Borderlands is a FPS in a similar vein to FO3 (post apocalyptic), alot of the mechanics are the same (no VATS though), but you level up and buy skills in a similar way to Diablo. It has a few different types of characters, each has three skill trees, so alot of replayability. Its quest driven, so you dont get too lost in the huge landscape.
It uses a type of cel-shaded graphics, but its not really cel shaded, its fully 3D, very refreshing to look at, gameplay movies and screenshots dont do it justice, after you get used to it, your eyes feel like they have been scoured clean, with the crispness on display, its strange no other gaems have been made like this, its very impressive.
There are vehicles and vehicular combat too, so I'm really looking forward to it. :)
Review to follow.
excellent <rubs hands> ;D :-X
You mentioned this on the other thread and I was going to mention I remember it having co-op, so maybe it's a game OWG members might get together on. btw Fiach did you pick it up for x360 or PS3?
360 mate, I'm not totally in love with the PS3, I only got it for its exclusives.
I like the 360 controller better, but games tend to look better on the 360, they seem to load faster too.
My PS3 seems to run very hot (plastic makes cracking sounds when it starts to cool LOL :)), This is a common complaint apparently.
Some games dont seem to be install-able (is that a word?) on the PS3 either, compared to the 360, where all games can be installed, which means the disc drive doesnt spin and make noise, the console runs cooler and levels load faster.
Yes, its a pretty ideal Co-Op game as there are a number of complimentary classes, my character is like a mage/assassin mix, but there are melee and tanks too.
So far Im enjoying the game, havent got a vehicle yet, but done a few quests, got some nice guns, but I'm only Lv 8.
One thing about the game, like FC2 the enemies respawn, but so do ammo and cash caches, so you are never stuck, there are vendors in the boss places that sell you gear too, plus have a ton of ammo and gun cases laying around for free, so if you cant kill a boss, its not the games fault LOL :)
Here is a link to the skill trees for my class (Siren), after level 6, each level you attain, you get a point to spend on a skill :
http://www.borderlandsthegame.com/skilltree/lilith/#21505050555000005005500
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87 BAZILLION WEAPONS!!!!!
Yeah, thats the games USP (Unique Selling Point) its a quote from one of the dev's (caps are his :)), there is a random weapon generator, which is supposed to have that kind of spread of different attributes. There is a problem with this, its a minor one, but for example if your mate gets an awesome weapon, chances are you will never see another with those stats again, so unilke say Diablo, there are no specific uber weapons to aim for, due to the randomness of the creations, on the plus side, you wont have a locker stuffed with 140 generic assualt rifles, to use for repair, because these 87 BAZILLION WEAPONS!!!!! dont degrade. This is important, because if you get a beauty, you will never have to worry about it breaking.
Its a weird way to start a review, but to be honest, the core of this FPS game, is its weapons load out, the game is more loot 'em up, than shoot 'em up, it nails its colours to the mast with a Railgun of ULTIMATDESTRUCTION!!!!
An easy way to describe this game, would be to call it Fallout 3's cheeky kid brother, it doesnt sweat the big stuff, it wants to have fun and dammit, its gonna get it's way!
You start on the planet Pandora, on a bus driving through the desert, with a pretty cool swamp/blues type of a soundtrack playing, on the bus you are introduced to the passengers, each one represents the classes of the game (Tank, Assassin, Melee etc.), as they are introduced to you, you choose which you prefer, you become that class, the bus stops and you step down to the ground at a desert/deserted bus stop, whirls of sand, gusting lazily around you in whorls, to be greeted by a robot called Claptrap, who introduces you to the basic mechanics of the game.
Claptrap is a pretty cool character, kind of a grungy WALL-E, but when you stop moving he will buzz around doing tricks like an affectionate little puppy ...... on crack cocaine! He is even in the background of the Main menu, speding around, setting himself on fire and stuff, he has no effect on the game, he's just there and thats all he does. There are other claptraps that you can rescue, if successful, they will increase your inventory space.
The graphics are the first thing you notice, they look cel shaded, but they are 3D, very crisp and clear, kinda refreshing looking too, they are probably an aquired taste for some, I loved them from the first moment I saw them.
After the tutorial, you can exit the compound, to be greeted by a post apocalyptic wasteland, ala Fallout 3, but this is brighter, more colourful, this game could be called the Anti-FO3, everything that was annoying in FO3, seems to be addressed here.
You dont have to search in dark buildngs with your cursor for hidden boxes of loot, they all have a green light on them, after they are emptied, the light glows red. (BTW, they also refill if you reload the game, so you can eg. save/reload and raid the boxes again).
There is no VATS, this is a straightforward FPS game, the weapons are different though, you get the usual, rifles, snipers, SMG's, grenades etc, but they also come in different flavours, like for example, I have a handgun and a sniper rifle that apart from shooting monsters, they will also set them on fire, I can also get a skill for my character, that will increase that sort of elemental damage that is dealt to enemies, There is also lightning and other types afaik. The sniper rifles and pistols are pretty cool, with the telescopic image really grungy and garish looking (in an evil way, kinda like the art w@&k in Hunter S Thompson books if that means anything to you).
There is only one vehicle as far as I can gather (maybe a second one much later), thats it, but you can customize it in great detail, it can be armed, but I gather that its not great in combat for damage output, it handles great (like a warthog in Halo, which means that you steer with the camera analogue stick, seems odd, but works great.
The quests are not as deep as Fallout 3, but they propel you through the story, with direction and items to help you along (btw, as in FO3, you are looking for a Vault). The characters that give the quests are interesting and have nice details about them, they dont ever become endearing, but they are different to quest givers in other games, in a good way.
Some of the quests seem difficult, you have to realise this is at heart an RPG, if you are having difficulty with a quest, go away, kill some stuff for awhile and level up, get more skills, then come back and kick a$$. Levelling up and buying skills are a doddle, its interface is more Diablo than FO3. As you level up you gain more health, but you dont have to worry about stats like Intelligence, Strength etc, you just buy skills for helping you fight.
These templates are used to see how best to spend the points you earn while playing, you get one point for every level after level 5. so its a handy way to plan your build and refine it as you play.
You will recieve 4 points by level 50, which is the highest level you can attain.
