When the original Borderlands hit shelves back in 2009, I was one of the flocking masses that rushed to pick it up. I didn't really have a choice, discourse of the time told that Borderlands was the quintessential cooperative multiplayer game. If you didn't have it, you'd be missing out. Borderlands had it all, great gameplay, millions of guns, cool class themed powers and more bosses than you could fit into a strategy guide. Every gamer I knew was absolutely crazy for it; it was loud, brash, crude, violent, vast and funny in all the right ways. I got my copy on the promise of the amazing cooperative experiences that people were raving about; briefly forgetting about my lack of friends. Yeah, I didn't really ever play with others. But luckily the game itself was a good enough in single player game to keep me hooked on it's vices for about a week before I got bored, put it down, and didn't pick it up again for years. Kids, am I right?
Since then, I've started to realise how hard of a sell a game like Borderlands was at the time. A game with no real narrative incentive, no real stakes for failure, without any real diversity regarding it's gameplay; You just shoot stuff. The end. Back then terms like 'Looter shooter' didn't exist and the concept of basing an entire gameplay loop around the economy of weapon stats seemed a little bit hollow. A lot of people I know, including myself, dropped off the game rather quickly after the honeymoon period. We concluded it was just another shallow product that shut us up for a bit before we went back to Modern Warfare 2. Because that was the real game. (On an unrelated note, MW2 is another game I never played online. I know. Heretic!). But Borderlands didn't just go away. Some people came back to it years down the line with a whole new appreciation. Perhaps it was the timeless, cell-shaded aesthetic or the meaty, well balanced gunplay; or maybe it was the gun-collecting gameplay loop that we initially chastised. Something about that game drew people back. And when they got back, they were hooked. That's the thing about Borderlands, then and now; You either 'get it' or you don't. If you don't, no number of retrospective articles or trusted recommendations can win you over; you will not enjoy the game at that place in your life. When you 'get it'; when you fall for the silly, irreverence that Borderlands emanates; you fall hard.
When Borderlands 2 rolled out in 2012, I was a bit more cautious. I remembered how the first game had seemed fun at first but ended seeming like a repetitive grind after not too long. Reviews, however, were glowing; everyone wanted to sing this game's praises. Apparently every flawed aspect from the original was fixed; the game's visuals were no longer monotone but now they were beautiful and diverse, Guns were no longer samey and boring but distinct and exciting, and the story no longer distracted from the gameplay but reinforced and transformed it. I didn't remember having any of these gripes with the previous game; but then, I didn't remember what it was exactly that I didn't like about the first game. I found it boring, I thought, and repetitive; but I wasn't sure why and in what ways. Maybe these were the reasons why, I decided. Maybe I'll jump into this next game and finally love it like the other kids do. But not at launch, I was never that rich.
Next year, I picked up two very different games at a second hand shop; Borderlands 2 and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. Two games which could be seen as a little polar opposite to each another. Probably why the games ended up fighting for my time. On one hand, there was Borderlands 2; a sequel that exhibited whole heaps of improvements from the last game, A huge step forward in every aspect from the original. On the other, Dragon's Dogma; A brand new fantasy adventure that wowed me with it's meaningful day/night cycle, innovative grasping mechanics that transformed the combat and a cast of faithfully captured mythological creatures that all felt challenging to face. In the end the inevitable choice I made between the two was a no brainier. In my defence great fantasy games are hard to find! So I dropped off on Borderlands, once again.
So did I ever 'get it'? Sure. When I picked up 2015's The Handsome collection. (Aren't I Mr. 'Late adopter'.) Maybe it was because of my brief, fiery liaison with a little game know as Destiny. Destiny was perhaps the first game to popularize the 'Looter shooter' branding, wearing the tag as a badge of honour defining their playstyle. Destiny rocked the gaming world when it came out and introduced everyone to the basics of the Loot-shoot genre, under the pretense that they had pioneered the system. At the time I did fall for Destiny and her season pass before she broke my heart with The Taken King. (But that's a whole other, much more bitter, story.) In my rebound I ended up with the game I had discarded so long ago, The original Borderlands.
