op with a friend was more fun for me but when people take your equipment, find an arena and kill them, single player is not as fun because you have no one to talk to.

Blog Post: Borderlands: A Bully of a Game

trap_the_clap27 — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:29:00 GMT

This review may be posted a little late for some, but I feel Borderlands is still a game worth talking about. First and foremost I feel I should mention that Borderlands was the first game I ever got for my PS3 and my first step into the current generation of console games, so my review may be a little biased. As of the time of this post I have played through and beaten the main game eleven times, twice for all four characters and then some.

Borderlands is an RPS (role playing shooter) set on the fictional planet of Pandora, where you play as one of four "vault hunters". The graphics are beautifully done in a cell-shaded style to make the game fit on the disk. The enemies that roam the planet are of average AI. If you get too close - they'll start attacking you, if you start shooting at them - they'll do their best to dodge your bullets or (if they're human) take cover. Throughout the main story you'll come across several unique NPCs, only a handful of whom are actually memorable. Their character AI leaves them as statues in the place where you meet them, and their sole purpose in the game is to give you quests. Basically, they are vending machines that give you missions. One of them stands out from the crowd though, CL4P-TP or better know by his locally designated name: Claptrap.

Claptrap is without a doubt the most memorable and my favorite NPC, not only in Borderlands, but in all of video game history. He adds a bit of light-heartedness to the otherwise grim world. He dances, he sings, he makes you laugh. He also, gives you added inventory space if you find and repair a broken one. Claptrap is the only character in the game I would risk my life to save, if I had that choice. He spouts off several memorable quotes in the game, my favorite being "I command thee bridge to descend." done in a deep, medieval wizard type voice. I love you Claptrap... in a platonic way.

"Bazillions of guns: Gun lust fulfilled with rocket-launching shotguns, enemy torching revolvers, SMGs that fire lighting rounds, and tons more." This was taken from the back sleeve of my copy of Borderlands. It holds true. The amount of guns that are available is more than I can count and it's always fun to stumble upon a rare weapon that completely overshadows and overpowers the other guns in your inventory. What's even more fun is using those guns. The standard guns that are found throughout the game are fun to use by themselves, but find a gun that can incinerate your enemies and turn them into nothing but a smoke filled memory is even more enjoyable. Zapping your enemies until their brain explodes, shooting acid bullets at them until they melt, all in a day's work on Pandora. As you play through the game you'll find weapon crates that give you new guns, in the first couple of hours they always give you better weapons. After playing the game for a decent amount of time though, they tend to not give out guns that are useful. However, when you do find a gun more powerful than the one currently being used, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world and always brings a smile to my face.

It never gets old killing bandits and skags as you make your way through the game, but for even more fun I recommend purchasing all four DLC packs. From the zombie-infested waters of Jakobs Cove, to the robot revolutionaries of Tartarus Station, there is always something to do. And if you get tired of playing the game by yourself, go online and play with someone else. I recommend only playing with friends though, there are people online who have hacked the game and made guns that can kill anything with one shot and shields that never go down. What's even more annoying is when someone (for reasons unknown to me) creates a duplicate mission log that can't be completed and just sits in your active mission list. While these things may be annoying, they don't spoil the fun, I would also like to add that using the hacked weapons and shields is completely optional.

Borderlands is one of my favorite games, if not my all time favorite. While the ending leaves a lot to be desired, I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of first-person shooters or anybody who thinks the FPS genre has gotten too stale. I would not recommend it to young kids though, because it can be violent... admittedly cartoonized violence but still. Bottom line, buy this game, play it, and thank me later... your welcome.

Forum Post: Re: Buy, Rent, or Pass

Austin T. — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:58:00 GMT

Buy. I just bought this last night and it's one of the best games I've ever played.

Blog Post: Amazing...

11ssims — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:09:00 GMT

I first purchased Borderlands for the xbox 360 on the day of its release. When I got home my cousin & I played it and well...we were disappointed. We didnt really know what we were doing or what to do. The game also seemed incredibly hard. So after about 3 days of trying to play it, I sold it to my friend. I just recently purchased Borderlands for the Ps3. I thought i could give it another try and well..im so glad I did. The game is super fun and addicting. The missions can get boring at times but the combat is amazing. There are millions of guns in the games. They may look the same but none of them are the same. I'm always looking for the best gun available. The world of Pandora is huge and filled with plenty of monsters and bandits to kill. I'm so glad I gave Borderlands another chance. The game is simply amazing, even when played by yourself.

Blog Post: HACKERS

Berserkexile — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 07:36:00 GMT

i really like the game but i just ran into some players that messed up my player and put him back down to lvl . all that time wasted trying to get to the highest lvl for nothing. gearbox needs to do something about this.