You must spend 15 skill points in a style (3 x 5 points), to open the lowest (most powerful) power in that skill tree, but you can mix and match skills from other trees if you desire.
For example, you could spend 15 in each of two trees, to access the powerful last skill in each of those trees and still have 5 points left over to enhance other skills.
The first skill has to be purchased, to open up the choice of three skill trees underneath.
An example of the types of skill available :
Each character has a starting ability that bust be chose at level 5, before you can access the skill trees.
LILITH
She has a special power that causes her to Phaseshift, she turns invisible and when she quits Phaseshift, she causes elemental damage to any enemies near her. Alot of her powers are based on adding elemental damage to her bullets, so ideally find a weapon with a high Rate of Fire, because every bullet will have a percentage chance to cause fire damage.She has an awesome power called Phoenix at the end of one skill tree.
http://www.borderlandsthegame.com/skilltree/lilith/#20000000000000000000000
ROLAND
He is the nearest to a straight forward soldier, he can play one of three roles, but his first skill allows him to deploy a gun turret beside him, alot of his skills are based on how the turret can be used, there is one skill, which causes it to fire missiles as well as bullets.
http://www.borderlandsthegame.com/skilltree/roland/#00000000000000000000000
BRICK
He is the melee berserker type, with a side order of explosives, his skills can be quite varied, making him very versatile from melee to Rocket Launchers he covers some interesting playstyles.
http://www.borderlandsthegame.com/skilltree/brick/#30000000000000000000000
MORDECAI
He is the sniper type, alot of his skills are based on hitting harder and faster, he also has a pet hawk, that will attack enemies.His skills can make your sniper rifle hold more ammunition, sway less while aiming, when you hit a target you regenerate health etc.
http://www.borderlandsthegame.com/skilltree/mordecai/#10000000000000000000000
The map area seems huge, the vehicle is just to get from A-B really, but there is also an in-game transport system, i guess kinda like Far Cry 2.
The game is solo-able and its a good game for solo play, but it apparently comes into its own in MP and Co-Op, the more in your team, the better the monsters and the item drops are also increased in quality.
So, its a fun game, great graphics that are a breath of fresh air, with accessible yet cool mechanics and great weapons, I enjoy it immensely, but I imagine that the GFX may put some people off, so if there is a demo, well maybe you should try it first, but GFX aside, its a good shooter, with a nice take on weapons, that's set in a cool environment.
Fiach : Playing games, so you dont have to.
Excellent revue Fiach thanks for that :-X looks like I´ll be buying this game the at the end of the month.
great review, cheers mate :-X
Just came across a handy game mechanic, if you are about to die, you get a message on the screen, saying FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE!, If you manage to kill an enemy before the timer runs out, you get a SECOND BREATH! message, Which replenishes a small percentage of your HP.
This was pretty effective in a Boss Fight, I just managed to ping a minion before I popped my clogs and got just enough HP back to kill the Boss. :)
haha, nice ;D :-X
Cheers, Fiach, cool review mate :-X
Nice review! :-X
I had seen a commercial for this one on TV, thought it looked interesting but didn't know anything about it until now. I am a fan of the cell shading look so that caught my eye right away. Sounds like it's right up the OWG alley! ;D
Yeah the game is still pretty cool, one thing though, if you hated the guards respawning in FC2, you will have issues with BL as they respawn VERY quickly, one thing about the game is you are never stuck for ammo,but they sure do give you LOTS to kill, sometimes when the Skags attack you, there will be alot of them and more on your way back, but you will always have ammo, a bit Serious Sam-ish, but not that many enemies compared to it.
This is pretty self evident, but always have a few guns, filled with DIFFERENT ammo, so when you run out of one type, at least you have something else to fall back on.
Speaking of ammo, I got an interesting grenade MOD, now any grenade I throw, explodes as normal, the explosion spawns a bunch of smaller grenades that also explode
Some guns fire bullets that cause the enemies to go on fire, you dont need special ammo, which is nice.
The buggy is interesting, its good for squishing enemies that maybe a little higher than you, if you cant gun them down to easily, it saves you getting bogged down in firefights if you are in a hurry. Also there are lots of places around where you can respawn a new buggy, if yours gets destroyed or you leave it and go exploring, but also ..... the place that spawns them, can (if you wish) spawn you back in the buggy where you left it. I havent tried this, but I gather that from what I have heard, which seems like a handy teleport device.
The game is nicely designed in a way that you are always achieving something, you can play for 20 minutes to kill some time (and other stuff), you will still get a bit of XP to progreas, or loot some money etc. from boxes.
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Hmm, interesting. I just might ask Santa for this one. 8)
Quote from: Fiach on October 25, 2009, 12:51:17 AMI got an interesting grenade MOD, now any grenade I throw, explodes as normal, the explosion spawns a bunch of smaller grenades that also explode
There was this cluster grenade "bonus" you got with CoD:ModernWarfare(1) which worked the same. It was available in the options menue, had to be unlocked first. I remember it so well because I used in the bonus mission you get at the end of the game, where you have to clear a plane of hijackers. Was big fun using them in a flying jumbo, though ;D
Any idea how long a playthrough of this game is supposed to take? We are all certainly well spoiled now by the length of FC2, so is there any indication yet on how Borderland compares?
Thats a very subjective question, it really depends on the player, their style and their ability to take on a FPS.
I would say from looking int this, minimum of 30 hours, that is with great FPS skills and knowing what to do and when to do it (using a walkthrough for example although I dont know if there is one.) Doing all quests and again knowing exactly where to go and what to do. I am still in the desert after 10 hours, so I cant see 30 as being accurate.
I have seen 100 hours bandied about and it wouldnt surprise me as being accurate.
After you reach lv 50 (level cap) and finishing the game, you unlock New Game +, which allows you to start over, with your old skills intact (plus gear) and face tougher monsters.
There is also the other classes which seem pretty cool and offer not only class style differences of gameplay, but also the classes have three skill trees tha can be mixed and matched for further refining of a style unique to your way of playing.
So maybe (a guess) 100 hours if you want to just do it and leave it alone after that, otherwise, it could be up to 300 hours depending on how your OCD is working out vs the drugs you are taking to combat it. :)
BTW : The game uses CoD4 MW controls by and large, so any comparisons would be accurate, vis a vis mechanics.
