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STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
5 Stars Classic
4 Stars Excellent
3 Stars Good
2 Stars Fair
1 Star Tragic

Packshot
Borderlands

Game Details
Released
23 October 2009
Format
PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Developer
Gearbox Software


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Borderlands

Review
Yanked from its original release window much to the dismay of many a post-apocalyptic shooter junky, Gearbox Software’s decision to delay was a smart one. What remains in place of the Dallas based dev’s shooter cum RPG’s original drab palette revealed in 2007 is a bustling cel-shaded blaster that, while slow to start with, ultimately hits its stride with aplomb a few hours in after the initial bump and grind.

Unfurling in the lawless dustbowl of Pandora, a Mad Max stylised hellhole seething with cannibals, critters and treasure hunters, Borderlands lets you pick from four gun-slingers, casting you out into this strange new world solo or in four-player co-op mode in search of The Vault, a mysterious room carved into a mountainside supposedly filled with alien technology and rich stuff.

An adrenaline pumper to boot, Borderlands owes more than a tip of hat to the world of Diablo; everything here is about looting and character customisation, but what you’ll gawp at most is the sheer volume of weaponry spooned into the game’s twenty and some bloodthirsty hours. While the story it weaves is a little thin, and the characters equally slim in witty banter besides doling out quests, Borderlands is a triumph in melding two genres with cracking accuracy.


Reviewer: Sebastian Williamson

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Your Reviews
Average user rating for Borderlands
Empire Star Rating

RE: Borderlands
Empire User Rating

Good stuff, but i felt like i was playing Fallout 3 through a posterized lens. The soundtrack was a highlight for me while the cartoonish aesthetic didn't quite capture me completely and wore thin as the game got to the end. 7/10 ... Read More

robwillphill About me
21:19, 04 November 2009 | Report This Post

Borderlands
Empire User Rating

Whilst it doesn't match the scale or ambition of a game such a Fallout 3, this simple rpg remains a very fun game to play. A game perfect whilst we are waiting for modern warfare 2. ... Read More

Blue Ryan About me
12:26, 30 October 2009 | Report This Post

BORINGLANDS!!!
Empire User Rating

To some extent you have to gain inspiration from something so yes but you don't have to blatantly copy it! For example: The blurry female who constantly interrupts your line of sight to tell you pointless cryptic things! Eh . . . Halo anyone?! Glad you liked it but the game is dull! Upgrading my weapons is all very well and good but it doesn't make it a compelling game! ... Read More

Shaunyboy27 About me
16:10, 23 October 2009 | Report This Post

Well I liked it....
Empire User Rating

I think once you give it some time it's really good fun. And doesn't every game borrow from another in one way or the other? ... Read More

I Went Down About me
14:37, 22 October 2009 | Report This Post

BORINGLANDS!!!
Empire User Rating

Don't know why this game is recieving positive feedback . . . The soundtrack is the best thing about this game. Apart from that it does nothing but completely rip off other games and insufficiently execute the brilliance of them! After you pass the style of the game and the characters and start to concentrate on the gameplay it becomes extremely dull and repetitive. It offers nothing and takes a step back in gaming evolution. ... Read More

Shaunyboy27 About me
13:19, 22 October 2009 | Report This Post

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