Borderlands

**Kekvit Irae** · 11-01-2009, 12:59

I have been addicted to this game as of late. It's more of a cross between Hellgate: London and Fallout 3... which isn't always a good thing. For one, the presentation is extremely bland. While it does have beautiful cell-shaded graphics, the only thing you will be seeing for 95% of the game are sand, raiders, and metal sheet siding. Think of Megaton in Fallout 3, but expanded to a huge game world. In fact, until you get to the very final "dungeon", get yourself used to seeing desert, ill-constructed towns, and the same variety of bandit.

But it's not all garbage. As I've said before, I've become extremely addicted to the game. It's Hellgate: London done right. I always get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when I find an incendiary or corrosive sniper rifle I can use.

**Monk** · 11-01-2009, 18:35

Borderlands: It's the Mad Max Apocalypse, bring friends.

I just got this game and have hit the two hour mark and I must say I'm thoroughly impressed thus far. Environments are nothing to write home about, you see the first town in the game and it's pretty obvious that you're not getting out of the desert anytime soon. But the stylish presentation sold me without even trying, Cell-Shade is always a plus especially when it's done this nicely.

It feels like someone finally got the FPS-RPG right, combat is fluid and a joy to partake in and the weapons... oh the weapons. Borderlands doesn't take itself too seriously, and when you're fighting enemies named "Bad*** Skag", you know you're in for a fun ride.

The one huge downside is character customization: There isn't any. You can pick your class, name and colors of your clothes but that's pretty much it. Still - this is a great game, i'd highly recommend coop though as I can see Single-player getting dull after a while.

**Veho Nex** · 11-02-2009, 00:56

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Edit: Sorry guys. I didn't think about the smaller screen crowd.

Went hunting with ma buddy

**TinCow** · 11-02-2009, 13:19

Started playing this co-op with my wife yesterday. So far, I have only two things to say about it:

1) Best co-op shooter ever.
2) Most stylish game ever.

**TinCow** · 01-10-2010, 17:51

Scienter and I have been playing the Mad Moxxi DLC for the last couple days. If you've got friends to play with, this is an excellent expansion. It is, simply put, VERY HARD. I love challenging games and am turned off by games that are too easy to win, and this is a major challenge. No, you don't get any experience from the kills and the loot is good, but not spectacular, but the arenas themselves are just a lot of fun. I doubt if it would be as much fun solo, but with a partner it's really added another great aspect to the game, IMO.

It can take 90+ minutes to complete a single arena, and you've got to do it all in one sitting, no logging out and coming back later to finish it. Plus, during that entire time at least one person has to be alive at all times. If everyone is down simultaneously, you're done and get kicked back a full round (15-20 minutes of fighting). All enemies spawn at your character's level. There are five waves per round, Starter Wave (general stuff), Gun Wave (all enemies have guns), Horde Wave (tons of melee enemies), Bad

Wave (Very tough enemies), and Boss Wave (a boss character from the normal game, plus minions). The first two rounds have the enemies spawned with slightly reduced health, damage, etc. The third wave is with them at normal skill. The fourth and fifth waves give them bonuses to health, etc. From round 2 through 4, every wave has a random modifier which makes things even more interesting. Round 5 has two random modifiers. And there are three arenas.

Oh, and that's just the beginner level. I'll tell you what the actual HARD level is like when I get there. It's taking a long time just to finish the starter arenas, lol.

Two thumbs up from me.

**Beskar** · 01-10-2010, 21:23

Originally Posted by TinCow

Scienter and I have been playing the Mad Moxxi DLC for the last couple days. If you've got friends to play with, this is an excellent expansion. It is, simply put, VERY HARD. I love challenging games and am turned off by games that are too easy to win, and this is a major challenge. No, you don't get any experience from the kills and the loot is good, but not spectacular, but the arenas themselves are just a lot of fun. I doubt if it would be as much fun solo, but with a partner it's really added another great aspect to the game, IMO.

I found it really boring, very repititive and not really requiring much skill, other than the Vampire bonus round bit. Then again, I did it on my level 50 character, with some one else online, and they all spawned level 50's which you had to go around the map searching for (in circles) just to progress.