I think I need to get this game :) Thanks again, fiach, for your comprehensive info :-X
Excellent reporting Fiach, many thanks! :-X
Just so you know, its not an easy game, A bullet to the head wont kill alot of these enemies, It would probably just piss them off! :)
Expect to be doing alot of circle strafing and back pedalling etc.
There is no difficulty level, so if you get bogged down in a section, you will have to grind up a few levels and come back to it, to try again.
Apart from the levels and extra skills, hopefully you will loot some uber gear to use, to lay the smack down on enemies.
The game is fun, yes, but its not easy.
I just wanted to say that before someone bought it and got annoyed if they hit a brick wall in the game and blamed me. :)
just checked, PC release in Germany will be 30th October, and some people who already bought it (don't ask me how) are complaining that starforce security, which comes with the game, keeps the game locked until that date. Tss... Apparently there are different versions out, too, as in censored and uncut. Man, great.
Starforce???/ ...... *shudders*
I dunno what it is with german games, I have bought a couple (last one was a top down RPG called Sacred) and they all had Starforce which played hell with my PC, so after that I never bought another german dev'd game.
I know some games have had to release patches to clear the starforce lock n their games, X3 if I recall correctly had to release a patch, so you could play without the game disc in its tray, becaus of the problems people hd with Starforce.
Could you not get an international copy from Play.com or Amazon maybe?
Here ya go, may need to check the postage, as they dont charge postage to Ireland.
http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/5310252/Borderlands/Product.html
very kind of you, fiach :)
And yes, I remember X3 among other games and some issues with it. I never had problems with starforce itself, but once, and then starforce was quicker to release a working "patch" than the publisher. I am more concerned about bloody censoring. So yes, I might give it a try (but I don't do business over the net, yet I know people who'd do it for me)
Well I deal with Play.com alot, so have no fear about their honesty, they are as well respected as Amazon, but I find them to be less expensive for most items.
Hope you can get it with no problems.
I'm only Lv 15, but still having a blast and still in the first area (desert), from what I can gather there are maybe 4 map areas, here is a handy wiki site for the game if you get stuck on anything :
http://wikicheats.gametrailers.com/index.php/Borderlands_-_PC_PS3_XB360/Side_Missions#By_the_Seeds_of_Your_Pants
I did find a nice game mechanic today, I maxed a skill (5 points) and I was very disappointed with the usefulness of the skill, I found that for a sum of in-game money (2000 gold I think it was, it was cheap anyway), I could reset all my skills and re-apply the points to new skills.
I had spent points, where you regain health while invisible, which I figured would be really handy, but after 5 levels, the HP gains was incredibly small, and you can buy shields (like the shield bar over your HP bar in other FPS games), which cause your HP to regenerate anyway, so I put the points into Quicksilver, which increases your rate of fire ...... the difference to my gameplay was astounding, I had a very slow shooting, but quite powerful assault rifle, now its a death machine, same with my sniper rifle, the increased RoF makes it a very lethal piece of kit.
Also this Quicksilver is part of a very interesting skill tree, where, if you max out 3 skills, you unlock a skill called Phoenix.
This skill is quite exceptional, if you are surrounded by enemies and hit one, it sets all surrounding enemies on fire too, which is a really nice "Get out of Jail Free card :)
On the negative side, if you have Phoenix activated and walk past an oil barrel ...... well ummm, not good for your health LOL, but risk vs reward is always a nice curb on elite powers I think.
Quote from: Art Blade on October 25, 2009, 07:11:32 PM
Apparently there are different versions out, too, as in censored and uncut. Man, great.
/Whinge mode ONAw, man, what is it with these touchy-feely Dudley Do-Rights? Why don't they just slap a rating on it and be done with it? Or do they think we're all too stupid to know what's good for ourselves? >:(
(finally got to use the cranky face)And what d'you reckon - which of these most closely defines "Starforce":
A fleet of Star Destroyers
A mega pain in the arse for gamers
A big wank
(more than one answer allowed)
/Whinge mode OFF
haha, nice read, fiach :) And thanks for the comments on the game seller.
Fragger, tell me about it. Just as a sidenote, games like Wolfenstein (any of them) are banned here because of a certain symbol used by a certain party... they don't even consider you are fighting against those. And Even if a game is rated 18+ (adult) doesn't mean they don't censor it, they will cut out or disable any "excessive" violence as in ragdoll and body parts flying away. A game like FO3, even, did not contain any of the gore that made it so fun, killed enemies would just drop like a stone. Fortunately I got the US version. I hate it, really, that some idiots "know" what I want to see, even if rated 18+. Some games never make it to our country because the devs would have to cut down too much. Alright, this is going to change nothing, so I have to find a way if necessary, and there is always a way if someone really wants something.
We'd not blame anyone Fiach - we all realize that one person's treasure is another's junk. The greater number of posts that I see, the more of an informed decision I can make, so reading the details is greatly appreciated! :-X
Still enjoying this game, only lv 18, but its really enjoyable.
I got a quest to kill (what I thought were two guys) 2 named bosses, now, I found them by accident, while exploring, but they were at the end of a rather difficult section, which was rather daunting, I wound up fighting one of them, he heard me shooting other monsters and came to investigate, I (by the skin of my teeth) killed him, but had no bullets left, so I had to save and quit, to get back to the beginning of the level, which was OK, becuse it saved the fact that I had killed him, so I levelled up a wee bit and gave it another shot.
I fought my way to the area and the bugger that I had killed had respawned, so they started double tagging me along with the damn skags in the area too, then the bloody bandits I had killed, started to respawn as I was running away from the bosses, it was just a complete and utter SNAFU, I eventually killed the bandits again, headed back to try to kill the second boss, without the other one seeing me.
Darned if the first one wasnt the bloody first to see me, I had to do everything I could to stay alive, even down to preserving the little skags (when I say little, I mean compared to the boss, the skags are vicious), so I could use them if I needed a "Second Breath", eventually I killed the first guy again, but I was out of bullets ..... again, all I had was a shotgun, which I never use, but I had kept it because it had good stats and I had a full quota of shells.
