If you've an addiction for side-quests than Borderlands will fix you up...you addict.
While the main story is a cast-off, it's the absurd amount of side-quests that really eat up time. Most are the standard go there and kill so many of so many things or collect something and return. Usual fare but some do standout. A duel with something known as Skagzilla is sure as hell something to both dread and anticipate. They're mostly quite short as well so it's possible to take down a quest or two in a matter of minutes, this helps if you're crunched for time or just enjoy the constant rewarding the game has in terms of new guns or wealth.
Speaking of guns, Borderlands has a lot of 'em. A hole helluva lot of different weapons that can be found each with different stats, some with elemental damage, snipers with have absurd range, assault rifles with both large clips and quick reloads, shotguns that act like grenade launchers and a rocket pistol. It's all great fun and finding that right gun early on can be a life-changing moment. I must've stuck with the same assault rifle for half the game when I stumbled on that little beauty. I called her Vera and she stuck by my side through thick and thin.
And there will be lots of tension filled gun-fights and melees. There is a great variety in the enemies on this hostile Pandora. The bandits that come in a lot flavors: heavy bruisers, the suicidal melee specialists, the stock ranged soldiers and the smaller ones that are especially vicious. The wild-life of Pandora is also out for blood with every animal species trying to murder everything ever. The dog-like skags being the most common-there's also an absurd amount of different skags- the aerial rakks, the bountiful and hard-headed spiderants that are actually quite easy when you discover the trick for killing 'em.
Killing the enemies is rarely dull with all the blood spurting and gibs. Melt an enemy with a gun or grenade with a poison enhancement and they'll melt away into a puddle of green goo. Hit 'em with an electricity enhancement and they'll sizzle in place, the bones being visible the whole time, and only their skeleton will remain. The gunplay is also really smooth. While RPGs with shooting mechanics have had lackluster shooting, Borderlands has really satisfying shooting. It really does feel like a shooter met an action RPG and this is their offspring. Their wonderful and roguish child.
Given a good force shield and bountiful health-powerups, the game can be easy but sooner or later a strong enemy will smack that cockiness right away. The boss battles being something else all together. They're frequently large and deadly and will kill you easy enough. Played solo these battles can be frustrating but bring friends and you can be revived during combat. It's possible as well to revive yourself by killing one enemy while you're bleeding out, a clever little addition that more shooters should borrow.
The game was clearly designed for coop. Seeing as how there are four available characters to select after all. Considering the amount of loot to be found, it would take four people to carry all of it. This is a definite game to be played with some good friends. Griefing is allowed and wanted. Pissed at your friend? Challenge him to a duel and kick his ass within your own thunderdome. Dispute over who gets the automatic missile-launcher? Duel it up. Walking along minding your own buisness? Prepare to get dueled! It's like Yu-Gi-Oh up in this game with all the duels.
The art style for the game is also something to be admired. I remember reading that the team behind Borderlands wanted the game to look like concept art because the art always looked so good but the actual games never could match up. If that is true and my dementia isn't lying to me than Gearbox stuck true to their word. Everything has a hand drawn aesthetic that really works for the character of the game-a fun loving romp with lots of guns and lots of enemies to explode and maim.
Borderlands is a fun game. Just good ol'-fashioned fun. Grab some friends and a free weekend and play Borderlands.