Blog Post: boderlands

mullins177 — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:04:00 GMT

i liked this game alot hopefully borderlands 2 is alot better than boderlands

Blog Post: A Good Starting Point

jimmy2tymez — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:05:00 GMT

I'm going to have to give this a much lower score than most. Borderlands features a brilliant art style and "on the money" gameplay. However, I have to take exception the Rykert's comment that Borderlands does a better job of making you feel like a wasteland scavenger than Fallout. Are you kidding me? What's more likely - That the Wasteland would be filled with nothing but guns, ammo, and money OR That you would collect endless streams of spare parts and knick-knacks, forcing the player to make smart decision about what to take and what to leave behind. I don't know what kind of society once walked Pandora, but apparently they were very well armed, because they just left guns everywhere. I would also much rather at least have the option of a storyline - while not being forced into it - than no storyline at all. Besides these issues, the endless stream of respawning enemies keeps players painfully aware that they are playing a video game, never truely engrossing them in the gaming world. I have a lot of hope for Borderlands 2, but the recent failure of Crackdown 2 reminds us that developers don't always learn the lessons we expect them to.

Blog Post: Borderlands, A review by somebody who was late to the Pandora Party.

Serenity Reborn — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:50:00 GMT

With the recent downfall of Duke Nukem Forever, what caught my attention about this affair was a lot of my friend's were talking about how Gearbox had failed and the usual comment's about the obscene amount of sexism and drug use that took place within the game. After a "heart felt" discussion with a young man over Xbox live on why he should not purchase the game (by the way he bought it anyway) I came to learn about Borderlands, which was Gearbox's previous game.

So a couple of days later I was dashing around Walmart, when i happened open the electronics section I saw The game of the year edition for Borderlands for twenty five dollar. So my curiosity got the best of me. Rushing home I Quickly plopped it in my Xbox and got straight to it!

Off the get go ... i was less than impressed, The starting town of Fryestone was a little bit .. boring. You mostly have to grind along the leveling with easy enemies and complete fetch quests for the morbid Dr.Zed (Who is not Dr.Ned because they are two different people .. Somewhat) and a man named Tk, who after a while actually starts giving good quests.

But once you kill the bandit Nine toe's than the game start's to make a swift turn. The game start's in a couple of new type's of quests. From killing evil Skag monsters and Bandit Lords for a chance at a loot grab to collecting bottles of liquor for a hopeless drunk. The story is nothing to praise about, mostly your trying to find a fabled vault that contains Fame,Fortune, and girls! At least that's what the opening scene would have you believing (Cage the Elephant for the win!) The game is also nicely blended with some pretty funny humor, A lot of anatomy jokes ( use your imagination)

The game play is quite nice, it blends a small amount of role playing elements to make your character a lot more personal. With a Sniper toting Hunter, A roid raging Berserker, A quick tempered overly sexualized Siren, and a cookie cutter "Call of duty" Soldier who spits a lot of one liners. Guns are also quite nice, they built a special component that randomly generates random weapons for a greatly varied experience when it comes to loot gathering (very addicting) and a character trait that varies between them. The Berserker has the power to pummel a man into ground beef, the Siren turns invisible for a brief moment, The hunter hurls a falcon at his enemies, and the soldier sets up a sentry turret.

The Online Co-op is a nice touch, with you and three of your friends can in and out with a snap! The game also has a nice assortment of dlc that varies to create a nicely completes this experience (expect a dlc review soon)

Overall, I quite enjoyed Borderlands, With only a lacking story, It exceeds what I expected from a game I had barely heard of before.

Blog Post: REVIEW O BORDERLANDS

bigwoodfence — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:02:00 GMT

Borderlands takes you on a wild journey through the ravaged land of Pandora. The eye catching art of this game is the first thing that stands out to gamers, even though the land is mostly barren and rocky the art style injects some life into it. With literaly over millions of guns to choose from Borderlands gives you a great scope of variety. Just don't feel bad when you have to sell that gun that you been using for a while. The four different classes offer a different variety of ways to play and using all of them is something that everyone should try. All the different classes also have their own skill tree and ability that gives them each variety. If you prefer sniping the hunter may be your choice but if you like getting up close and beating your foes to death then the Brick would be a better option for you. This game excells as both a single and co-op game. The myriad of side quests allow you to get more loot as you progress through the game. Playing with friends just ups the difficulty and adds even more loot to the considerable amount the game already has. Another plus is even after you've beaten the game you can journey through the world again with more deadly enemies to fight. Also the expansion packs are great allowing the world to expand even more. If you love co-op games or just love killing people this games offers an avenue for tons of fun and excitement. The only problems are that there are only a few arena maps to fight your friends on and the story is not all that important. But it doesn't matter this game delivers on all fronts and is a must play experience for fans of shooters and RPGs.

Blog Post: On the border to the land of perfection

Brawldud — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:35:00 GMT

Borderlands is the game made by Gearbox Software, the team that worked on Brother in Arms: Hell's Highway and completed the most delayed game of all time, Duke Nukem Forever. I love it.

First things first. Borderlands is an FPS/RPG hybrid, with drop-in drop-out four player co-op that also boasts split-screen. The single player is fantastic and the co-op is even better, but neither are perfect or give much incentive to replay besides using different characters.

The game offers very little in the way of story, so if that is a decisive factor in your decision to purchase, you might not want to get this game. For the people who can overlook the shallow but creative and incredibly humorous "treasure hunters being lead by an angel looking for money, land, and women that may not even exist", though, this game is very addictive with the varied missions, open world structure, and huge level cap.

There are some 20 million guns to be found in the game, but most of them are lookalikes or palette swaps with different stats. The leveling is extensive and deep with a skill tree system, and each of the four characters sporting an absurd number of potential strategies that becomes limitless when you combine them in co-op.