Time for the second guy, to cut a long story short, I killed his a$$, and I got so much XP, I levelled my shotgun proficiancy 3 times (I never knew you levelled weapon proficancy LOL), and ..... HE DROPPED A ROCKET LAUNCHER!!!!
So, being the dumbass I am, instead of saving and quitting, to get back to the start of the area, I decided to walk back, to test my shotty skills, man I had to fight for every foot of ground, all the bandits and skags had respawned, but with them had spawned "BADASSES" (mini bosses), all I had was my shotty and two missiles, It was so hectic, I couldnt use the missiles, as I would kill myself with the splash damage, so all I could do was run and gun with the shotty.
I never felt so darn exhillerated, with every successful encounter on the way back, so what I figured was going to be chore-some in the extreme, became a test of wills between me and Borderlands, Naturally having the OWG Aura (tm) activated, I eventually won through, but gawd it was great!
Just thought I would share that with ya all :)
that was intense even if only reading about it -- well done, mate ;D :-X
Yeah, I might look into this game as a hold over between my second run thru of Wolfenstein and when Rage comes out. Of course, with sprinklings of FC2 now and then.
Good one Fiach :-X
Just to say I edited the first post here, with some red text.
This text gives a brief description of each character and underneath, a link to a blank Skill Template for each one.
This template is used to see how best to spend the points you earn while playing, you get one point for every level after level 5. so its a handy way to plan your build and refine it as you play.
You will recieve 4 points by level 50, which is the highest level you can attain.
You must spend 15 skill points in a style (3 x 5 points), to open the lowest (most powerful) power in that skill tree, but you can mix and match skills from other trees if you desire.
For example, you could spend 15 in each of two trees, to access the powerful last skill in each of those trees and still have 5 points left over to enhance other skills.
The first skill has to be purchased, to open up the choice of three skill trees underneath.
So, I take it you can do a run thru of the game with one character, then start another game with a different character? Total of four characters with pretty varied skills seems to be quite a good amount of replay, not to mention the 87 bazillion guns....
Well actually there is more to it than that, you complete the game at Lv 50, then you can restart the game with all your skills intact, but the enemies that you fight then are commensurately harder.
So you can play as any character for one or two playthroughs.
I stopped my Siren (Lilith) at lv 20, so I could check out the other classes, I have since played the sniper (Mordecai) to Lv 13 and the soldier (Roland to Lv 7).
While I enjoyed them all so far (Berzerker isn't a class for me tbh), I wonder about the validity of the "second playthrough", although I can see the appeal to others.
You see, they can all be fully profficant in each weapon, its just that their starting stats lean towards a particular style of weapon, but, continued use of a weapon makes you more profficant, which after awhile will offset any prediliction for your starter weapon of choice.
Eg. Sirens begin with some better starts for using a SMG, its the most sensible weapon for her as her skills increase the rate of fire, for what is ostensibly the fastest firing weapon in the game, then she adds elemental damage % chance to each bullet, so imagine the proc rate for her with such a fast weapon.
The sniper starts off being able to hold the sniper rifle more steadily and continued usage of that weapon, solidifies his control, which is also augumented by his skill tree.
The same for the others in slightly different ways.
So if you favour a combat scheme that uses eg a revolver and a shotgun, you can concievably use any character with those weapons, sure, you would miss the proc rate of the SMG with the elemental RoF, but the SMG bullets are not powerful to begin with, so the loss of the proc rate would be offset and mitigated by the incredible power of a shotgun/revolver blast, plus you would still get the elemental damage added to the attack.
Now, that may sound "bad", but in actual fact, it just shows how well balanced the game is.
So while each character has a unique style of play, you could easily homogenize them, if that suited your taste.
Personally, I would perfer to play the game with only one playthrough per character, but, you could also play it twice with each character.
On the second playthrough, the weapons and loot drops increase their quality substantially, so, its not just a rehash of the first playthrough, it actually has had serious effort put into its design.
I'm really enjoying the game, so much so, that I was in Dublin earlier today and bought the strategy guide, I dont need it, You cannot miss anything and any queries you have about the game can be answered on forums and WIKI. But I like it so much, I like the depth and background the guide adds to my experience while playing.
sounds great, glad you have so much fun and joy :) :-X
Ok, so I picked Borderlands up last Friday and I've got Mordecai (the sniper) up to level 11, and I've played enough now to be able to form some opinions:
First of all, the graphics are stunning and highly stylized just as Fiach has said. It truly is like playing a moving comic book. I caught myself today standing in a cave staring at this crystal structure that was growing out of the wall - It was translucent and bent the light that passed through it in interesting ways, and if you stood at the right angle you could see that it's surface actually had a texture to it that was realistic looking at the same time. They obviously spent a lot of time fine-tuning the visuals.
Second, the dialog is hilarious! Scooter: "The catch-a-ride station is more busted than my momma's girl parts! I'd sure appreciate you takin' a poke at that, uh, the system, not my mom . . ."
Intro to first boss fight: "Nine-toes: He really has nine-toes (he also has three balls)". I'm sure there is much more to come, and it had been awhile since I had laughed out loud at a video game.
Third, the fights are intense!!! Multiple times so far I have had a Scag lunging for my jugular and at the last possible moment, whipped my Ferocious Matador (yes, that's the name of a gun - imagine a large pump activated revolver/rifle thing that shoots shotgun shells . . . yeah) up from a reload to blow it's body clean in half with a critical hit! Keep in mind, this is not FC2. You are going to dump a crap-ton of ammo into many enemies and some you are not going to be able to hurt at all until you level up a bit.
So, so far, great fun addictive game! I approve :-X :-X
but, I repeat, this is not like FC2, so if you are looking for something similar, keep looking!
cheers, nice report. Sounds fun :)
Right now I'm not so much after that game, but who knows...
Yeah, I killed a Badass Skag, back in noob town and it glitched and never fell over, I just walked around and around it, looking at the detail, it looks cartooney, but even each bristle on its back had the cel shading on it.
I'm really glad you are enjoying it mate, its such an oddball looking game, it is an aquired taste :)
There are alot of easter eggs in it, I wont spoil them for you but for example you have to collect 3 boxes of cigars for Bruce McClane, see if you can figure that one out :)
The guns are a hoot, pistol rocket launchers LOL!
