Lack of similar games makes Borderlands a quite unique and very enjoyable experience...
Borderlands is a first person shooter game with RPG elements. We don't get many of those type of games, and as a matter of fact i can only think of the Fallout series and Mass Effect series (despite being a third person shooter) that are quite similar to Gearbox's Borderlands. That combined with the ability to play with a friend via offline co-op mode makes this title quite appealing to my liking.
Disclaimer: As i mentioned before i have played through this game twice. I also have the Game of the Year edition and had an offline co-op partner, with which we started and completed the game. Keep those points in mind when you are reading through the rest of the review.
Story
Borderlands's story revolves around a group of treasure hunters who arrive on the planet Pandora in search of the famous treasure located in the "Vault". Your character(s) will pass numerous side mission in order to gather clues for the Vault's whereabouts. Borderlands is not a game that is big on its story. The presentation is not very engaging, so can easily finish the game without actually get involved into the story that much. But, as you would see later on, the gameplay makes up or what the game lacks in story. 7/10
Graphics
Borderlands features a graphics rendering technique called pixel/cell shading. This means that they look a little more cartoon-ish than what Call of Duty (for example) would look like. This, however, in no way negates the fact that the graphics are very good and the visual effects can be splendid at times. One negative can be the fact that the game takes place on a barren, post-apocalyptic-looking planet, so nuances of brown, gray and yellow are predominant. 8.5/10
Sound/Voice Acting
There isn't much of a soundtrack to Borderlands. We get the usual ambient sounds, which are very appropriate for the setting of the game. The main characters have a very minimal voice lines, which are solid at best. The rest of the featured voice fit the overall presentation very well. Bottom line is that you would not remember Borderlands for its sound capabilities. 8/10
Gameplay
Here is where Borderlands really excels. As we have already said, it is a FPS with RPG elements. As far as the first person shooter goes, the game shows solid shooter mechanics. Controls are responsive and there are plenty of different guns to loot and equip. Actually, the weapons in the game are randomly generated so there is a very small chance you would ever get two similar weapons.The game also features vehicle driving, which you can also customize, even though very minimally. As far as RPG elements, Borderlands let's you choose your character (out of four possible choices), let's you customize that character (clothing colors and name) and let's you customize your equipment. You can equip different shields, grenade mods, character artifacts. Each character has its own different stats and abilities. There are many different actions that earn you XP, and after you level up you get to invest a skill point to increase your abilities.Borderlands also features an offline co-op mode (i had to mention this feature since we don't see it very often nowadays). So if you don't have a Gold account this game would provide you hundreds of gameplay hours both for you and your friends. 10/10
Overall
Borderlands is a game that i enjoyed very much, because it provided me with a feasible alternative to masterpieces like Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas. Not only that, but it allowed me to actually have a friend over and still play interactively together - something that we rarely see being added in games these days. I am waiting for Borderlands 2 with great interest. 8/10
Borderlands is a must have game, if you are looking for a two player campaign-based game. It features a ton of customizable options for your playable characters and its Game of the Year edition features four add-ons which further the overall positive experience.
EvilSelf...