Speaking of co-op, it's best enjoyed in a private match with great friends that are all roughly the same level. If you have someone in your party that is too low level, they don't actually contribute much to the experience and still level up a lot from it, which is totally unfair. When someone is too high a level, they run and gun with insane invincibility and hog all the kills. While XP and monetary bonuses are all shared, it's no fun when someone else does all the work play for you.

This potential gap in the levels is always present in a public match, and I see level 3 idiots join a session with level 65 characters fighting a level 70 boss, and even though the idiots do no work, they go from level 3 to level 30 in 5 minutes. At the same time, you could be playing with people that are your level, having a good time for once when some level 60 player joins and ruins it all. Greedy players will hog all the guns and mods, leaving them with great equipment and plenty of spare cash while others are lacking in shields and grenades and don't have money to buy a good version of either.

Many players also host public matches that apparently are supposed to be private matches, and they kick all but a couple of players as soon as they enter.

A wild cast of main characters, a dizzying number of side quests and fetch quests, and the most hilarious NPCs can give the team a chuckle to their jokes about the stupidity of their situation, the campaign's progression is great. The single-player presentation is amazing, with pitch-perfect pacing that puts players at a high enough level to move on just before they have to resort to grinding. The RPG mechanics are great, with the skill trees and "weapon proficiencies" that award players who find themselves cozy with a particular weapon or weapon type.

With wonderful RPG/FPS elements, potentially unrivaled co-op, hours of fun, a great sense of humor, and top-notch DLC, Borderlands rightfully earns the spot as my 5-hours-a-day game.

Blog Post: Just a great game all around

Austin Blake — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:19:00 GMT

Borderlands has one of the most in depth story lines I have seen in a game in a little while, it also has one of the funniest stories. The graphics that the designers chose are a bold step but they work perfectly with the games controls and dynamics. Where other games are trying to push the boundaries of graphics, Borderlands is sticking with lower level graphics and spending more time on the actual story.

Blog Post: It's Even Better Than You Expect

Goodfellas — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:36:00 GMT

Borderlands is a game that is so hectic that it keeps you wanting more.

Graphics: Beautiful 2-D graphics and also the cartoon affect look great. The environments are crafted beautifully and the characters all are unique and memorable.

Story: Borderlands is not known for the storyline for it is one that doesn't always make sense and has one the strangest endings. The things you do to get to the end are great but the actual storyline is almost comical.

Concept: The concept of Borderlands is to combine a shooter and RPG and that's exactly what they did. It would have been nice to see more of the role-playing aspect, but it still has enough to keep you wanting to level up. The shooting is also beautifully done to create this blend of action, action, level up, and more action.

Guns: This game has more guns than just about every game on the market combined. You never will come across the same gun twice. There is such a variety in, not only the type of gun, but also the extra powers it has. For example, a sub machine gun may shoot twice as fast as to where a sniper rifle may add corrosive damage. You just never what you are going to find.

Looting: Many open-world games have looting but it seems Borderlands takes it to a new level. Every single corner has something that you can take and just about every guy has something on them.

Co-op: Four-player online co-op in Borderlands is possibly the best online play there is. With one leader who sets the objective, everyone else follows. When you are fighting, the enemies health and damage go up according to the amount of players. So it will involve some team work to get passed the bigger enemies.

Everything considered, Borderlands is a game that won't let you put it down. It has some of the best co-op play for any game. A frantic shooter with a mix of role-playing make Borderlands a must-have, even with the weak storyline. Overall I give this game a 9.5/10.

Blog Post: Game Over... continue? Borderlands

Game Over... continue? — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:03:00 GMT

I remember when I first read about Borderlands a couple of years ago. The game sounded cool, if not a little ambitious. Over one million guns?! Sign me up! A massive shooter/RPG? That’s right up my alley! And what’s more, apparently it was best played with others. While I don’t play games online too often, I had been looking for a game to co-op with my girlfriend. Borderlands fit the bill and without further ado we set off to Pandora…

... a cracked desert wasteland shimmers in the background. From behind a broken billboard creeps a Skag. It looks like a cross between a lizard and a dog, until it's muzzle splits vertically and it emits a roar... Fortunately it gets squished as a bus hurtles down the faded pavement. Catchy music plays in the background as it's carcass bounces on the bumper. Sound bizarre? It is. But it’s pretty cool, I’ll say that. On board, four strangers prepare to set out on a quest that will determine the fate of this world...

You play as one of these unlikely cohorts, a Vault Hunter. There are four characters on the bus that you can choose from, each with his (or her) own unique skill tree and specialty. Mordecai the Hunter's special skill is his pet bird thingie named Bloodwing that you can sick on enemies. He likes pistols and sniper rifles. Lilith the Siren can travel to an alternate dimension and sneak up on enemies invisibly with super speed. She then reenters our dimension with a flash that does damage. She’s good with elemental weapons. Roland the Soldier has a deployable turret, which can do everything from shoot enemies to drop extra ammunition. He's partial to assault rifles and shotguns. Lastly there is Brick: a huge, hulking brute whose "fists are as powerful as any gun." He specializes in using his mitts, and explosives (in case his mitts aren’t enough). You’ve heard the colloquialism "built like a brick sh*thouse?" He personifies it.