I really like Mordecai alot, took a bit of getting used to after the spray and pray Lilith, but he is just a walking surgical strike, waiting to happen :)
Happy Hunting :)
Quote from: Fiach on November 17, 2009, 05:23:06 PM
such an oddball looking game, it is an aquired taste
That's the perfect description right there. This is going to be a love it/hate it thing for everyone who plays it, but I love the over-the-top nature of it. It's a caricature of the genre really, and I feel like it even pokes fun at itself at times.
And I'm a huge gun-whore, so basically they had me at "87 Bazillion Guns". If you don't crack a smile when you see an enemy burst into flames after being hit with an incindiary sniper round from 100 yards away, well, you're in the wrong department.
Hopefully we'll be in good company soon as more OWGers decide if they "love it or hate it" ;)
Yeah at first I was rather dubious about the gfx, until I saw them running.
I'm not a shooter fan at heart, alot of the time I consider them just "busy" w@&k and find them a nice diversion to RPG's, there are very few I take to heart, they have to have something that compels me, like a story, or some hook.
I like CoD 4 but hate 5, I only like FC1, but love FC2.
But I think that BL is more than the sum of its parts, the story isnt great, but the search for the perfect weapon, just a little longer playtime to get the next level up/skill, the little incidentals, like when the midgets fire their shotguns and fall on their a$$, it's all just very "more-ish". :)
cheers for the reviews guys, seen a few adverts for the game, and it looks quirky and fun. After reading whats been said about it here reckon i`ll certainly be getting a copy. Trust what is said here over any magazine review any day.
Quote from: Fiach on November 17, 2009, 05:23:06 PM
to collect 3 boxes of cigars for Bruce McClane, see if you can figure that one out :)
..... is he a Bruce Willis - type character ?.....
Yep Red, got it in one :)
More stuff I'm picking up on as I play:
Everyone on Pandora is a inbred simpleton, even the enemies. Everyone you encounter is so stupid, as in the stuff they say - because the AI is very strong. I've heard enemies shouting things like "No one shoots my friends but me!!!" and "blood!! Ha Ha! blood! blood for me!!!".
The enemy types are just bizarre too, and this game is starting to remind me more and more of old Mad Max movies. Earlier I was being chased around by a huge, muscular, bellowing guy wearing a mask and swinging what amounted to a giant meat-cleaver at me. The "weird" part, his left arm was this tiny, flacid, underdeveloped stumpy thing that flip-flopped uselessly at his side while he chased me. So strange . . .
And lastly, some of the back-story surrounding planet Pandora itself is starting to fill in. Basically, it is supposed to be the well-established crappiest place in the universe. I'm in the middle of a mission where I am collecting recordings left by a scientist documenting what was ultimately her doomed expedition to determine if this planet ever produced any advanced life forms. She describes her team slowly losing it because of the planet's bizarre day/night cycles, frustration with the brain-dead locals, how she doesn't like the fat girl on her team, and eventually how here entire team was eaten by skag's while she "avoided being devoured by hiding under the body of a colleauge who was already being devoured".
The dialogue in this game is so funny and well written/voice acted, it just keeps getting better! :-X
Yeah, that ladys dialogue is so well done, I missed a couple of them the first time around, I picked them up while fighting and didnt hear what she said, second playthrough I paid attention and was very impressed :)
Wait 'til you get to Dhal for more mad max-ism :)
I had a feeling there would be more of that on the way ;)
I've been taking my time, doing all the side missions, and generally kicking the tires, so it may be a little while before I get there. I'm level 16 now and I haven't gone after Sledge yet (I have the key to get to him though).
Yeah Sledge can be annoying :
TIPS
SPOILERS
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;People say to take his shield down with an electric weapon, then switch to sniper, I dont agree.
Run in and run around his room, with a shotty, take out his minions, though new ones will spawn periodically, its best to do this, so you dont run into them while Sledge is chasing you.
Switch to sniper, a decent gun should kill his shield, but it will regenerate after a bit, so get as much damage as possible on him, while its down, his HP can regen too, so dont be shocked if it does.
Try and have a good sniper that has a decent magazine, if you have a powerful 3 bullet mag vs a lesser 5 round mag, use the 5 rounder, you need the extra couple of shots before the shield regens.
His ranged shotgun is very inaccurate, so keep your distance and w@&k the room, sprint to an end, fire a few sniper rounds, dodge him and get some distance, rinse and repeat.
I have been observing my son-in-law playing and played co-op for about 3 missions. I like it but will make judgements when I play on my own.
I think you're the coolest grandpa I know, age-wise, gord ;D :-X I don't want to insult other grandpas here, but I think they're all younger than you :)
I havent played Co-Op, its supposed to be more difficult that solo play, but anyone I know tha has played it in Co-Op really liked it alot.
Yeah, I think co-op has a lot of potential, but I typically will finish the single-player game first before I will muck around in multiplayer
@ Fiach: I am still skipping over your "spoiler" post for the time being, I'm at level 19 and about to enter Headstone Mine to go after Sledge. I'll check back to it after I wipe the floor with him 8)
Cool mate, all it is basically, is one way to skin a cat, I'm sure there are many others, but its a particular cat I hae seen many players complain about their inability to skin :)
Well I think I'm a few levels up from where the game expects me to be at this point, so maybe that cat will skin a little easier for me ;D
Yes, I think I was low teens then, but the good thing about the game, is that if you face a brick wall, you can level your way through it.
DLC is due shortly for Borderlands, called Neds Island, so if zombie slaying is your thang, then you will be in seventh heaven :)
hi all, still playing catch-up here at OWG, what do you guys reckon to the Vehicle combat? could you give me a run down? cheers :-X
Also has anybody played it on both PC & PS3 ? if so which do you think suits the game better?
Only have PC at the moment but PS3 is on its way so looking for good games to get for it. :)
Vehicle combat doesnt really start until the second area, Dhal, but you get a vehicle about 3 missions into the game.
The vehicle controls are the same as the warthog in HALO, you use the camera to choose your direction, instead of the Left Stick, takes a bit of getting used to, but it makes more sense for an ATV as opposed to the traditional way, which is used for race track that only go in one direction.
