"No, seriously, Cakes, which character do I pick?"
"I mean, I don't think it reeeaaally matters? It depends on your playing style."
"But....I want to win. I don't want to die!"
"You're going to die quite a bit, so don't worry."
And that was my introduction to Borderlands, which I fondly remember upon this, my second playthrough. My first time playing this game, developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games, was at a friend's apartment. I had heard a little about it, more or less that it was "a big deal," "a lot of fun," the usual. The gaming magazines seemed fairly excited by it, especially the aspects of combining both a shooter (a game in which, well, you shoot things) and an RPG (a role-playing game, in which you take on the identity(ies) of one or more characters as a means of navigating a simulated world), but what drew me in at first were the graphics: cel-shaded. Genius!
For this game, which seemed also to desire to showcase a cartoonish amount of violence, the cel-shaded medium was an excellent choice. Cels are always a bold way to go, and as most games seem to try for double-take-inducing realism, the distinctive visuals of Borderlands accent exceedingly well what I think it strives to portray.
Gritty? Yeah. Ridiculous? To be sure. Violent? Mhmm. Designed to encourage nail-biting hours of character customization, development and leveling? Oh yeah, how 'bout that? So it's more or less a comic book on 'roids that you, the player, design to your liking (while following the main plot-line, of course), minus all that goody-goody Captain America morality junk! Whether you liked this game or not, it's hard to forget it once you've seen it.
The mishmash of themes going on in this game at first seem incredibly chaotic but actually help to brand the storyline and universe. Consider: gangsters vs. advanced aliens vs. cannibalistic psychopaths vs. highly trained military units a la Galactic Empire, all of whom fiend viciously for your blood. This game has every one of them, encapsulated in an interstellar, cutthroat take on the formerly uncolonized American West. It is this hostile crockpot that the player is thrown into, and it is up to the player which strategies, equipment and abilities they will use to survive the game, and every battle. In hindsight, I'm almost sure I encountered nearly all of these entities in a few battles. This does not include an entirely Lovecraftian ending which may or may not sell the Borderlands title for you.
Extensive downloadable content and a continuing playthrough system allow for further hours of enjoyment, even on a modest budget. Highly recommended come "The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned" and "The Secret Armory of General Knoxx" packages, both of which feature new storylines with some familiar faces, new weapons and achievements and a variety of proving grounds to test your quiver of avatars. Especially if you do not use modded items, you will find following playthroughs with higher level characters a distinct challenge.
"The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned" transplants you to (of all places) a heavily forested swampy archipelago in an unspecified location on Pandora, the planet throughout which Borderlands' action takes place. This seems strange, given that most of your weary traveling is done in barren deserts, mostly deserted villages and a number of gang hideouts. However, its atmosphere, replete with eerie music, presents an impressive and engaging contrast. There are zombies aplenty, along with a few Borderlands-influenced classic monsters, and a final boss who is sure to give you a run for your money. (Note: he is definitely not a disguised Dr. Zed in any way, shape or form.) From a practical standpoint, this DLC will drastically improve your aim under pressure, as many of the hordes of villains you face will not be subdued by anything less than a headshot or critical hit. I played with my Hunter, roughly Level 62 when I began this DLC, and a Level 66 upon completion. Regardless of a few mods I inherited from a friend, this mini-world proved entertaining and often more challenging than straight-up Pandora.
This franchise, soon to be bolstered by a forthcoming sequel, breathes new life into the RPG vein of games. Too often are players faced with wisps of game featuring scant or nonexistent character development, weapons/customization control or emotional and plot-driven stories. The opposite is a heavy tome of a game that beats you over the head with its grandiosity and demands that you sacrifice hours of your time to devote to its noble cause. I like to think that Borderlands provides a happy medium, satisfying both casual gamers and RPG fanatics alike. Gearbox is definitely on to something good with this concept, providing both fast-paced, think-on-your-feet action and surprises with intensive customization and an intricate story. Happy hunting, Vault looters.