After you select your character, you are dropped off at the bustling metropolis known as Fyrestone. Hmm, perhaps "bustling" is the wrong word. It’s a ghost town, with only one crazy resident who is apparently a doctor (I, for one, would like to see some credentials!) and everyone keeps money or ammo in their mailboxes for some reason. No sooner do you step off the bus when a vision, blurry and indistinct, appears before you. A feminine voice tells you that you must trust her. Somewhere on the wasted planet of Pandora there exists a 'Vault.' This Vault can only be accessed every two hundred years, and only with a special key. Legend says that the treasures found therein are beyond compare: alien technology, weapons, and wealth. You must get to the Vault first, and she will guide you on your quest… As instructed by your new ‘Guardian Angel’, you quickly befriend a Claptrap who unlocks the gate to Fyrestone.

A quick aside here… Claptraps are essentially a cross between Number 5 from Short Circuit and R2-D2 from Star Wars with dash of WALL-E thrown in. If I may be permitted another Star Wars reference, they are the Jar Jar Binks of the robot collective. While they would occasionally elicit a chuckle, I quickly grew tired of their pseudo-robot voices repeating the same stupid phrases ad nauseum. Fortunately, after the initial section they are much sparser, just popping up from time to time to open doors and, apparently, annoy me some more...

Anyway, once you set foot in Fyrestone the shooting starts… and doesn’t stop for about 25 hours. Boasting over 1.7 million different weapons, Borderlands should have been sponsored by the NRA. You have the standard loadout of assault rifles, SMG’s, pistols, shotguns, rocket launchers, and sniper rifles. Different manufactures build variations on the same setup. One company might make elemental weapons that deal electrical or fire damage (or blast damage or corrosive damage, again the possibilities are astronomical) while others might cause more damage at the cost of accuracy or a larger clip size. Want a shotgun with a sniper scope that shoots acid? Or an incendiary automatic with a 90 round clip? They exist; you’ve just got to find them!

But what makes Borderlands fun is not just this vast array of armaments, but the fact that the controls make using them a joy! While it's standard FPS fare, the gunplay is smooth and responsive. It’s been done to death, but it’s nice to find one that works so well! Oh, and I didn’t mention this yet, but the vehicles control pretty well too, although they are quite sensitive. Pandora is a big place, gotta get around somehow...

So now you have this virtually unlimited supply of awesomeness and excellent controls to play with you'll need targets! Fortunately, Pandora isn't lacking in willing cannon fodder. Those intent on stopping you in your quest for the Vault are various gangs of roving misfits under the leadership of loveable cretins like Nine-Toes (He has 3 Balls! Or so the game would have believe...). Out of a Dickens novel these guys are not. Mostly your standard ‘bandit’ stereotype, they come in different sizes and strengths. Aside from regular, gun-toting goons there are others. Bruisers are big, ugly brutes with automatic weapons. Psychos charge you banzai style. Midgets are… midgets, although some have shotguns.

Apart from the post-apocalyptic Mad Max style marauders, there is plenty of indigenous wildlife to make Pandora even more miserable. Skags are the main nuisance early on. Some of them spit, others are elemental, and some are ‘Bad*ss,’ which is pretty much what the name implies: much harder to kill. As you travel to more areas of Pandora you’ll have to deal with other pests. They all follow the same basic progression (as do your human enemies): normal, then bigger, then elemental, then ‘Bad*ss,’ then ‘Bad*ss’ elemental, etc. Simply sight and shoot. Then repeat...

The nonstop gunplay and large world to play in makes Borderlands a fun game, especially with friends.The cel-shaded anime graphical style works well, it's certainly effective. Gearbox deserves credit for their imagination and implementation of the extensive armory. But despite good times spent mowing down endless hordes of bad guys with a veritable smorgasbord of weaponry, there were a number of technical issues and design decisions that held it back for me.

The abundance of weapons can be overwhelming, you'll spend a great deal of time ‘in menu’ comparing what you have collected and trying to figure out what to stick with… or in my case arguing with my girlfriend over who got the new shotgun or shield upgrade. This leads me to another quick aside… or rather, b*tch session. No, this is not about my girlfriend getting the good gun. It’s the menu situation in local co-op. The menu you use to access your inventory, maps, quests, etc is fine, unless you are playing splitscreen. For some reason it was decided to split the screen vertically for local co-op. As a result, the window to view the menu has been cut in half… so you can only see half the menu. I got so annoyed with this. You actually have to move the menu back and forth to see where you are going on the map or to compare weapons stats because it won’t fit on your half of the screen. You'll get used to it but that doesn’t make the initial idea any less moronic.

Another issue with the staggering number of weapons is that occasionally you'll can get lucky and find a particularly effective weapon that will give you an advantage. This negates stronger enemies, leading to whole sale slaughter. This may sound like a good thing, but I found it frustrating. It’s not like the game doesn’t have difficulty spikes (some of which are quite tough, especially early on) but it can actually make things a bit boring. I literally used one shotgun for the final half of the game because, despite finding literally hundreds of other options, none could compare to what I already had. I was constantly disappointed every time we found a weapons crate. I couldn’t find anything better to use, just more and more stuff to sell. Both my girlfriend and I ended the game with millions in the bank because there wasn’t even anything worth buying in the vending machines… didn’t I mention that the vending machines sell guns on Pandora? Couldn’t get a nice cold beer to save my life though...