You can spawn them at garages, which are dotted all over the map and in close proximity, you can leave your vehicle and explore on foot, if you arrive at a garage and are done exploring, you can either respawn a new vehicle or port to where you left your old one.
The are armed with either a machine gun or a rocket launcher, you choose which, when you spawn the vehicle, along with its colour.
In combat you lock on with the "A" or "X" button and the gun will track whatever you are locked on to and as long as you keep firing the gun will hit the target, regadless of what direction you drive in.
There is a vehicle boss fight too, which is pretty intense.
@ Fiach: DLC sounds great, this game definitely has large expandability potential.
Ding Dong, Sledge is dead ;D
I used a similar tactic Fiach, except I primarily used my Crimson Bruiser (it's a nasty little SMG if you haven't come across that one yet). The trick is definately to keep your distance from him cause if he hits you with his namesake it's all over. Felt like he went down fairly easy once I figured him out, but I was level 20 by the time I reached him. Now it's time to mop up a few outstanding bounties before I head for Dahl . . .
Hurrah.....
My copy just turned up through the post :-X .
Based mostly on the write up its got here (and because it looks really good) Both myself and a friend have got Borderlands :) .
So a big :-X to Fiach for all the info posted so far. Cheers
Its fantastic ;D , just short of hitting level 3 and enjoying every minute of it. Makes for a nice change of pace compared to what usually play.Like the comic-style graphics and the humour in it, was laughing loads after just watching the intro. :) :) :)
@mmosu
Nice one mate :)
Well due to the randomization of the weapons, I'll probably never see it. On Mordecai, I just use Shotgun and Sniper, less dilution of the experience for the weapons, if you dont use too many.
As regards SMG's, they are awesome with Lilith, with her elemental skills and affinity for the SMG, bullets come out of it, like its a fire hose at a G8 summit, add the elemental damage to the proc rate and you will see the damage numbers literally pouring out of the target.
@RedRaven, glad you are enjoying it, what class are you guys playing?
First instinct was to use the sniper (gotta love that beard ;D ).
But went with Roland to start, he seemed a good balanced option. Will use him for a few levels then start with a different one.
the little Robot is funny as hell :)
Nice, keep us posted on what he is like to play, I have only used Lilith and Mordecai.
Just a wee tip for you, I mentioned it before, buttry to confine yourself to maybe two weapons if possible.
The more you use a weapon, the game increases your ability with that weapon, so if you use too many different types, you are diluting your abilities, if that makes sense.
Agreed on that. I have been using mostly a SMG/sniper/revolver combo - concentrating on 3 weapon types doesn't dilute the exp points too much. Right now it's the Crimson Bruiser (which has high damage, a 55 round mag, and a scope superior to that of my best sniper rifle), Vicious Sniper (which has a short-range scope but deals massive damage and has a very fast cycle rate, which is very handy), and the Bloody Revolver (which deals damage second only to my sniper rifle and has a mid-range scope). So I feel like I've got something for just about every situation, and my stats keep climbing since I'm essentially ignoring rocket launchers, repeaters, shotguns, and combat rifles.
@ Raven: the intro got me too, I cracked up when they ran over the skag with the bus and drug it for miles ;D
Quote from: mmosu on November 28, 2009, 07:55:14 PMthey ran over the skag with the bus and drug it for miles ;D
sounds familiar... yes, here it is:
Quote from: Art Blade on October 26, 2009, 03:13:33 PM
Quote from: mmosu on October 26, 2009, 12:43:51 PM
drug him for a good long way, he he ;)
you've given him syrettes? Another glitch?
;D ;D ;D
Ah yes, that brings back memories . . . the sweet sounds of a merc's head bouncing off every root, rock, and pothole in the road as I try to kick what's left of him free from the door of my jeep. He really wanted those syrettes, friggin' junkie ;)
ehehehehe ;D ;D ;D
loving this game more and more, the little intro you get when you meet Nine toes had me laughing.
@Fiach - Roland is good at getting the job done, got a Hvy 340 machine gun and the SG14 shotgun. Also carrying a Lady Finger pistol ( dont laugh ! its got a good high power sight on it ).
Took me a while to remember about the turret too, comes in handy when there is 4 or more bad guys and creatures coming to play with your internal organs, specially weaker Bandits and Skags (who so far stop to attack the turret giving plenty of time to pump a couple of shotgun shells into them. I like the way the turret can be upgraded too, helping out with health and ammo regeneration.
Well on to the next mission ;D
Yeah the 9 toes intro is cool, that is a great pistol, will do you for a fair while :)
Oh man, this game just keeps getting better and better...
Made it to a town called New Haven a couple of days ago, and by town I mean a group of huddled shanties in the middle of a landfill. And just to highlight the crap-tacular nature of this dump, the first local I encountered greeted me with a sardonic "Hey, welcome to hell".
So after exploring awhile I started taking jobs posted by the residents. The first jobs were simple enough, but still appropriate given the setting - things like turning the towns generators back on and unclogging the pipes at a nearby pumping station to prevent the flow of human refuse through New Haven from getting any worse. So I completed a few more of these more mundane tasks, and before I knew it I had been hired to go to a place called Tetanus Warren and kill a guy named King Wee Wee :-\
Can't wait to see what kind of freak show I run into next!
Quote from: mmosu on December 03, 2009, 08:51:26 PM
and before I knew it I had been hired to go to a place called Tetanus Warren and kill a guy named King Wee Wee :-\
Can't wait to see what kind of freak show I run into next!
Lol ;D
Imagine my surprise to find that Tetanus Warren is litterally a series of tunnels burrowed through an enormous heap of rusting scrap metal :-\ Oh well, was able to farm a ton of weapons and increase my storage deck capacity by rescuing another Clap-Trap, so the fact that King Wee-Wee was a rather anticlimactic fight didn't bother me. On to more challenging endeavours...
Yes, you are probably too high level for there mate.
Getting to him was definately the hardest part. Maybe that fight is designed to be easier as a joke? You know, the locals hire you to take care of this guy, and he turns out to be two and a half feet tall and has a gun that shoots pixie dust or whatever the heck it was . . .
