Borderlands - City of Heroes Forums

Gold Rush · 10-27-2009, 03:57 PM

So...Borderlands...

Here is the shortest review I can think of :

It's like "Fallout-Lite"...but with multiplayer tacked on.

The above sums it up nicely, but as usual, I gotta add some details:

Okay, so the multiplayer CAN be fun, especially if you are not with some douchebags, but it is mostly just the same game as the single-player version...just tougher enemies are added and supposedly the drops one gets tend to be better, but I have not seen evidence of this. Also, a minor annoyance is that your quest-log is filled up if someone has played with someone who has completed said quests. It is a minor quibble and I think you can still get/finish those quests if your character never has done them, but I still have to test it out. There is combat between players, if one wishes it (or enables it in game options). You can have open-air combat or Arena style combat (with no option enabling; you go to the Arena).

The game itself is, like I said before, rather a Lite version of Fallout. The stats are not so heavy; the only point expenditure you really do is from a rather simple skill tree. You can max a skill to "5" on the first level of one branch and can unlock the next branch. From there you can spend and further points in the skill you didn't choose on that branch, go to the next level and up that skill, or go to another branch. Also, if you are unhappy, you can pay for a skill do-over.

Each class has their strengths (Hunter,Tanker,Soldier, and "Phase Walker") and their skill improve their inherent talents, especially among their favorite weapons, but one can use any weapon actually. To improve your usage, you just keep using a certain weapon and your skill improves with usage. The only thing here is that most of these weapons are guns, either short-range (shotguns) or long. There are no real melee weapons although there is a generic melee attack and some weapons enhance that (every character can do it). These are the only skills to build upon (again "Fallout Lite"); there are no skills such as Lockpicking.

The game can be long if you let it. One has to wait til Level 5 before getting your first Skill Tree point and it seems best to wait til Level 20 before you leave the first initial town/area/base of Firestone. There is a bit of a linear story to guide you along with some side quests that provide money, weapons, and XP. One cheesy thing you can do to gain more money is to hit all the money boxes in your area (one load area can be big) then either go to another area or simply exit your game (the game autosaves in certain points that you are introduced to) then re-enter the game; the game re-fills all containers and you can loot them once again...and repeat.

The (NPC) characters you meet are alright, but nothing stellar. The one unusual/funny thing is that the whole game seems like a Fallout-homage: There are several callouts to this in-game. Your ultimate mission is to find "THE VAULT", which has been rumored about. There is even a bobblehead of the gun merchant you initially meet in the opening sequence (as per the bobblehead included in the Fallout Limited Edition lunchbox). One can also find these scattered throughout the game, but these seem to give one money and nothing else. The humor of the game is "alright" imo, but nothing stellar.

So far, this has been an entertaining game, from a simplistic level. One can snipe from a distance and shoot things up close, but there is an annoying tendency, in my opinion of respawns that are too quick: one clears an area that is high/equal level, moving to the next room and before you know it people you killed in the previous rooms have respawned. This especially hurts because your inventory slots to carry things are limited at first and I tend to go back to the shop/soda dispenser to sell them (most are located at the entrance of a particular area). If you leave items, they will disappear after a time. One can alleviate this a bit by picking the item up and dropping it, but this can get tedious. Respawns can even happen in open areas, but once you have unlocked a vehicle to drive, one can at least not be too bothered by them and either run them over or use your mounted machine gun or Rocket Launcher with Unlimited ammo.

If you need a Fallout fix, this may be good for you. While the gameplay is made more simpler than Fallout, the mechanics is still a bit too much like Fallout. One hears reports of games being made in post-apocalyptic settings and since Fallout came out, they all don't want to be EXACTLY like Fallout so they change something: Their scenery or graphics or Background setting/story. Since this game is a bit of an homage, it seems that only the graphics were changed.

For other folks...well, I would have preferred to have paid something like $29.99 for this or less rather than the full price I paid for it. I feel it's more worth the 30 buck price tag than the $50 it's going for. So, maybe hold off and wait for a bargain bin discount.

