Lengthy game with lots of quests, online co-op, variety of weapons, 4 DLC packs
Cons
Vehicle controls/getting stuck, no mini-map
Review
I was late to the show with Borderlands, having picked up the GotY edition quite some time after it came out. Now that I've completed it three times and all 4 DLC, I wish I got it when it was first released!
ABOUT BORDERLANDS: Borderlands is a FPS with RPG like elements, meaning that you level up, spend skill points, and can customize your character to a limited extent - with grenade, shield and class mods. The story itself is actually pretty well done. It flows in basic steps if you just keep to the main quests, but some of the side quests contribute to the story, too. There are tons upon tons of weapons and it's fun to try and look for rare ones to build up your arsenal. The boss fights are fun, although sometimes their difficulty almost requires you to finish all the side quests beforehand just so that your level is on par with theirs.
PRESENTATION (Graphics and audio): The graphics have sort of a cell-shaded, comic book style edge to them, with fluid colors. I think it fits the mood and atmosphere pretty well. Character models are decent, and there's a little variety there with enemies ranging from skags, rakks, spiders, crabs, and humanoids (including midgets). The audio, well, I honestly can't recall a single tune from any level or boss fight, so the soundtrack is almost non-existent. Each weapon in their respective category has the same sound effect, regardless of all the different types. The voice acting however is well done... Scooter in particular, gotta love his.
GAMEPLAY: The controls are pretty tight and about what you'd come to expect in an every day FPS. You have crouching, running, ducking, etc. Thankfully you don't get tired and can keep running until you decide to stop. Aiming is good, too, except for the vehicles. Furthermore, the vehicle controls can take some getting used to. And frequently you'll get your vehicle stuck over a ledge or into an spot with anything jagged or rugged protruding. So you have to abandon and find the nearest vehicle spawn point to start over. There's split-screen and online co-op, the latter of which is fun with online friends. The levels of the enemies are tuned to the host of the game. So if you're getting stuck, just invite a level 50+ to join you.
DLC: I found all 4 of the DLC packs to be unique and added a lot more hours, levels, and weapons to main game. My personal favorite was Zombie Island of Dr. Ned. It reminded me of an old TimeSplitters game. There's lots of zombies to blast and the quests and level designs were great. My least favorite was Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot. It's just an arena type DLC, although it does allow you a banker to store 15 items out of your inventory. But the content itself is rough, recommended to play with friends. The last two were great add ons to the story arc, Claptrap's New Robot Revolution (2nd favorite) and Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Secret Armory features the game's top elite boss that drops the best items.
OVERALL: If you haven't played Borderlands yet, it's a great time to do so, especially before part 2 releases. I found a copy for nearly $16.00 new. At most it will be ~$30.00. It's a great multiplayer game, and the game lasts for weeks with casual playing and doing all the quests. The DLC alone makes it worth as it nearly doubles the overall content. If you like games like Fallout 3 or Dead Island, trust me, you'll love this!
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