Staff Writer
Borderlands by Gearbox Software was released on Oct. 20, 2009 and although it has been over two years since its release, this game is still a must play, and gives the gamer a better value than most titles.
Set with a western post-apocalyptic space theme, you begin the game with a choice between four different players with different sets of skills. Your character sets off in the world of Pandora flooded with bandits and a fair share of hilarious characters. What sets Borderlands apart from any other game is its genre. The game developers claim their game is the first ever “first-person shooter, role-playing game,” putting the combat before the role-playing aspect but still giving a level-up system and open world of a typical RPG. The new system that Borderlands showed off when it first came out was the ability to make every weapon in the game completely randomized. All aspects of the gun are different every time a new gun is stumbled upon, making searching through crates and bins almost addicting. With this system in place the player is guaranteed to never come across the same gun.
Borderlands also stands out for its humor throughout, poking fun at other video games, including itself, and never taking the story too seriously. Characters like “Claptrap,” who guides you on your adventure from the beginning, and Dr. Ned provide plenty of laughs throughout the game. And while the story lacks depth, all of the other great qualities in the game make up for it.
Since Borderlands’ release, Gearbox has offered four different downloadable add-ons to the game, including The Zombie Island of Dr. Zed and Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution. All four of the downloadable titles were well worth money in entertainment value and were incredibly fun to play after beating the original game.
Originally selling for $5 per download, the add-on content is included with the Game of the Year edition and is currently selling for $19.99. That includes the four bonus levels with the original game all on one disc, making this one of the greatest values in gaming. With Borderlands 2 set to release in the fall, I highly recommend checking out the game that changed the way people think of first-person shooters.
Tyler Stinson may be reached at tstinson@springfieldcollege.edu