Good news everybody! I was able to get my hands on a copy of Borderlands a few days ago and have been playing it ever since. I must say that this game is a lot of fun, especially in Co-Op. It's not for everybody, but most of you are going to love it.
First off, this is one of those games that just has a good feel to it. It's not too serious and never tries to be. Right from the opening, with its stylized credits and great song choice, I was hooked. From there you are able to pick your character and get started on your quest... for guns! Not really, there is a story line... I think... Oh is that a new gun? But seriously when you boil down to it this game is about Shooting, Loot, Leveling and Guns. Mostly shooting things and guns!
It's not that the other things are not well done, but because the guns are so much fun to collect, swap and sell that you will spend a good deal of time looking for guns. So many variations and something better is always out there. And even more impressive is the fact that each gun feels different and has it's own drawbacks and benefits. You might find some with massive power and some with elemental effects. Each one feels unique and is different from the gun the guy next to you is carrying.
Speaking of the guy next to you... This game offer up to 4-Player drop-in/drop-out Co-Op gameplay. Oh yeah! And this is really the other key feature to making this game as good as it is. The game itself is a little on the dull side. The story and missions are all a little bland and boring after you have done a few. Each one is basically the same. Go here, kill this, collect that and return for your reward. But if you add in three of your friends, all that boredom melts away. In its place is a gang of crazy bandit killin' hombres. Battles are intense and looting is a free for all frenzy. Fortunately, if your playing with friends, you can go over who got what and drop items that are useful for your friends. Playing with randoms might not be quite as enjoyable but still should be an exciting experience.
The rest of the game is solid as well. Take graphics for example. The game is very nice looking. The cell-shaded graphics are clean and the overall art direction really fits with the tone of the game. Draw distance is impressive and the enemies and creatures are varied and original. Overall it is a very enjoyable place to spend most of your free time (and trust me, you will be spending plenty of time here).
Gameplay is also solid. The controls feel very familiar to anyone who is used to a FPS and they all feel right. Also, just as important, the game is fast paced and fluid. Something that is important when combining the Shooter genre with RPG (or any other genre). Shooters by nature are fast paced and you have to keep that feel if you want it to work. Fortunately, Borderlands was able to do just that. The end result is a game that is fun to play and controls the way you want it to.
Oh and there is other Loot too, not just guns. There is a wide variety Equipment Upgrades, Class Modifiers, Shields and Artifacts to collect as well. Frankly, each one is just as important as the gun you carry. The right combination of equipment and upgrades can take your 34 damage SMG and have it dealing 200+ per bullet. Crazy grenades the take damage from enemies and give it to you and your party. Shields the give off a shock wave when depleted and Artifacts that are class specific and permanently increase your player stats and abilities. All of which play a part in making your character the best it can be.
Which of course leads us to the final part of this equation. Leveling your character. Like many RPG's today, Borderlands uses a skill tree with three specific skill sets to upgrade. And like most RPG's you can't upgrade all of them. You will have to pick and choose which set of skills you want to invest in. And there is a lot of cool stuff to unlock and upgrade along the way to the level 50 cap. Fortunately, if you make a mistake or just want to try something else, you can reassign your skill points at any time. Simply find one of the "New-u" stations and for a fee (based on how much you have and it's not cheap) you can reassign the points and try a different path. Frankly, it's a nice addition and works well.
All in all, I really do recommend picking up a copy and giving it a shot (no pun intended). It's a solid game that is a lot of fun, especially with friends.
Final Verdict - 8.0/10
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