Borderlands is, simply put, a game that's fun to play. (Singleplayer only review, mini reviews of DLC.)
Graphics: The game utilizes a cel shaded art style mixed with realism, giving it an almost "living comic book" feel to it. And it complements the game perfectly; Borderlands is extremely violent, with limbs and other body parts flying everywhere, blood galore and plenty of guns. However, it is also a very over the top and humorous game, so the graphics perfectly convey this mood. On the design side of things, the game holds up well. The thousands of guns you aquire over the course of the game are all well designed and cool looking, and the special effects some of them have (for instance, lighting enemies on fire) look great. The environments are also good looking, although there could have been more variety. While, yes, the world of Pandora is a lawless wasteland, most of the areas are slightly same- ish. A general brown color permeates the game and, while the environments are well designed and do have variety, the overall look is kinda bland. This is remedied in the DLC, where each one brings a new kind of environments, the most drastic of which is the Zombie Island of Doctor Ned. In contrast to the bright colors of pretty much every other part of the game, the Zombie Island is very dark and gloomy, giving some nice variety. There is the occasional brief framerate drop and pop in for textures on guns, signs, etc, but these are pretty forgiveable considering how big the areas and total game is. Overall, Borderlands is a good looking game despite a somewhat bland environmental design and the occasional technical hiccup. 9/ 10
Sound: Pandora is home to many sounds, from the cries of the wolf- like skags, to the echoing of gunfire. The sound effects are very rich in Borderlands; the guns sound great and powerful, while the dialogue thrown around during the gunfights is humorous and well-acted. Speaking of which, all of the voice acting in the game is very well done, with rich accents and some great one liners. The only real "complaint" someone could have is with the music which, while not bad by any means, is just sort of "meh." It's nothing special and it is, overall, pretty forgettable. Despite this, the many sounds of Pandora are a treat for the ears. 9/ 10
Story: Borderlands starts out with a bus riding down a highway. On the bus is Marcus Kincaid, a dominant businessman on Pandora who will do just about anything to make a buck. However, more importantly, are four Vault Hunters. Roland, a mercenary who works for the Crimson Lance; Mordecai, who is an expert hunter and marksman; Lilith, who is kind of a mystic; and Brick, who is just a huge tough guy. You are given the choice of who to use (I chose Roland) and, from there, set out on an adventure to find the hidden Vault on Pandora, which is said to contain vast amounts of treasure and riches. Of course, it's only a myth, and you must use the dwellers of Pandora to help you find it. The story sounds promising, but it really takes a back seat. The most plot development comes in the text logs you get when taking quests, which, surprisingly, tell a tale that isn't that bad. It's just a shame it wasn't presented in a more exciting way. The same goes for the side scenarios. As you progress throughout the game, you gain access to new areas, with new people who have new problems for you to undertake, usually involving the local gang of bandits. Again, the scenarios actually are pretty interesting, as far as pure story goes, but the way it is presented is very uninteresting. However, there are a lot of quirky characters who you meet along the way, and this helps immerse you. Additionally, there are some side missions you can undertake where you must collect recordings of a scientist who is slowly going mad while researching the Vault. Not only are these humorous, but they also help fill in some back story. Overall, the story actually isn't terrible, but the way it is presented is very bare bones and uninteresting. 6/ 10
Gameplay: This is where the meat of the game lies. When you first design your character, you can name them, change color schemes and whatnot. However, the character you choose does affect the game; each class has a unique Action Skill. For instance, Roland lays down a turret that can fight foes while you take cover to recharge your Shield. This is an important quality to consider when making a character.
Anyways, the mechanics of the game are like an FPS with ARPG elements thrown in. Whether or not you hit your enemies with your gun is not determined by stats; rather, it's about how well you can aim your weapon. However, enemies and you have a level, so the amount of damage you do is determined by your gun, your level and where you hit the enemy. Killing enemies nets you experience, and, when you level up, you earn a Skill Point, which can be spent in your character's Skill Tree. Useful skills like health boosts, magazine capacity upgrades and other things help add a lot to your customization of your character.