Sadly, a beer would have made the story go down easier. The plot is pretty much non-existent after it’s promising initial premise. This felt like a missed opportunity. Let me explain... Borderlands does a great job of splitting its attention between being a shooter and a role-playing game. Pandora is another in a recent line of post-apocalyptic worlds for gamers to explore, and while it is well realized at first, it never really develops. There are a ton of side quests to do from various NPC’s and bounty boards (these are generally either boring collection or fetch quests, but they are still pretty entertaining). But for me, a big part of any RPG experience has to be the story. Borderlands falls short in this regard. There is so much random running around between plot points that you forget what you were doing in the first place. When the response is "Go find another piece of the Vault key," you think to yourself "Oh yeah, we’re trying to get to the Vault. Okay, I’ll go get another piece… maybe there will be something interesting to do on the way…"

I also had some technical issues with Borderlands. There are texture loading issues (at least on the PS3 version), and towards the end there was some lagging. However, my main gripe is about allowing the game enough time to save. There is a symbol that pops up in the corner whenever you are near a save point. You’ve already heard me b*tch about the poor splitscreen menus. Well, you need to make sure that the icon appears on BOTH screens (it won’t do it at the same time, in fact it saves the second player first). If you’re not paying attention and you turn off the system then you can get a corrupted save file that will not load. This is severely annoying to say the least.

Borderlands has been a pain in the ass to review… because despite its annoyances there is a lot to like on Pandora. The graphics are effective and a clever developmental choice. You really get a sense of isolation on this barren planet, and what it takes to survive there. The sound effects are great on the weapons and the opening and closing soundtracks are awesome! The breadth of weaponry is a dream, almost too much so! The gunplay is fast and frantic, but the great controls make it a blast! While I have had a lot of gripes about Borderlands as a whole, it really is a fun game. I haven’t played it by myself yet, but I’ve heard it’s not bad on it’s own (although I don't know when I'll find the time to go back to Pandora, it's not too high on a loooooonng list). That said, if you have the option of playing the game with others (either online or locally, despite the crap menu debacle), that’s the way to go. There are definitely some good times to be found hunting for the Vault if you are playing with friends!

I’ll leave you with this… one of the funnier things that happens in Borderlands is the loot drops. When you finish an enemy off they fall in a shower of dropped goodies be it ammo or guns, or occasionally, health. For some bizarre reason when a health pack is dropped it looks suspiciously like a rubber phallus. There is something magical about your girlfriend shouting "Dild* here!" or me inquiring if she’s in need of "the dild* at my feet." It’s good to know that things aren’t all bad in Pandora…

Score Factors

CONCEPT/STORY				34/50
GRAPHICS				43/50
DESIGN				37/50
GAMEPLAY				48/50
SOUND				40/50
REPLAY VALUE				40/50
ATMOSPHERE				41/50
ENTERTAINMENT				48/50

331/400 = 82.8% =

FINAL SCORE of 82.8

Final Word

Borderlands was well received, garnering accolades from both the industry press and the gaming public at large. For me, it's been an exercise in schizophrenic frustration. I liked the game, and had fun playing it but ultimately it scores poorly on my scale because of some flaws I couldn't overlook. Borderlands certainly isn’t a bad game, but it definitely has some problems. I hope that if Gearbox ever makes a sequel they will address them (word on the street is that it's in development). But despite all my bitching, Borderlands is a lot of fun and worth checking out. I hope you choose to visit Pandora because it’s worth the trip, especially if you have someone to go with. I was lucky in this regard, and I feel we enjoyed our vacation there…

Cheers,

P.S. Want to read more reviews? Go to Game Over... continue?!

Blog Post: Unlike the Vault, This Game's Greatness Is No Mystery

Agent135 — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:38:00 GMT

You remember how back in 2006, "Saints Row" came out, intending to be the temp while everyone waited on "GTA IV?" "Borderlands" kind of like "Saints Row", intending to be an interim game until "Mass Effect 2" comes out next year. But like the aforementioned "Saints Row", "Borderlands" isn't attempting to trump any game of its kind; instead, it's an amalgamation of the best elements of MMORPGs and shooters that help it stand out in the annoyingly vacant holiday season. As you travel the world of Pandora with your character, alone or with others, you'll be surprised at just how well everything comes together.