Progression was doing the same 5 exact phases 15 times (so the same thing, basically 75 times). There are no loot drops worth a mention, basically just a trashy drop at the end of the round, more fun just to save and keep reloading while you camp a claptrap equipment box and you get far more out of it.

Also, I didn't find it hard at all. Only hard part was when they spawn those Eridian Warriors as they have shields which refuse to go down (I really need to get a good shock weapon), but it wasn't hard in the fun way. It was 'hard' in the sense I can to basically run out of all my ammo just to kill them while standing there, way.

Oh, and that's just the beginner level. I'll tell you what the actual HARD level is like when I get there. It's taking a long time just to finish the starter arenas, lol.

Two thumbs up from me.

There are only 3 arenas. I completed it on a 2nd playthrough as a level 50 with me on Lillith and some random guy who joined in as Mordekai (also level 50). IF you complete all 3 arenas (so 75 matches if you don't fail any), you get a grand prize of +1 skill point. Apparently, if I redo it on playthrough 1, I can do all 75 for another +1 skill point, but it isn't really worth it at all.

Only good things about the DLC is that the DLC is also the game patch, where it fixes a lot of the online issue, multiple quest issues, etc.

**TinCow** · 01-10-2010, 22:50

Originally Posted by Beskar

Also, I didn't find it hard at all. Only hard part was when they spawn those Eridian Warriors as they have shields which refuse to go down (I really need to get a good shock weapon), but it wasn't hard in the fun way. It was 'hard' in the sense I can to basically run out of all my ammo just to kill them while standing there, way.

Scienter and I are both level 46, and there are plenty of times when we're both in serious trouble of going down at the same time. We're having a blast. It's more entertaining than loot farming, IMO, especially if you're already at level 50 and XP is meaningless to you.

There are only 3 arenas. I completed it on a 2nd playthrough as a level 50 with me on Lillith and some random guy who joined in as Mordekai (also level 50). IF you complete all 3 arenas (so 75 matches if you don't fail any), you get a grand prize of +1 skill point. Apparently, if I redo it on playthrough 1, I can do all 75 for another +1 skill point, but it isn't really worth it at all.

We just finished the small tournament (5 rounds of 5 waves each) a little while ago, and unlocked the big tournament. It's on the same maps, but there are 20 round of 5 waves each on all 3 maps, and you eventually get up 4 modifiers per round. I've read that completing a single big tournament map can take up to 6 hours, so it's a major time investment.

**Beskar** · 01-11-2010, 00:12

Originally Posted by TinCow

Scienter and I are both level 46, and there are plenty of times when we're both in serious trouble of going down at the same time. We're having a blast. It's more entertaining than loot farming, IMO, especially if you're already at level 50 and XP is meaningless to you.

Yeah, the XP is meaningless, I got lots of money, I just want some good weapons. My best weapon is still a Dark Orange level 36 I got very lucky with. It just kills everything. But I just find it really silly that the DLC's doesn't give you any good weapons as I am really wanting to upgrade my shotgun. If you like, I could probably join you and Scienter (actually, probably cannot anymore, since I relocated again to an area I have to use a lan... no port forwarding options).

[Edit: The new DLC allows me to play online :D So I can join you two, if you like. Maybe it is just the lack of company]

We just finished the small tournament (5 rounds of 5 waves each) a little while ago, and unlocked the big tournament. It's on the same maps, but there are 20 round of 5 waves each on all 3 maps, and you eventually get up 4 modifiers per round. I've read that completing a single big tournament map can take up to 6 hours, so it's a major time investment.

Unfortunately, that just sounds really tedious. Unless there are some more options other than general/gun round/horde round/bad$$/boss over and over.

Only really redeeming feature if this - Imagine if Moxxie is Frogbeastegg. Then imagine Froggy doing all the commentary, etc. That brought me a smile.

**Kekvit Irae** · 01-15-2010, 14:27

Mad Moxxi gets a HUGE two thumbs down for me for the following reasons: I don't play co-op, so having to go through 25 waves per arena (three arenas for the initial quest, 100 waves for the larger tournament) with no breaks in between, all waves are the same and are never randomized (starter, gun, horde, badass, boss), crap loot every five waves, no exp except for whatever Get X Kills challenges you have yet to complete, and a nice story setup but absolutely NO story progression once you play.

The developers dropped the ball on this one. A total waste of my ten dollars.