Borderlands is a game like few others which strikes a delicate balance between a FPS and an RPG. This is starting to become a more common theme in the developing game’s industry. However, can this Hybrid match the performance of its pure bred rivals?

Amongst the barren, deserted wastes of planet Pandora, a mysterious Vault is situated and rumoured to contain treasures of  of immense power and wealth. At the start of the game you are given a choice to play as 1 of 4 different characters, each with their own abilities and skills that will either help or hinder you depending on the situation. As a small time adventurer/fortune hunter you arrive in the remote town of Firestone and look around for clues about this fabled Vault location by doing a few bits and bobs for the locals. You will get a few blurry messages from a mysterious woman that reveals that the vault is more than just a myth. At this point in the game though, will not have much idea of what is going on and you will be more preoccupied with getting to grips with the sheer scale of the environment. It can take a while for the story element of the game to kick in but once it does the events really do start to pick up. You will come across a few friendly faces from time to time but none of the characters have much of an interactive personality about them and simply give you the information you want after you have done them a favor. After that its pretty much the last you’ll ever see or hear of them.

Although you be doing a fair amount of backtracking in the intial stages, once the game kicks off then you can really make the most of this alien landscape and do what you do best, eliminate all hostiles and grab whatever treasures you can find. In terms of quests, the game follows the basic principle of setting you a task, placing a marker on your map. Basically, just do what you’ve been told and report back to the person who gave you the quest. You will then be rewarded with money and experience. There is great diversity amongst the quests which include simply retrieving some items but also some large scale boss fights. You will find every one of them interesting and feel a sense of satisfaction after completing each one.

After a while your character will gain some new abilities depending on who you chose at the beginning of the game. For example, the hunter will toss a vicious bird (guessing its a hawk of some kind) at the enemies. For every quest you complete and every enemy you decapitate you will gain skill points. You can then use them to upgrade your special abilities and can then chose exactly how you want it to take effect, be it doing more damage of even getting enemies to drop more loot. Each of the characters have many specialise in different sorts of weapons so it is a good idea to play to your character’s strengths. This is particularly important the further you get into the game there will be times when you will be heavily outnumbered. There are an abundance of wild critters scattered around. The most common site you will see in the wasteland will likely be the small rodent/dog like creatures known as scags.

You will find a number of key location in the game, be it caves, valleys or junkyards. Travelling on foot throughout this bleak environment can be pretty monotonous an you are able to use some mobile transport occasionally which not only gets you around faster but also acts as a basic weapons platform. Using the fast travel system acts as the “trip skip” in the game and will automatically take you to any key locations you have discovered. Once you clear an area of enemies and loot, it will have all respawned the next time you return so that you have the chance to revisit that section and play it out differently or with a couple of friends.

Co-operative play is a major element of the game and you ca play through the entire game with up to 3 other players. Not only does this make large fights/battles easier than playing solo but it also allows you to share each others special abilities and bonuses. Money and experience points are distributed evenly amongst the players. It is very easy to invite other players into the game but it is generally best to play alongside people who are at a similar level to you. The are even special arenas hidden around which let you and your friends go into head to head duels against each other. This gives yet more variety on the already flexible multiplayer gameplay. As co-op is the highlight for the game it should definitely be said that this game can be enjoyed much more when playing with friends.

 When you are very low on health and close to death, the game will put you in this “Fight for your Life” position where you get a final opportunity to kill your enemy and get back on your feet once again. If playing with friends, you are able to revive fallen allies.

The game presents itself as a different variation from other FPSs or RPGs with its cartoon like appearance. There are a few flaws in this where close up character animations are a bit pixelated and their movements are rather rigid. Textures and fine details of the terrain can sometimes take too long to load. The characters are pretty lifeless throughout and won’t repond in the slightest when you damage their property or even shoot them.

At the end of the day, Borderlands offers a a unique experience that has rarely been attempted before. What’s important is that, on thew whole, it does its job successfully and provides you with a memorable and enjoyable experience.

+ Huge variety of weapons.

+ Good sense of adventure and exploration throughout.

+ Fantastic co-op play.

+ Interesting and rewarding quests.

-  Visuals can be sloppy at times.

8.5/10

By Ian Ratledge Posted Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 9:11 am