If the genres of RPG and FPS had a baby, Borderlands would be their child. I was a bit skeptical I admit, when I had first heard of Borderlands I just wasn't quite sure how they would manage to pull this feat off. Splicing together most genres usually ends in failure mostly due to lack of imagination, sometimes too much but this game had just the right amount of both.
At the time of this piece, I have only played for about 2 days(playing through Steam on the PC thanks to a friend who graciously purchased the game for 4 of us at a discounted launch deal, thank you Nate!), just got to level 23 last night before switching it off. I'm very impressed with 2K Games, they've done a tremendous job with Borderlands. They've managed to pull a veil of lies over my eyes, allowing me to feel as though I'm playing an RPG without feeling like I'm actually playing one. Where do I begin?
First off there's a class system akin to most MMORPG style of play. Each character represents a specific style of play but is not limited to as such, you can pretty much customize them to be as you see fit. There's also a quest system, with a giant array of side quests(which is mostly to blame for me spending so much time in this game...which is a good thing)which are so much fun, you get lost in them and don't seem tedious at all. The biggest thing Borderlands has to offer though is their endless arsenal of weapons, they're always doing something to change up how you approach the situation in combat. Very much like Diablo or World of Warcraft, you can obtain rare, super-rare, and epic versions of equipment to maximize your efficiency and play style.
One of the more noticable aspects of this game is the graphical style. This technique seems to be similar if not akin to cell-shading, which started gaining more mass appeal with the movie A Scanner Darkly(which I still haven't seen), very fluid and smooth yet cartoony. It should also be noted that the characters themselves also have distinct personalities, which really shines through while engaging with the environment or in specific situations, all very comical but relateable to gamers.
How could I forget? Borderlands also features a very memorable and comical little mascot by the name of Clap-Trap:
He's your little helper of sorts, giving you tips throughout the game and pretty much there to take up space and entertain you.
Borderlands is an awesome game with so much to do in, and it doesn't get boring(at least not yet). However It's recommended that you experience this with a friend, or group of friends. It's just not the same playing alone, which can also be fun but not as much. This game has a lot of replay-value, with a new game plus feature allowing you to start over with your current characters while scaling up the difficultly of the game. And when the game ends with one character you can play through as another class and have a whole new experience right from the start. It's also exciting to know that DLC is currently underway and will be available in the near future, expanding the game and giving us the players, more to do and explore.
I absolutely love this game and highly recommend it to both fans of the FPS and RPG community, hell just gamers in general. Anyone can pick up this game and have a good time!
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