Game play is fairly simple. You go to a character to accept a mission, travel to the objective, kill people, complete objective, collect reward. While the first few hours may turn you toward ejecting the disc, don't. By the time you hit level five and get to set up your action skill, things start to pick up. The dog-like Skags or bandits that rush you with the speed of a Suicide Grunt in the initial stages are replaced by "badass" variants, some with elemental damage or larger weapons, others that simply have a larger skill level than you. The only issue with this is that the game tends to lie to you; when you fight an enemy that's a level or two higher than you and wiping the landscape with your corpse, your instincts tell you to get to their level for an even fight. In truth, you have to get halfway to your next level to put up a good fight. At first, it's no big deal but when you're a level 20 getting downed by another level 20 after firing six shots at them, you'll feel a little gypped. Speaking of, the weapons in this game are amazing. If you're someone who's grown accustomed to games with strange weapons like "Resistance" or "Ratchet & Clank" (both of which I would recommend if you have a PS3), you'll feel right at home. From the corrosive rocket launcher to the lightning SMG, you'll be dumbfounded by what the game's come up with. Combine that with the cooperative mode, where up to four players can play together, and you'll come back to this game over and over. The co-op really is awesome and fun; provided that you're with people that are around ten levels within each other, things will never feel stale thanks to the upped difficulty each additional player brings. Experience and cash are earned fairly fast and easy, and provided that you played as the same character in co-op as you do in single player, the things you've acquired will transfer over.

There is a story, but there might as well not be. You're looking for a vault that's said to contain some "great treasure" and there's a woman that gives you mental messages like she's Cortana from the early levels of "Halo 3". But for what it is, it's a good component to drive all the events you'll go through. The humor, though, is really what makes the story shine. From the little captions that come from during the introductions of key characters, to the tiny Claptrap robots (who sort of resemble Wall-E and acts like someone injected him with the personality and sanity of Shia LaBeouf), the game will have you laughing. At the end of the day, "Borderlands" isn't trying to be original in most ways, but that's fine. The inventive weaponry, wacky humor, and addictive co-op will have people playing this to death. Congrats, Gearbox; now when is "Aliens: Colonial Marines" coming out?

Blog Post: When 1 Gun Won't Get It Done

DLT — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:21:00 GMT

It starts with unique art on the cover of the case. A thin man wearing a gas mask and some bandages holds his fingers to his head as if they were a gun. We see images coming out of his head as if they were shot out. The images are in black and white displaying bizarre action scenes. The background is draped in red and bold yellow letters spell out Borderlands across the top. My first thoughts were that this game must be weird. Crazy even. Certainly not worth picking up. I tried to simply disregard it but something about it always seemed to catch my eye. Begging me to give it a go.

It’s Madmax set in an alien world drawn in comic book form. The game was designed to be a tongue in cheek adventure about some treasure hunting. What it turned into was one of the most fun multiplayer experiences to ever grace this generation of consoles. And what it has done is define an all-new genre of interactive entertainment now known as Role Playing Shooters. It’s exhilarating action that runs at a million miles an hour filled with massive explosions, dozens of guns, speeding vehicles, and oversized bosses. It slows down long enough for you to reload and laugh at its special brand of humor.

You’re not meant to necessarily take the game serious. At the same time, you can’t help coming back to play through it again and again. The four main characters-a Siren, a Berserker, a Soldier, and a Hunter, are loaded with their own talents and abilities. They feel different. They react different. They each offer their own style of mayhem that you want to get accustomed to. And each play through grants you access to better weapons, better shields, better items, and the ability to level up. Yes, level up. This isn’t just about grabbing the best gun available. This experience is about unlocking new abilities that will help you became a greater asset to completing literally hundreds of missions all over the planet of Pandora.

And Pandora is brought to life with a very unique style of visuals that is all its own. While it takes a short of amount of time to adjust to, you find yourself appreciating it more and more the further you venture in. This world is alive. It’s enormous. And everything from the buildings and vehicles to the creatures and people are brought to life in rich, comic-like goodness. I thoroughly enjoyed the battle animations from electrocuting violent midgets to setting ablaze a vicious skag; this game is loaded with all kinds of insane eye candy for you to enjoy.

Yes, the game is ultraviolent. You’re likely to find a limb or two upon the ground while gathering up loot. Blood occasionally flies. I suppose that’s an area where the comic art really plays to its strength. The gameplay is meant to be insane. Crazy insane. It’s not to be taken seriously by any means. And the visuals help to illustrate this point. Realistic visuals would not work in a setting this chaotic. But these visuals work perfectly.

The frame rate is smooth and the controls are highly responsive. The autosave feature is valuable and the varying personalities of the in-game characters are pleasant to say the least. All in all, you really get the sense that this is indeed a lawless world. A world that is post apocalypse. In fact, I would say it does a better job of showcasing that element than even Fallout 3.

You will not get blown away by the main story. It’s average at best and comes with a light twist at the end. However, it is good enough to keep your attention. And the game offers a slew of subplots to keep you hooked for hours on end. Bear in mind that this game is not about Emmy award winning voice acting and a cinematic musical score (although the music isn’t bad at all). Borderlands’ packs explosive sound effects, fast paced action, and a replay ability that goes through the roof. It’s all about gathering your friends or just jumping on an Xbox Live party. It’s about having a blast fighting your way through hoards of enemies in order to gather better loot and power up your customizable character.

When it comes to fun, Borderlands delivers with truckloads. It offers plenty of laughs. Plenty of action. And the possibly the best multiplayer experience ever released on the Xbox (beating out even Halo & Call of Duty). If you’re looking for something a little different and a whole lot of excitement, Borderlands won’t let you down.

