Borderlands Review [PC] page 2

30 Nov 2009 at 12:45:03 by Paul Younger
Systems used to review this title: (PC)

It's a shame that Gearbox has not catered for the PC gamer, the game could be so much less frustrating if they had at least made item management, and the interface as a whole, PC friendly. Looking at huge menus that cover the screen and not being able to simply drag and drop items around the interface with the mouse is pretty poor. Some would say this is the way the interface has been designed so live with it, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. There are other irritations such as the action and weapon reload keys being bound to the same key, even though they are not supposed to be and the vehicle controls on the mouse are not exactly great. Simple implementation flaws such as this make Borderlands feel sloppy.

It's not all doom and gloom though, despite the interface flaws, the game does look fantastic on the PC. The art style is certainly unique even though it may not appeal to everyone. It's a kind of not-quite-cell-shaded comic styling. Once you get stuck into the action, even if the style doesn't appeal at first glance, it does grow on you and sets Borderlands apart from other titles on the market. And thanks to a decent sense of humour, the game does have its amusing moments.

Without the need to employ a, dare I say it, dedicated server model, Borderlands allows players to hook up either online or over LAN for cooperative play which is the main plus point of Borderlands. Sure single player games are fun, but with a game such as Borderlands, multiplayer is where they can really shine.

Each player can host a game and other players can drop in and out of the player's server sessions. When a player joins one of these sessions they take on the host's storyline and continue to play whether they have completed the hosts quests or not. This can be a bit of a cheese if a higher level player joins a lower level player's game with the more powerful character being able to help to push on quicker through the quests. This does cause an element of confusion on quest listings for the player who has already completed the quests so you need to just go along for the ride and follow the lead of the host.

The multiplayer does have aspects RPG fans may not be too enthusiastic about, especially when it comes to the loot drops. When a shiny new weapon hits the ground, anyone can pick it up, there's no round-robin or loot share system. This means that playing with people you don't know could lead to arguments and hissy fits over loot, so pick your playing buddies well. The multiplayer is quick and dirty, it's not over complicated and it's effective enough to make the game fun. In essence Gearbox has put together a play experience they hope will appeal to both the shooter audience and RPG gamers who are fed up swinging swords or drinking potions.

I have a love-hate relationship with Borderlands. It does what it says on the tin, it's a reasonably fast-paced RPG shooter, it offers quick and easy multiplayer that's fun and the game's setting makes it stand out from the crowd. Sadly however, Borderlands suffers from effectively being a console port with poor interface implementation and frustrating controls. Borderlands has been struck by the PC condition known as ‘consolitus', a terrible condition can render even the most sturdy PC title incapacitated. 

Comment