Game Review: Borderlands the Presequel

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a first person shooter set on the moon of the distant world of Pandora. Although this is the third game in the series, it is set before Borderlands 2 - hence the title. 

As in previous games, you select one of four characters and battle your way across Pandora’s moon slaughtering bandits, nutters and the local curious wildlife in the process. 

The game play is very similar to previous incarnations of Borderlands but the biggest change is the jump mechanic. Being on a moon and in lower gravity you can jump very high and over long distances while enjoying slow fall time. 

If you’ve picked one of the three human characters (Athena, Nisha or Wilheim) you will also have to frequently refill your air canister or risk suffocation. If you select Claptrap - the robot - this isn’t a problem. Jumping doesn’t cost you air but the extra jump does - so watch out. 

 

As for the story, you are trying to help a man named Jack regain control of a space station belonging to the Hyperion Corporation that has been taken over by a military group called the Lost Legion. 

For those who have not played the series, Jack is the villain in Borderlands 2 and this is the story of how he became such an a***hole. 

As usual the game isn’t heavily story-driven and focuses more on the game play than anything else. Sighting targets with weapons is as good as it’s ever been and so are the rest of the controls. There is also a nice new selection of weapons to try out as well. 

But while the game stays true to its core mechanics, graphics and humour, there is a lack of anything big and new. 

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel gets 6/10.

Finding the Vault: Borderlands Game Review

With the recent release of the new Borderlands game, The Pre-sequel, I’ve decided to have a shot at the original 2009 game. Not to be confused with the southern region of Scotland that shares a similar name (The Borders), the game drops you on a desert planet called Pandora. 

After selecting one of four characters, who all specialise in different weaponry, you then must begin your search for a mythical alien bunker called The Vault.

If you’re after a story driven game then you’re best looking elsewhere as that is pretty much the extent of it in Borderlands. You have to do certain missions and speak to certain people to move the story a long but they do not say much and there is definitely no complicated subplots going on in this desert. 

Borderlands is a first person shooter and if you’re into the genre this will be right up your street. I found it was very enjoyable to play with friends as a team shooter. However, while Borderlands has a wide range of missions for you to play besides the main story, they are all very samey. As a result the game can be very repetitive at times. 

But it has some nice cartoony graphics and the music is good, and so are the controls. This is a good one to play with friends rather than go it alone. 

Borderlands gets 7/10.