Of course, you will be mowing down a ton of bad guys throughout the course of the game. It's a good thing that combat is fun. The controls are tight, and the action is fast paced and very bloody. Most guns are fun to use, even the pistols. Combat is just like other shooters; you take cover behind objects, waiting for a good chance to fire off some rounds. In Borderlands, your character can equip various types of Shields, which take a certain amount of damage before you start losing health points. Shields recharge after staying out of the line of fire for a little while. This adds an extra layer of strategy to the game. Additionally, there are other things to consider, like if your weapon has an elemental effect. Weapons can set enemies on fire, electrocute them, send out caustic rounds or even cause mini explosions. Finally, there is the Second Wind feature, which is where, if you lose your health, you don't die right away. Instead, you are in a downed state and can hip fire your weapon until you bleed out. If you kill an enemy in this state, you get a Second Wind, and are put back into the action.
Speaking of weapons, this game has guns. A lot of them. Enemies spawn and drop random weapons and shields, and more guns can be found in various Chests and shops around Pandora. One of the main motivating factors behind the game is getting the next big item. Even though most of the equipment you find is pretty much useless to you, it is addictive and exciting when you find a better weapon than what you currently have, especially if there is a big difference. The same goes for Shields and Class Mods. (Which give bonus effects like faster reloads, or ammo regeneration.) Hunting down loot is an insanely addictive diversion, and it's all the more exciting when you find a diamond in the mounds of coal. Additonally, you may find an ultra-rare unique weapon that does something no other gun does. (For instance, it may be a sniper that literally shoots fireballs, or a pistol that never runs out of ammo.)
As far as the actually gameplay goes, the game follows a pretty standard formula. You go to a new area, do some quests, take on some side missions, earn more loot, and move on. The structure itself is repetitive, but the quests are varied enough that it's more addicting than anything to play. Quests can be as simple as finding a certain item or killing a certain number of enemies, or more elaborate like taking down a gang leader or hunting down a vicious creature. The structure of the game is inherently addictive.
Getting around Pandora can get boring, so it's a good thing that you have access to a vehicle, complete with a turret of your choice on it. Driving is a fun, if somewhat loose, pastime. The vehicle controls just well enough so that it's not a pain, but it could handle better. Overall, though, driving is a lot of fun, especially getting road kills and watching enemies explode into a fountain of red goo.
Speaking of enemies, the game is somewhat lacking in variety. The most fun to fight are the humans, because it's just more epic. There are some variations in the humans, like Brutes, who just shrug off damage and keep coming, to Psychos, who charge at you with knives and do massive damage should they attack you. The creature enemies, like skags (who primarily jump at you) aren't as fun to fight. The combat is very fun, so it never grows tiresome, but there could have been more variety with the enemies.
The game's conclusion is somewhat disappointing, but, despite that, the game is highly addictive and a lot of fun to play. 8/ 10
DLC review section: This is where I'll do brief reviews of each DLC, naming what it adds to the Borderlands game and how fun it is.