Kurai Inago · 10-27-2009, 04:34 PM

Now you see, I friggen love this game to death, but for a very simple reason. THE GUNS MAN THE GUNS! It's awesome that when I go exploring in Borderlands as Opposed to Fallout, I actually might find me some cool loot, instead of "Oh, Just another X Gun that I have 900 of already" It makes me actually want to take the time to explore. I'm not saying that I like it better than Fallout, just that Fallout's a great RPG, while this is a really fun Shooter.

Gold Rush · 10-27-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurai Inago

Now you see, I friggen love this game to death, but for a very simple reason. THE GUNS MAN THE GUNS! It's awesome that when I go exploring in Borderlands as Opposed to Fallout, I actually might find me some cool loot, instead of "Oh, Just another X Gun that I have 900 of already" It makes me actually want to take the time to explore. I'm not saying that I like it better than Fallout, just that Fallout's a great RPG, while this is a really fun Shooter.

Have to agree there, but this also vexxes me. I tend to find something I like that, for me, has great stats. Then, I level up. The gun I found at Level 10 (or 13) is still better than many of the replacements I find at Level 15 or 18! The newer version tends to fail in some way; either not enough bullet storage or a a penalty to recoil reduction or something...or all three! I was carrying around the Level 3 Special Edition Gamestop guns for a very long time, because they did better overall than what I found. Even the Purple weapons I find on bosses have some limits, although I have yet to really give Sledge's shotgun a good try (but it seems like it can do a hell of a melee alpha strike, judging what he was doing to me when using it!).(the standard quality text colors of white-green-blue-purple-orange applies)

Dr Jack Wolfe · 10-27-2009, 05:11 PM

I'm not very deep into it, but I gotta say the fricking engine is fast as hell. 2500x1600, 16x anti-alias, blah blah blah. Lots of FPS. I wonder if optimizing for the consoles is what allows this thing to fly on the PC.

Akamaz · 10-27-2009, 05:25 PM

so can you play "with friends" and get a four person frie nds game going? or is this more like you just "play online" where you are randomly assigned to a game in progress?

i'm waiting for the special pricesmyself for this one, but the question is... wil anyone still be palying it when that happens? i've heard that it is very repetitive

Dr Jack Wolfe · 10-27-2009, 05:42 PM

You can play with friends, we (Guardian Angels TMBZ) are all playing together. Very L4D like with levels.

Joe Schmoe · 10-27-2009, 05:52 PM

Very fun game! Reeaaally fun.

Akamaz · 10-27-2009, 06:07 PM

that's what i was hoping you'd say Jack, l4d with levels eh? now all we need is for someone to make a l4d mod for it

Gold Rush · 10-27-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Schmoe

Very fun game! Reeaaally fun.

Well, really, the truth is I am probably gonna be playing this when I get home, so yes, again, I'd have to agree. Maybe I am comparing it with Fallout too much? Although a simple game, it does what it does nicely.

Kurai Inago · 10-28-2009, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gold Rush

Have to agree there, but this also vexxes me. I tend to find something I like that, for me, has great stats. Then, I level up. The gun I found at Level 10 (or 13) is still better than many of the replacements I find at Level 15 or 18! The newer version tends to fail in some way; either not enough bullet storage or a a penalty to recoil reduction or something...or all three! I was carrying around the Level 3 Special Edition Gamestop guns for a very long time, because they did better overall than what I found. Even the Purple weapons I find on bosses have some limits, although I have yet to really give Sledge's shotgun a good try (but it seems like it can do a hell of a melee alpha strike, judging what he was doing to me when using it!).(the standard quality text colors of white-green-blue-purple-orange applies)

I've been using the same Revolver and Shotgun for 10 levels now. (Though, come on, the Revolver shoots 7 Rounds per shot and it's accurate as hell) Sledge's gun is great for Melee, but it's insane spread and fire rate make it really bad if whatever your shooting at is more than a few yards off.

So who's playing on what System? I'd like to try and get a Guru group together for this. 360 Myself.