Anyway that status quo of me being up a couple of levels from where I'm supposed to be has continued into this part of the game. I'm now ready to head into Krom's canyon and I'm currently high level 28 (if I fart I'll be at level 29), and all of the missions I've done lately have been listed at a lower experience level than I was at when I attempted them (many of them got the "trivial" label with me being >3 levels up). Guess it pays at the beginning to spend hours wandering aimlessly around Fyrestone and the surrounding areas shooting skag pups and leveling up! I fully expect this boon to run out and the game to catch up at some point, but for now my progress has been unhindered and I haven't hit any of those "come back after your balls have dropped" moments you typically encounter in RPG's either. 8)
LOL :)
Poor old Nine Toes had to wait for al three to drop, by the time you got to him :D
A little vulgar, perhaps, maybe slightly out of line, but still... it is bloody funny ;D
Quote from: Fiach on December 07, 2009, 01:25:05 PM
Poor old Nine Toes had to wait for al three to drop, by the time you got to him :D
LOL!
Ok enough about things dropping, Art's going to get us! ;D
Don't worry :) I didn't complain about the word "poor" even if "poo" is part of it ;D
hahahahaha :)
Made it to Old Haven last night . . . now that's a party! :-X
Building-to-building fighting against the Crimson Lance - this is the first part of the game since very early on where I felt like the difficulty kicked up a notch, but it was very enjoyable! I liked that instead of relying on waypoints marked on the map, you have to actually open your eyes and look for the smoke plumes in order to find your objectives. Beating the crap out of Lance soldiers is fun too ;D It felt like I had really walked into a trap that they had set for me, and I had to fight my way through it. Poor jerks didn't fare any better against me than the bandits did against them :-* Overall, probably my favorite segment of the game so far :-X
Cool, I haven't got that far yet, what level are you?
Almost 32, the main plot of the game is starting to pick up, but there are still plenty of side quests to be done as well.
Yeah, I'm in New Haven, late 20's, nice to know theres an old haven to look forward to as well :)
Yeah, sorry mate, didn't mean to let the cat out of the bag, I thought you were still ahead of me! The way you find out about old haven, and your reason for going there are kind of neat, so enjoy when you get there - but show up ready to fight dirty!
No sweat, I've been slacking a bit, I played DAO 5 times and playing two paths in Avatar, played CoD MW1 and 2 as well, to get them out of the way, hope to get back to BL, but it will be after xmas now I think. :-[
Wow, you've been busy!
Our final exams just got over, so needless to say I've been making a lot of progress in BL in the last few days ;D
Yeah, who said gaming is fun >:(
:-[ ;D
It's bloody serious! ;D
Indeed - almost like a second job for me ;D
Quote from: PZ on December 12, 2009, 07:47:02 PM
Indeed - almost like a second job for me ;D
Oh, please, no blasphemy ok?
I thought we had set that straight, once and for all, long ago!!! ;D ;D ;D
What? Gaming is FUN? Who had that cockamamie idea?
I know I've played some games that ended up feeling like w@&k... :-\
you guys made me laugh ;D
Is it just me or is Bone Head stupidly hard to kill ? Must of tried and failed over a dozen times, getting him down to the thinnest red line of health then all of a sudden he pops out from cover, taking a couple of shots and killing me.
Even went so far as to look at a walk through on the net, fat lot of good that did as he was not even visible from the spot it mentioned. How did you guys put him down ?
Cheers :-X
I killed him when I was about 2 levels higher in experience than he was. He went down pretty hard then - I just used the cover and boxed with him and his little followers until they were all dead. Now mind you, in my first encounter with him I was a few levels lower than he was and I had to make a hasty retreat once I realized I was inflicting no damage at all on him! That's the key, just level through it. And make sure you pick up his gun, the Bone Shredder, it's one of the better SMG's in that part of the game.
cheers, will give that a go, still only level 10.
Finally done it, and it was well worth the effort, the cars are great fun, particularly like the squelching noise a skag makes when they get run over ;D
Nice going Raven :-X Feels good to finally drop somebody that's been giving you trouble, doesn't it?
Well I finished my first playthrough two days ago, and immediately I started my second playthrough with Mordecai and a first playthrough with Roland. From the get-go, playthrough 2 is tough - the skags you encounter immediately outside of Fyrestone consist of elders and spitters and are at least level 32!!!! So far doesn't look like their behavior is any more aggressive, but it is once again a challenge to bring a group of them down. Drops are greatly improved too - money drops are measured in thousands of dollars, and I'm picking up weapons at the beginning of playthrough 2 that are on par with stuff I was picking up at the end of playthrough 1. Overall, looking forward to playing it again, but I'm wondering if I should play the Ned's Island DLC first - I don't know how leveling up works between that and the regular game - any thoughts?
I think that if your 2nd through in the vanilla game starts with levelled creatures, then it is just more fun because you know the surroundings (I guess) so imagining that you may not know the DLC stuff, the chance to start with levelled opponents might be tough -- if I were you, I'd start the DLC first. You could still give that a second through as well and at least by then find out if they level up too :)
Its interesting that after completing it the enemies at the start become higher levels. Should keep it more interesting than being back at square 1.
sure is :) Albeit, it might be nice to start over from square 1 if you want to avoid some mistakes commited in a previous through, or try a different strategy from start. Question is, can you get back to start without levelling opponents once you have played through? As an option?
The second playthrough would be no challenge at all if they didn't - I was level 36 when I finished the first playthrough, and shortly into the second I'm level 37 and I still have all my gear from the first one.
