Before I start breaking into which parts of the game I liked and didn't like, let me just say that I did indeed have a lot of fun playing it. The atmosphere and gameplay held me enchanted for a full week and although I'm saddened by a few faults with graphics, plot and loot, my experiences with Borderlands are enjoyable. My first impression was that Borderlands quite craftily combined elements from several other RPG and FPS games: BioShock, Diablo, Fable 2, Half-Life 2, Mass Effect and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Obviously the game is driven by its' Diablo-like loot, although I was disappointed to find that the bazillions of weapons promised were only divided into about 8 classes, with only minor adjustments between each one.
For those looking for meaning behind the mindless urge to find and collect money, weapons and creature hides, you will be sorely disappointed. Lets face it, there's no plot. Mario trying to rescue the princess from a terrible fate is a plot. Borderlands is simply a giant quest to get more stuff and the stuff happens to be found in a mysterious 'Vault'. With entertaining side-quests along the way, the game does offer some challenging and unique gameplay and characters, but ultimately, it does not offer much on storyline. Gameplay makes up for this somewhat, with engaging leveling systems and user interface. The creators, Gearbox, have done well to make Borderland's gameplay as accessible as possible, especially in the face of such overwhelming loot.
Sadly, the graphics aren't the best either. They almost hark back to the time of Half-Life 2, where textures are limited and characters are terrible up close. Done in an almost graphic novel style, Borderland's imagery works well on the whole, but the finer points of the rendering is poor and some glitches are present, especially in regard to achievements. The only other complaints I have are small in comparison - the lack of treasure from The Vault and the rapidly respawning enemies.
However, beyond a few graphic troubles and a paper-thin plot, not much is wrong with Borderlands. The leveling system is impeccable. Enemies and characters are well done. Beautiful locations and maps. Action is well placed alongside treasure hunts and other missions. Easy, yet challenging achievements. Dialogue is well presented and enjoyable to hear - my favourites have to be "I can see the code", "This is where the cars live, get you one!" and "Look at me everybody! I'm dancing, I'm dancing!" In fact, those little robot Clap Traps and the other ingenious characters you meet along the way make the game and on the whole Borderlands is fun to play and explore.
I don't think replay value is very high in Borderland's case. Although there is a four player Xbox LIVE mode, once you have reached level 50 and acquired the best weapons, there's not much keeping you around. Although entertaining, the endless search for weapons and loot is not nearly enough to hold the game afloat for a second or third play-through with such a pathetic storyline. Borderlands tries its' very hardest to break barriers, but in the end is only confined by itself. However, as I've mentioned above, although there are several issues, some big, some small, the positives outweigh the bad and the game succeeds as both a sci-fi adventure and mission-based RPG. I wish there'd been a bit more thought and effort placed into polishing the game, but where it lacks shine, Borderlands more than makes up for in character, charm and gameplay. If you want the story of four bounty hunters on the search for gold and fame with some great settings, then this game is for you.
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