LogFAQs > #947707106

6. Borderlands 3
Genre FPS Diablo clone, aka looter shooter

Gameplay: 9
Rest of Game: 6
Engagement: 8
New to Me: 5
Playtime: 5

Total score: 33/40

Song selection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdClSNDqCCg

Borderlands came out at a time when I was starting to fully transition away from consoles. I owned a 360, and lived with two other guys who also had one. They bought Borderlands along with a third friend, and I decided, eh, maybe I should look into this thing so as not to be left out. Its basically a sci-fi Diablo with FPS gameplay. Im not a hardcore shooter fan, but I think I can take this.

Oh, I took it. And Borderlands 2. And the Pre-Sequel. And Tales From the Borderlands. And all the DLC. Although the later installments are better games from a technical perspective, none of them quite captured the magic for me of the original, which Gearbox kinda ruined the first time they raised the level cap.

Gearbox also ruined my initial opportunity to play Borderlands 3 when they released it as an Epic Store exclusive. I have no problem with anyone who wants to play PC games on a service that isnt Steam, but personally I want all my games in one place and I resent another platform coming along and essentially creating a softcore version of the console wars on home computing. And so I had to wait six months for the game to come out.

Im neither going to say it was worth the wait or that I was ultimately all that upset at the delay. Borderlands 3 is to Borderlands 2/TPS what Borderlands 2 was to Borderlands 1. Which is to say, more guns, more levels, more characters, more everything...except that their lead writer left the studio and it shows. While very few villains could ever hope to match the amazingness of Handsome Jack, the Calypso Twins looked like they werent up for the task. Then they became more interesting later into the game, before Gearbox cut everything off at the knees and squandered the potential they had. If youre going to play this game, dont do it for the story. Its not abysmal; its just...disappointing. And the center of that disappointment swirls around the chick I mained in the first game, and her failure to do any of the things someone in her position really ought to have, up until the ending when stuff happens. (Ill write a spoiler-laden post if anyone really wants to hear my thoughts.)

But for all things that arent the story, BL3 is exactly what youve come to expect from BL and beyond. That alone is worth it right there. I completed the game, started a playthrough on TVHM, and will undoubtedly return when I can get all the DLC at once for cheap. So far Im up to 63 hours played, and I ultimately garnered 120 on BL2. (Probably more on BL1, but who knows, since that wasnt on Steam.)

Should you play it?: You get to beat up Penn and Teller. Tell me thats not worth it.

Next: A game about an MC that has to leave their home

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Video Game Music Contest 14 champion: Idola Phantasy Star Saga - Endeavour