@ Art - you can load playthrough one or two as an option after completing the game, but if you use playthrough one there are no missions left in the world - it is still populated with enemies at the levels they were at in the beginning, but there are no tasks to be completed. Load playthrough 2 and you get another crack at the story and all the missions, but you have to deal with the tougher opponents. From what I understand there is also a playthrough "2.5" once you complete playthrough 2 - the world doesn't reset and there are no mission, but all enemies are at max level (50-52!) and the best drops are given out.
thanks, mmosu. You know, I might still get that game one day ;D
Playthrough 2 is turning out to be a beast!! For the first time since the very beginning of playthrough 1, I'm not leveling up at a rate faster than the enemies I'm facing, so for the most part fights are on even ground. My ammo expenditure is way up, I'm using med kits more often and running and jumping while shooting a lot more (which makes for some interesting situations - last night I was charging at a skag who was charging me, and at the last moment I jumped over him and fired a shotgun blast straight down into his back, instantly killing him). I'm now pretty sure that the situation I described in my first playthrough where I was leveled up above where the game expected me to be at a given point (and therefore had a huge advantage) isn't going to happen this time. The main reason would be that the amount of exp points seperating me from the next level is many times what it was the first time around, and as a result "level up!" is flashing on my screen less and less frequently as time goes on. All in all, the challenge is much greater, but not unmanageable at this point although I 've had many tough scrapes already - will let you all know when I get to where I feel like I'm drowning
could you level up faster again, playing co-op with your mate? :)
It would still occur slowly, but not as slowly as if I were by myself. Tougher opponents would appear by virtue of the fact there are two of us, but since we would be in a "post playthrough 1, pre playthrough 2" world, the enemies would still be lower than my now lvl 40 character, and therefore would level him slowly. If I loaded playthrough 2 in co-op, my level 40 character would level more quickly, but then whoever was using my now lvl 20 Roland would soon be dangling at the end of a pike having to fight against level 35 and up enemies. The best bet would be to go out with characters who are around level 40 and would be able to actually defend themselves!!
I see. I think the game concept of levelling up is rather good, from what I read here. :)
It's definitely a good way of drawing out the game and limiting access to certain things - for example weapons have a level requirement attached to them, so you can't use a level 30 weapon until you reach level 30. It also ups the addictive factor - last night I couldn't put it down until I finally hit level 40 (I have a few level 40 weapons I had been carrying around in anticipation of this ;D Celebrated by mowing down some bandits with my Skullmasher, which is a kind of sniping shotgun).
Oh, that sounds familiar, collecting stuff for later use and drooling with anticipation... I think the last time I had something similar was in FO3, with those power armours. I needed a training lesson for them in order to use any, but that lesson was yet to come. Still, I collected those items and when I finally was allowed to use power armour, man what a happy moment it was to put those on ;D
From what I've heard of FO3 (never played any of those personally) it sounds pretty similar.
Nice Review Fiach. :-X :-X
I totally agree with you. I LOVE this game. Lots of Weapons. :)
Yes, even the enemies respawn too often here. Nonetheless, I'm enjoying this title to the Fullest. Just AWESOME. ;D
Cheers.
Check out the diamonds.....
[smg id=1853]
Not seen any this big in FC2 !!! ;D
just a heads up underdome dlc is available
Holy smoke batman! still not got Zombie island! On it now. cheers for the heads up Fiach.
Well I'm now officially P@@@@@ off! >:( Searched all over for both DLC's. Could only find the PC version on Steam, only to discover that it requires the Steam version, so did I buy the disc for no reason or what :D
Not a happy bunny.
sorry mate i dunno how the pc dlc works, i just saw it on the ps store, have you tried DIRECT TO DRIVE ?
try the Gearbox website mate i cant access it on PS3, but i believe you may get it there.
Cheers Fiach, had been to the games official site and 2k games, but did not think to check Gerabox (Doh!).
Its on its way down now :-X .
Am a Happy bunny again ;D .
Glad to hear it mate, have fun, the only good zombie is a dead one ..... oh they are already dead :-* :D ;D
Lol. Will happily help them stay down! :-X
Its a 1gb download for PC so I'm expecting it to be good. not gone for the other one yet as it looks more for coop play and mostly still on single player mode. Roland at 15, Lilith at 10 (though she seems to deal with things better than Roland does - go figure)
i havent read up on the new as i havent played Neds yet, cheers for mentioning coop as thats no use to me.
i only played roland to 5 so i dont know, lil plus SMG is awesome, i like the sniper guy too.
I think I miss-read the info about the second DLC, it actually says that it adds a new area for on-line gaming. It also adds places to stash stuff too ( but not sure if thats just multi-player or through out whole game).
Quote from: RedRaven on January 08, 2010, 12:42:19 PM
I think I miss-read the info about the second DLC, it actually says that it adds a new area for on-line gaming. It also adds places to stash stuff too ( but not sure if thats just multi-player or through out whole game).
It's for the single player game too. The Bank functions like extra storage for anything you want to keep but don't want to carry. The arenas are good for online as well but you can battle by yourself against the horde too. I just started playing in the Underdome two nights ago and so far it is tough!!
The bank function is needed. it seems every time I get an increase in how many things my backpack will carry, the bad guys and monsters start dropping more cool stuff!!
Just got to around level 23 with Roland, just killed 'Mad Mel' in Dahl Headland. Ended up standing on the ramp out side the arena and using a rocket launcher to finish him off.
Also the 'Class mods' are a good touch, first one I found has been the best one so far.
i tried in the arena and got mauled, sniped him from out side, but got no weapon , went back and killed him legit, it was easy though, because between the first time and secod time i had a good knowledge of what to expect, so i could plan accordingly........... still no weapn drop though.
The nxt area is pretty cool 8)
Mad Mel is a bad man - that's all I have to say :-*
A Bad, BAD man!!! (well, he was :-X )
After completing the main game on the PC and getting through most of the first two DLC I thought it would be easy to pick it up on the PS3.
Boy was I wrong, aiming is pretty tricky, may even have to switch the auto-aim on for a bit.
It doesn't help that I keep forgetting what button does what either!
Probably same way I would feel if I tried to play it on PC ;D
I just can`t imagine playing a game like BL on console. I have such a great love for my mouse and the beautiful, precise and fast headshots I can pull after getting used with how the game handles that those little sticks would have me killed thousands of time in the first encounter! :D
I know what you mean - I've mentioned it before but when I try to aim using the sticks on my PS3, it feels about as responsive as if I was trying to aim my mouse with my feet. On the other hand, when driving/flying with a keyboard, I might as well be using my feet on the keys. :-()
:)
If PC players may use "game pads" I think console players should be allowed to use mice. ;D
Its even more annoying as Sony do a keyboard for the PS3, surely it would not be too much w@&k to bring out a mouse so gamers have the choice.