Wiki: Borderlands Guides

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:18:00 GMT

Guides for Borderlands

Wiki Page: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot Easy Rounds

NorteKaleb — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:18:00 GMT

Knowing the weaknesess of your enemies can be a benifit when reading this article and play the game. Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot can be easily beat knowing these simple rules.

1. Stay and snipe

2. Run...a lot

3. Keep your cool

Utilizing these rules can be your key to sucess, and how? Well with these descriptions on each rule they are easier to understand. Stay and snipe. I found through many times of playing this DLC that staying behind cover on the opposite side of the enemies can make for an effective, fast round. See, when sniping the enemies you most likely won't get shot therefore reducing your chance of getting killed and being put into the Penelty Box. Efective rounds, more XP, better loot.

Run...a lot. This rule refers to the Hoard Round mostly because of the running Maniacs. If you have a very effective Assault Rifle use that over anything. But how do you use this in an effective manner? Simple, when you have ran far and long enough you should get a line of Maniacs (or Psycos in lower level reference) and then use the Assault Rifle whenever you get a break. Unload on them because they will catch up and will end up getting you. Another thing DONT LOOK BEHIND YOU!!! You WILL run into a corner and you WILL bleed out or possibly die. Back to the Assault Rifle, if you don't have an effective Assault Rifle then use any Elemental Fire weapons or a good Shotgun.

Keep your cool. Don't freak when you die, it makes things seem much more worse than they actually are, and it does help maintane a healthy, focused, gaming manner in such a way that it will actually INCREASE your kick-a**ity level. This makes for effective gameplay and loot out the wazoo.

These facts help with any round on every level on every stage. Even when it comes to the Boss Round these tips work.

Wiki Page: Borderlands

MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER JOHN SPARTAN -117 — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:57:00 GMT

Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot Achievements/Trophies

Small Tournament(25/Bronze): Completed the lesser challenge in all 3 coliseums
Hell-Burbia (25/Silver): Completed the larger challenge in the Hell-Burbia coliseum
The Angelic Ruins (25/Silver): Completed the larger challenge in The Angelic Ruins coliseum 25
The Gully (25/Silver): Completed the larger challenge in The Gully coliseum
Big Tournament (40/Gold): Completed each of the larger challenges in all 3 coliseums

The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned Achievements

Braaaaaaaaaaaaains! (25 points): Complete the "Braaaaaaaaaaaaains!" mission.
House of the Ned (25 points): Complete the "House of the Ned" mission.
Jakobs Fodder (25 points): Complete the "Jakobs Fodder" mission.
Ned's Undead, Baby (49 points): Killed Ned. Again.
Night of the Living Ned (1 point): Killed Ned...sort of.

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx Achievements

Making a Monster 10G: Built the New Car: Monster
Athena, Out 25G: Rescued Athena
Depot Demolition 25G: Destroyed Lance Depot
Sneaky Little Buggers 25G: Killed each of the loot midgets
Speed Kills 25G: Destroyed a Lancer while in a Racer
Ding! Overleveled 15G: Reached Level 51
Completionist 25G: Completed all missions in Secret Armory
Vincible 50G: Killed Crawmerax the Invincible
Ding! Overleveled to 11 40G: Reached Level 61
Sucker born every minute (10G): Paid for a worthless tour of the world’s largest bullet

Achievements

1.21 Gigawatts (25) - Kill 25 enemies with shock weapons
12 Days of Pandora (30) - Mastered the technology of Pandora
And They'll Tell Two Friends (10) - Play in a co-op game with either an employee of Gearbox or someone who has this achievement
Can't We Get BEYOND Thunderdome? (25) - Win an arena match
Careful, He Bites (15) - Kill 15 enemies with the Hunter's action skill
Destroyed the Destroyer (50) - Killed the Vault boss
Destroyed the Hive (40) - Killed the Rakk Hive
Ding! Champion (50) - Earn level 50
Ding! Expert (20) - Earn level 20
Ding! Hardcore (30) - Earn level 30
Ding! Newbie (5) - Earn level 5
Ding! Novice (10) - Earn level 10
Ding! Sleepless (40) - Earn level 40
Discovered Crimson Lance Enclave (15) - Discover Crimson Lance Enclave
Discovered Eridian Promontory (15) - Discover Eridian Promontory
Discovered Headstone Mine (5) - Discover Headstone Mine
Discovered Krom's Canyon (10) - Discover Krom's Canyon
Discovered Skag Gully (5) - Discover Skag Gully
Discovered Sledge's Safe House (5) - Discover Sledge's Safe House
Discovered The Scrapyard(10) - Discover The Scrapyard
Discovered Trash Coast (5) - Discover Trash Coast
Down in Front! (15) - Kill 15 enemies with the Soldier's action skill
Duel-icious (15) - Win a duel against another player
Duelinator (35) - Win a duel without taking damage
Facemelter (25) - Kill 25 enemies with corrosive weapons
Fence (25) - Sell 50 guns to a shop
Fully Loaded (10) - Rescue enough Claptraps to earn 42 inventory slots
Get A Little Blood on the Tires (20) - Kill 25 enemies by ramming them with any vehicle
Group LF Healer (25) - Rescue a groupmate from death in a co-op game
Made in Fyrestone (15) - Complete all missions in the Arid Badlands
Made in New Haven (20) - Complete all missions in the Rust Commons
Master Exploder (15) - Kill 25 enemies with explosive weapons
My Brother is an Italian Plumber (15) - Kill an enemy by stomping on its head
Paid in Fyrestone (5) - Complete 5 missions in the Arid Badlands
Paid in New Haven (10) - Complete 5 missions in the Rust Commons
Pandora-dog Millionaire (50) - Earn $1,000,000
Pyro (25) - Kill 25 enemies with incendiary weapons
Reckless Abandon (15) - Kill 15 enemies with the Berserker's action skill
Rootinest, Tootinest, Shootinest (10) - Kill 5 Rakk in under 10 seconds
Speedy McSpeederton (10) - Race around the Ludicrous Speedway in under 31 seconds
There are some who call me...Tim (25) - Equip a class mod for your character
There's No "I" In "Team" (30) - Complete 15 missions in co-op
Truly Outrageous (15) - Kill an enemy with the Siren's action skill
United We Stand (35) - Defeated the Rakk Hive, the Vault Boss, Sledge, Krom, or Flynt in a co-op game
Wanted: Flynt (30) - Killed Flynt
Wanted: Krom (20) - Killed Krom
Wanted: Sledge (10) - Killed Sledge
Weapon Aficionado (20) - Reach proficiency level 10 with any weapon type
You call this archaeology? (20) - Apply an elemental artifact
You're on a boat! (15) - I bet you never thought you'd be here.