This time I 'got it'. I felt the urge to keep collecting that loot, to keep building my DPS, to keep honing by build to its zenith. I blasted through the campaign and onto the, much superior, DLC. I ground my head against the Underdome, searched for Cyans in Knoxx's armoury (unsuccessfully) and soloed Crawmerax the Invincible. I saw everything and did everything. Except get a freaking Cyan. I had keyed into that 'je ne sais quoi' that Borderlands fans had been trying to tell me about for years and I was hooked. Needless to say, I moved onto the Handsome collection and fully appreciated Borderlands 2 for the first time. It became my mission to go as far as I could on my own, collect as many rare weapons and slay as many raid bosses as my stubborn self could handle. I can't explain to you why all this mattered to me so much, just that it did. If you don't understand, then you won't unless you feel it for yourself.
Due to my late coming to the franchise I haven't had to endure the agonizing 7 year wait for the sequel. Heck, with Ultimate Vault Hunter mode, Overcharge levels and the surprise release of 'Commander Lilith and the fight for Sancutary', I'm still not done with Borderlands 2. With that said, I can still get excited to see the franchise return and innovate for a new console generation. Or rather, for the current console generation, as it has taken them this long to get a game out for us.What have we got in this one? Vaulting and sliding? Game changers!
Observing the gameplay and trailer reveals that dropped before and during this E3 has been incredibly interesting, still being an active player of the last title. Whilst some have complained about how the game looks identical to its predecessors and how Gearbox hasn't even touched upon the basics, I can clearly see how that is the passage of time clouding folk's recollection. Visually, Borderlands 3 looks stunning compared to the others; textures and colours pop in a manner they've never done on Pandora before. Shooting has also been improved upon with weightiness to movement and recoil making the guns seem more powerful than they ever did in BL2.
Those looking for fundamental changes, however, may be disappointed. Borderlands 3 shares a lot of DNA with the last two games, sometimes looking like a 'New Vegas'-style inbetween title rather than a full blown sequel. Of course that couldn't be the case because they already did that with the Pre-Sequel. (A game I cannot get into and I have no idea why...) I suppose the question that fans need to ask themselves, is whether or not they are okay with more of the same. Borderlands 2 holds up so well today, and the slew of post launch content that game ended up with makes the bundle package of 'The Handsome Collection' an absolute steal. If Gearbox want to just do that again with a little bigger scope and some reworked systems then it isn't really the worst possible thing that could happen for a sequel, is it?
At least we'll finally be getting off of Pandora. (Oh, and screw Elpis. I hated the 'moon walk' crap from that game.) Borderlands 3 will finally allow us to take off into space and go to 5 different planets, one of which being the long talked about Promethea. Finally, an urban setting in Borderlands! Maybe this time we'll finally feel like we are travelling to whole new places. Borderlands 2's icy intro was nice and all, but by the end of the game Gearbox literally made us walk over the same plots of land from the first game, kind of defeating the point of 'switching it up'. Now, with variety in mind for the creation of every planet, no two skylines should look the same, ideally.
One element I'm really excited for, personally, is the change to how characters play. Previously, your choice of player character was decided by the passives they would get and the play style you wanted to lean towards. Ultimate skills were fun, but the focus was on the moment-to-moment gameplay and thus flashy class powers easily went underutilized and under appreciated. This game, however, Gearbox have decided to change things up by giving the player 3 unique powers for each Vault Hunter. The effect is very reminiscent of 'hero shooters' like Overwatch; giving cooldown dependant small powers that change up the way you handle each and every encounter, meaning that you instantly know who you're playing as without having to wait for a voice line. For my money, this will have the most impact in multiplayer. (Which, of course, I'll never play.) With these distinctive powers thrown into play, team play is going to feel alot more complementary rather than cooperatively competitive.
But all those character-unique combat improvements all just build upon the combat system rather then define it. At the end of the day the meat of a 'Looter Shooter' is the diversity of the loot you shoot with. This appears to be the department wherein Gearbox have made the most steps forward. Whilst it's true that Borderlands 2 had a ton of really unique weapons, most of those were found in tiers Rare and above. The bulk majority of BL2's loot were mostly diversified by manufacturer quirks rather than individual quirks. This time Gearbox has aimed to expand the gun pool once again by ending crazy modifiers to their quirky modifiers. Like a Teidore gun that is discarded once empty but also bounces about with an explosion on every landing or the walking gun turret from the reveal trailer. Borderlands 3 will provide one of most unique feeling arsenals that gaming has to offer, reinforcing the addictive collectability of loot and comedic stylings of the developer's creativity.
