Borderlands: A nice surprise in gaming

I can still look in my collection of gaming magazines and take that article that I read several months ago. It talked about a game that promised to be an hybrid of rpg and fps genres. I looked at the pics the article had and they looked nice but I still wasn't convinced. All things said I remained on that state of mind until I actually tried it, been hooked ever since. That game is called Borderlands and it is a tale of going the distance for the team who developed it.

The first time I saw it, it looked like an ordinary rpg/fps to me. The graphics where the standard 3D we see in games nowadays and the premise was very simple although I have to admit I was impressed by the weapon building and customization that it offered because I like to invent stuff while I am on a game world. I love it when I can make a strategic custom weapon, build or skill that works and can help me survive in any situation. Back when I saw the game for the first time I was playing Fall out 3 so the thought of this game been a "cashout" on the success of Fall out 3 stood like a worm on my brain until I actually played the game. Some time after I read the first article everything turned silent. As experience tells me, when developers get silent about a game it is because: A) They want the game's hype to build up or B) The game was canned. Sadly, Borderlands was at the verge of actually been canned.

Many months later I saw another article. It felt nice to see the game again because I hate it when developers put their hearts into making a game just for it to be scrapped because no publisher supported it (seen too many brillant ideas fade to nothing). In this case, the game survived when developers re-made it giving it a new look and implementing new ideas. Borderlands now looked cooler and most importantly, it looked fresh and original. My inner hype started to build up for this game and I got it for Xbox 360 when it came out. First thing I noticed was the change of graphics, from a standard 3D and realistic texture environment to a cell shaded slick and "fun to look at" display. The graphics reminded me a lot of games like No More Heroes so that was a nice touch. After that, I pressed start to get the Borderlands experience started.

What can I say? The first impression the game play gave me can only be described in the following phrase: "I played and played until sunrise". I was hooked from the moment I chose the character class I would play as (That was a hunter since I like long range weapons). You (as the character) are thrown in a cyberpunk wasteland where you have to survive in order to find the legendary vault (yes, the vault part is very Fall out like but it kind of develops in its own way). You are guided by a mysterious woman who appears as an optical illusion ( a mirage maybe) and tells you the things you should do (see her as a main plot guide). Apart from the main plot there are tons of quests to do that up until now (16 levels later) don't look or feel repetitive and that is one of the things I really appreciate in any action type rpg (Thats why I love games like Oblivion and Fall out 3)

The array of weapons is impressive and as far as I am in the game I have just found ways to customize some skills and give elemental attributes to my attacks which is awesome. The game world seems huge but even it if isn't, the concentrated content of each place does its job to keep the player entertained. For example, one quest had me going throughout all the first area looking for pieces of a diary and every time I found one of the diary recordings I could hear its contents. It was like a side story of a women researcher who landed on the planet (pandora) but I don't want to spoil the details so give the quest a try (It gives nice experience pts too). That quest is an example of how the game can be fun and keep you wanting to see more even with a simple fetch quest.

The online cooperative play (a max of 4 players) runs smooth and its really nice to play. The response is quite fast (no lag) and players who enter "your game" will appear as near as possible (nearest outpost) which eliminates the need for a lobby and gives the experience some sense of realism (since on a wasteland potential allies won't be waiting for you on a specified place lol). When someone joins your game, the level of the creatures and enemies will go up, meaning that even if your good friend who is "maxed out" enters your game it doesn't mean it is going to be easy (sorry for experience leechers hehe).

Overall, Borderlands is a nice surprise that gave me a whole new reason to stay playing past midnight. It feels like an rpg with its simple level up system and skill point assignation, but keeps the fast paced hectic action you get from a fps. Sometimes it really plays like you're in an mmorpg raiding a dungeon and your party faces a ton of enemies (only that it is a lot faster) and it manages every aspect of it in a good way. Final thoughts, Borderlands is not exactly a Fall out clone. It is a fps game focused on story elements and action, with a "lite"but solid rpg system and the online coop to share the experience with your friends. Small package with a bang, a job well done by it's developers and a nice decision for the publishers who supported it.