"You're On a Boat" Achievement Hint

Treacher's Landing

In Treacher's Landing, you'll have to go all the way to the bottom right of the map to get this. There will be a small dock sticking out of the bottom right. Once you get there, there will be a boat with colored lights. All you need to to is jump onto the boat.
There is also a red chest on this boat.
Also, I found a "Dirty Mag" and some beer cans on the boat.

Guns 'o Plenty

In the Dhal Highlands where you save Lucky, is the New-U station. Right there above you on the overhang is a silver chest, in the back yard under the powerlines next to the gate is another silver chest and right past that a bit farther down the fence is a red chest. All you have to do is loot all three chests and sell them at one of the shops in side, then exit and load the game again and again until you've maxed out your gold.

Invincible Jump

Anywhere

At any time in the game whenever you face an enemy that can jump or leap to attack you just jump when they jump and you won't take any damage.

Easy Money/Weapons

New Haven

Go to New Haven. On the building right next to Scooter's Place, there is a red loot chest. Take the weapons from it. On the building right next to Helena Pierce's, there is a long silver loot chest. Take the loot from both- equip/sell as necessary. Exit, and then reload the save. The chests will be closed and contain new loot. Repeat as many times as you wish.

Easy Money, Guns, and Artifacts

Scag Gully

When you have to defeat Scar the Scag, beat Scar and unlock the weapons crate on the ramp. Then go to the Spawn Point near the entrance of the area. Exit and reload the game. Since it saves automatically, you will have all the equipment you just got. When you reload, it reloads EVERYTHING! Now go back to where Scar is. He will appear again. At a certain level he drops over 300 in cash and an artifact for you. Also, the weapon crate will respawn with new weapons for you, and you get all the experience of killing those nasty scags. Easy everything. Do this as many times as you deem necessary.

Fast Travel General Knoxx DLC

Whenever you need to get to T-bone Junction or somewhere on the opposite side of the DLC, just save and quit when you load you will be at T-bone Good for getting out of places like the armory or the prison really fast.

Super Speed Brick Only

Anywhere

To do this you need to activate your Berserker skill. Then you need to die, when you start to fight for your kill some to get a second wind. When you get up you will be able to run super fast, throw farther and jump higher. The glitch may go away if you go down again or if you use your Berserker skill.

Infinite Loot Glitch General Knoxx DLC

The Secret Armory Of General Knoxx

To be able to loot the armory as many times as desired with unlimited time so you can collect loot from all the crates, create a multiplayer game, then reach the Armory Assault mission. Once you defeat General Knoxx, enter the armory, and get to the elevator where you turn in the mission. After turning in the mission, it will say you only have three minutes to loot all the crates. Collect as many weapons as possible, but when you have approximately 30 seconds remaining, have everyone exit the game and return to main lobby, with the host being the final person to exit before time expires. Then, have the host create a multiplayer game again, and invite everyone back to the room. Next, travel back to the armory.

Once inside, continue to General Knoxx, but instead of being sealed in the room with him, the door behind him should now be open. You should be able to walk right into the armory and have unlimited time to open all the crates. Note: If you want to be able to do this multiple times, you must do the following. After you have looted all the crates, have everyone exit to main menu, except the host. The host must either reset his or her Xbox 360 or press Xbox Guide, and go to the Dashboard. This makes it so the game does not save the armory progress for the host. Thus, anything the host picked up during that run will not be saved. So make sure when looting the armory that only the other players pick up items, which they can then give to the host later

Wiki Page: You're on a boat! Achievement

Fcloud4 — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:15:00 GMT

Its a small boat covered in party lights, on the tip of a small dock in the bottom right corner of the map in Treacher's Landing. Simply run your way through the bandits. The boat may be a bit hard to find at first but stick that corner of the map and you'll see the lights.