Speaking of, comedy is another core aspect of the Borderlands formula. One that is largely subjective. Since the release of Borderlands 2, Gearbox has really established the comedic style of their cell-shaded IP. The games are obnoxious, childish and a little bit puerile at times but they bring it all together with an oddly authentic charm. Whilst these elements should clash and burn, they instead compliment each other to create the unique world of Pandora. (Or at least they did for BL2 and TellTale's 'Tales from the Borderlands'.) Of course, as with any form of humor, not everyone gels with this brand of comedy. Some find it grating and will likely find Borderlands 3 slightly unbearable because of it. But I have maintained a soft spot for the wacky crew of Vault Hunters and their manic, neurotic CL4P-TP unit. Perhaps it comes from watching the series grow from the occasionally funny first entry to the genuinely hilarious 'Tales from the Borderlands'. Whatever the reason, I resonate with Borderlands humor and from the trailers and gameplay I've seen, I can feel that same Borderlands essence here from the last game. (Excluding the pre sequel.)
Like I said, Borderlands 3 offers more of the same but in the style and attitude that only Borderlands can muster. The jump from the second game to this may not be as revolutionary as from the original to 2, but it doesn't need to be in order for Borderlands 3 to compete against the market. Borderlands easily surpass it's competitors in the core defining components of the 'Looter shooter' genre and now it's finally starting to catch up in terms of raw gameplay too. Providing that Gearbox stick to the example they set themselves with Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3 will easily become another high value classic experience. Word of mouth will spread, more people will come to the franchise and maybe, if their lucky, they might just 'Get it' too.
When Borderlands 2 rolled out in 2012, I was a bit more cautious. I remembered how the first game had seemed fun at first but ended seeming like a repetitive grind after not too long. Reviews, however, were glowing; everyone wanted to sing this game's praises. Apparently every flawed aspect from the original was fixed; the game's visuals were no longer monotone but now they were beautiful and diverse, Guns were no longer samey and boring but distinct and exciting, and the story no longer distracted from the gameplay but reinforced and transformed it. I didn't remember having any of these gripes with the previous game; but then, I didn't remember what it was exactly that I didn't like about the first game. I found it boring, I thought, and repetitive; but I wasn't sure why and in what ways. Maybe these were the reasons why, I decided. Maybe I'll jump into this next game and finally love it like the other kids do. But not at launch, I was never that rich.
Next year, I picked up two very different games at a second hand shop; Borderlands 2 and Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. Two games which could be seen as a little polar opposite to each another. Probably why the games ended up fighting for my time. On one hand, there was Borderlands 2; a sequel that exhibited whole heaps of improvements from the last game, A huge step forward in every aspect from the original. On the other, Dragon's Dogma; A brand new fantasy adventure that wowed me with it's meaningful day/night cycle, innovative grasping mechanics that transformed the combat and a cast of faithfully captured mythological creatures that all felt challenging to face. In the end the inevitable choice I made between the two was a no brainier. In my defence great fantasy games are hard to find! So I dropped off on Borderlands, once again.
So did I ever 'get it'? Sure. When I picked up 2015's The Handsome collection. (Aren't I Mr. 'Late adopter'.) Maybe it was because of my brief, fiery liaison with a little game know as Destiny. Destiny was perhaps the first game to popularize the 'Looter shooter' branding, wearing the tag as a badge of honour defining their playstyle. Destiny rocked the gaming world when it came out and introduced everyone to the basics of the Loot-shoot genre, under the pretense that they had pioneered the system. At the time I did fall for Destiny and her season pass before she broke my heart with The Taken King. (But that's a whole other, much more bitter, story.) In my rebound I ended up with the game I had discarded so long ago, The original Borderlands.
This time I 'got it'. I felt the urge to keep collecting that loot, to keep building my DPS, to keep honing by build to its zenith. I blasted through the campaign and onto the, much superior, DLC. I ground my head against the Underdome, searched for Cyans in Knoxx's armoury (unsuccessfully) and soloed Crawmerax the Invincible. I saw everything and did everything. Except get a freaking Cyan. I had keyed into that 'je ne sais quoi' that Borderlands fans had been trying to tell me about for years and I was hooked. Needless to say, I moved onto the Handsome collection and fully appreciated Borderlands 2 for the first time. It became my mission to go as far as I could on my own, collect as many rare weapons and slay as many raid bosses as my stubborn self could handle. I can't explain to you why all this mattered to me so much, just that it did. If you don't understand, then you won't unless you feel it for yourself.
Due to my late coming to the franchise I haven't had to endure the agonizing 7 year wait for the sequel. Heck, with Ultimate Vault Hunter mode, Overcharge levels and the surprise release of 'Commander Lilith and the fight for Sancutary', I'm still not done with Borderlands 2. With that said, I can still get excited to see the franchise return and innovate for a new console generation. Or rather, for the current console generation, as it has taken them this long to get a game out for us.What have we got in this one? Vaulting and sliding? Game changers!
