I have loved the Borderlands series since the very first game was released back in 2009, does this make me a little biased? Possibly, but I will try and keep this review as objective as I can…
Firstly I know some parts of the press have criticised the name Pre-Sequel, I admit Gearbox released the games in the ‘wrong’ order- as the name suggests, this game links the events of the first game with those with the second. But what were they going to call it: Borderlands 1.5? I however like the name and it seems to link in well with the designers’ left field views compared with many other game makers.
So to the game. As per the first two games the opening sequence is a cut scene introducing the four vault hunters- one of which you pick to play on your journey to Elpis, a moon of the planet Pandora (the main planet from the first and second game.) You are also introduced to Handsome Jack who acts as your main companion for the game. You then get the standard training missions introducing the game mechanics which need to be mastered to be successful. I’m not going to lie they are fairly simple, some spell casting, potion making and just a basic amount of resource management. Here you also meet the next major character in your journey, a claptrap robot. Claptraps have appeared in all the games in the series and well…… just play the games and you’ll soon understand.
So what has remained from the previous two games winning formula? Well there’s still the use of Cel shading graphics, which somehow manages to be incredibly simple yet at the same time adds so much detail to the game environment. The style of graphics also means that high frame rates on fairly lower speed PCs and consoles can be achieved without having to turn all of the settings right down.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Developed by 2K Australia and Gearbox Software
The humour too remains, in an age where every game seems so heavily revolved around being realistic to the point of spending half the game close to death, it is refreshing to have games like the Borderlands series. The dialog is sharp and witty, the physics extreme and the violence comical. Gearbox has also decided that unlike the previous games where nearly everyone had American accents with a few British characters, inhabitants on Elpis have Australian accents. I like this idea, it reinforces a distinctly different place from the previous two games and the different architecture reflects this.
Finally there are guns, lots of guns! The usual classes are there but they simply get wilder and more extreme as you level up and progress through the game. For even more variety there are four different manufactures of weapons, each of which has its own idea of which attribute is most important: power, accuracy, rate of fire etc. Further to this are the elemental weapons, some set opponents on fire, others electrocute and there’s even newly added frozen weapons and lasers that behave differently depending on the atmosphere.
This neatly brings me onto what I think is the biggest change for borderlands series: oxygen! Unlike the previous games, in Pre-Sequel you have to monitor your oxygen reserves on top of health, shield charge and ammunition. This becomes a real concern as, when you get further in, enemies become tougher and fire fights start to last longer. Another new feature is reduced gravity, enabling you to jump higher and further which can be boosted further using your boost pack, however the use of your boost pack reduces your oxygen reserves adding another tactical element.
Borderlands offers fantastic multi player and one of the most highly regarded co-op experiences in gaming and this Pre-sequel doesn’t let us down. Difficulty levels even scale depending on how many people are playing, a simple but brilliant idea.
So is this game going to change the gaming landscape? No. Pre-Sequel is a great game and a clever expansion on the series. However it’s not going to convert those who didn’t enjoy the previous games, and this is probably its biggest fault. I think that in some ways it hasn’t evolved enough and is looking and feeling a little well trodden. Hopefully this will change in its next offering. With that said I still love playing the game and would definitely recommend to existing fans, however if you have not played the previous two games I would recommend you start by grabbing them at a bargain price.
Author – Jon, Cardiff store