The Zombie Island of Doctor Ned: Doctor Ned, who is totally not Doctor Zed from the main game, is pretty much the only survivor on the island of Jakobs Cove. (Jakobs is one of the many weapon manufacturers you find throughout the game.) There are zombies everywhere ready to munch on the brains of the living. Without going into too much detail about the plot, I will say it is very funny, loaded with pop culture references like the rest of the game, although it delivers more humor than the main game. The zombies are fun to fight, coming at you in waves. Although it is easier than the main game, there is some variety, like with Tankensteins, who resembles, you guessed it, Frankenstein's monster. The atmosphere is very Halloween- ish, with pumpkins everywhere and a lot of dark and gloomy locales. The quests are mostly fun, although there is a set of them that require you to collect more and more zombie brains by landing headshots that just grows tedious, and with little reward. Despite that, the Zombie Island of Doctor Ned is a very fun and funny add on, with some good loot to boot. 8/ 10
Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot: There is not story to this one. Instead, it is, essentially, a Horde Mode. You complete Rounds, with five waves to a round. The first wave is the starter wave, filled with basic, easy to kill enemies. The second is the self-explanatory Gun Wave. The third is the Hoarde Wave, where Psychos of all kinds charge you. The fourth is the Badass Wave, where the enemies are much tougher and the fifth is the Boss Wave where you refight a random boss form the main game. As the Rounds go on, you get handicaps. They can range from very helpful (boosting the attack power of a weapon) to extremely hindering. (Enemies are tougher.) This ups the challenge a lot. This add on is for people who want pure combat. They won't find much else here besides that. Granted, at the end of every round you get some guns, but they usually aren't worth your time. The biggest incentive is two Skill Points you can earn, which is very tempting. It will not be easy, though, as you will eventually need to play Twenty Round tournaments. The add on pack isn't bad, just somewhat bare bones. It's great if you're looking for a ton of combat. Additionally, this pack gives you a Bank to store items in, which is immensely helpful if you have a cool gun but don't have room in your inventory. 7/ 10
The Secret Armory of General Knoxx: This adds a lot of new content, like two new vehicles, which are fun to drive, and a lot of questing. For reasons I won't say, the Atlus corporation is mad at you, and it has taken over T- Bone Junction. This is probably the most humorous of the add ons, with humor at just about every turn, whether it be General Knoxx's exasperated conversations with you or a soldier singing about how excited he is for Ice Cream day. There are some very clever references as well, topping off the humor. Additionally, the new quests are fun to undertake, some of them having an almost "epic" feel in relation to the storyline. There is also a lot of content here. This is the longest of the DLC's, with a long main storyline (at least 7 hours) and an abundance of side quests to take on, ranging from scraping off graffiti to finding out the fate of a boss you thought was dead. (And taking care of said boss.) The DLC is also tougher at first, partly because the enemies you fight are the Crimson Lance, well-armed mercenaries who are tough to bring down. (There are more varieties of them than in the main game, like elemental ones or ones with jet packs.) The new vehicles, new enemies, new quests and abundance of content and good loot help this DLC reach great heights. The only real issue I have is that sometimes the vehicles may glitch or you may fly off the road unintentionally, killing you instantly. However, the rewards are indeed great, with you ultimately making a mad dash and grabbing whatever you can out of an Atlus warehouse before a bomb goes off. This DLC is a lot of fun despite any small flaws it might have. 9/ 10
Clap- Trap's New Robot Revolution: The Hyperion Corporation wanted to stop the second- hand sales of their weapons (the Vault Hunters picking them up off of dead bodies), so they designed the Ninja Assassin Clap Trap robot. It was originally designed to kill the Vault Hunters, but it became smart and decided enough was enough. It organized a Robot Revolution. Hyperion calls on you to take care of it. In addition to some rather funny propaganda (including one that lampoons Bioshock's famous "Is a man not entitled to the sweat upon his brow?" speech), the entire DLC is pretty amusing. The Clap Trap enemies you fight are very hilariously designed, especially the ones that run right at you, waving their arms like mad men. This DLC is rather short, though. (I beat it in one afternoon.) Despite that, it is fairly fun, with some rewarding quests. (The collection quest from the Zombie Island makes a return in the form of Clap Trap parts. However, it's not nearly as much of a hassle, thanks to smaller required amounts of more frequent drops.) There are also "Trap" versions of old enemies, but they play more or less the same way. At the end of the DLC, you fight new, enhanced versions of bosses from previous DLC's. This is fun and pretty humorous, like how one of them comments about how it's "hard to find a cold, sweet embrace of permanent death." You fight a massive, and slightly frustrating, final boss, but the rewards for doing so are great. You gain access to an infinitely exploitable warehouse with tons of treasure chests. Overall, the New Robot Revolution is pretty humorous and fun, despite the short length. 8/ 10
Borderlands is a very addictive, brutal, funny and awesome game. You can find yourself getting lost in the game world, doing quests and hunting down loot. It is a very addictive cycle of rewarding character progression. And, if you buy the Game of the Year Edition, you will have much, much more content to play through on top of the fairly lengthy main game. Even if you want to treasure hunt alone, Borderlands is a trip to a foreign alien world well worth taking. So long and thanks for reading!