Observing the gameplay and trailer reveals that dropped before and during this E3 has been incredibly interesting, still being an active player of the last title. Whilst some have complained about how the game looks identical to its predecessors and how Gearbox hasn't even touched upon the basics, I can clearly see how that is the passage of time clouding folk's recollection. Visually, Borderlands 3 looks stunning compared to the others; textures and colours pop in a manner they've never done on Pandora before. Shooting has also been improved upon with weightiness to movement and recoil making the guns seem more powerful than they ever did in BL2.
Those looking for fundamental changes, however, may be disappointed. Borderlands 3 shares a lot of DNA with the last two games, sometimes looking like a 'New Vegas'-style inbetween title rather than a full blown sequel. Of course that couldn't be the case because they already did that with the Pre-Sequel. (A game I cannot get into and I have no idea why...) I suppose the question that fans need to ask themselves, is whether or not they are okay with more of the same. Borderlands 2 holds up so well today, and the slew of post launch content that game ended up with makes the bundle package of 'The Handsome Collection' an absolute steal. If Gearbox want to just do that again with a little bigger scope and some reworked systems then it isn't really the worst possible thing that could happen for a sequel, is it?
One element I'm really excited for, personally, is the change to how characters play. Previously, your choice of player character was decided by the passives they would get and the play style you wanted to lean towards. Ultimate skills were fun, but the focus was on the moment-to-moment gameplay and thus flashy class powers easily went underutilized and under appreciated. This game, however, Gearbox have decided to change things up by giving the player 3 unique powers for each Vault Hunter. The effect is very reminiscent of 'hero shooters' like Overwatch; giving cooldown dependant small powers that change up the way you handle each and every encounter, meaning that you instantly know who you're playing as without having to wait for a voice line. For my money, this will have the most impact in multiplayer. (Which, of course, I'll never play.) With these distinctive powers thrown into play, team play is going to feel alot more complementary rather than cooperatively competitive.
But all those character-unique combat improvements all just build upon the combat system rather then define it. At the end of the day the meat of a 'Looter Shooter' is the diversity of the loot you shoot with. This appears to be the department wherein Gearbox have made the most steps forward. Whilst it's true that Borderlands 2 had a ton of really unique weapons, most of those were found in tiers Rare and above. The bulk majority of BL2's loot were mostly diversified by manufacturer quirks rather than individual quirks. This time Gearbox has aimed to expand the gun pool once again by ending crazy modifiers to their quirky modifiers. Like a Teidore gun that is discarded once empty but also bounces about with an explosion on every landing or the walking gun turret from the reveal trailer. Borderlands 3 will provide one of most unique feeling arsenals that gaming has to offer, reinforcing the addictive collectability of loot and comedic stylings of the developer's creativity.
Speaking of, comedy is another core aspect of the Borderlands formula. One that is largely subjective. Since the release of Borderlands 2, Gearbox has really established the comedic style of their cell-shaded IP. The games are obnoxious, childish and a little bit puerile at times but they bring it all together with an oddly authentic charm. Whilst these elements should clash and burn, they instead compliment each other to create the unique world of Pandora. (Or at least they did for BL2 and TellTale's 'Tales from the Borderlands'.) Of course, as with any form of humor, not everyone gels with this brand of comedy. Some find it grating and will likely find Borderlands 3 slightly unbearable because of it. But I have maintained a soft spot for the wacky crew of Vault Hunters and their manic, neurotic CL4P-TP unit. Perhaps it comes from watching the series grow from the occasionally funny first entry to the genuinely hilarious 'Tales from the Borderlands'. Whatever the reason, I resonate with Borderlands humor and from the trailers and gameplay I've seen, I can feel that same Borderlands essence here from the last game. (Excluding the pre sequel.)
Like I said, Borderlands 3 offers more of the same but in the style and attitude that only Borderlands can muster. The jump from the second game to this may not be as revolutionary as from the original to 2, but it doesn't need to be in order for Borderlands 3 to compete against the market. Borderlands easily surpass it's competitors in the core defining components of the 'Looter shooter' genre and now it's finally starting to catch up in terms of raw gameplay too. Providing that Gearbox stick to the example they set themselves with Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3 will easily become another high value classic experience. Word of mouth will spread, more people will come to the franchise and maybe, if their lucky, they might just 'Get it' too.
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