The debut Borderlands trailer showcased a game that looked like offering an interesting prospect for shooter fans, and those gamers looking for some sci-fi action in far away places. 'Looking for the vault' and then that horribly scarred face as the female narrator turned to face the camera conjured up images of mystery,intrigue, adventure and the tag line 'you're going to need guns...lots of guns'.
Trailers aside, Borderlands has taken a radical shift from the original visual development that was employed from the start of the project. Some artists got together to create something new, which not only gave the game a more distinct look but enticed the producers to adopt it for the entire game, shelving all that had gone before it. A brave development decision if there ever was one, but perhaps a gamble that will pay off. Having looked at the game in action, the slightly cel shaded look does have its merits and provides plenty of character to the dust filled world of Borderlands. It has worked a treat in many games so why should this be any different, especially if the core gameplay remains just as solid. Not all games need to be painted in ultra realism to be successful, and this is probably why the decision was made to give Borderlands a nudge in a new direction.
So, about the game. Borderlands is a first person shooter that can be played solo or as it is really intended in co-op with up to four players. You'll be able to drop in and out of games with ease online, or if you're looking for more close quarters play will be able buddy up via split screen or system link. Playing solo is an option for the solitary gamer, and we're told the game will scale the difficulty to suit, assuming this will also work with 2 players, 3 players and so on. Solo play most certainly means solo as there is no AI backup on offer here, but will be interesting to see how the game pans out considering the huge slant towards multiplayer.
With co-op play in mind, there's an underlying MMO feel to the game in that enemies will drop desirable items as you work together as a team, sharing loot to upgrade your character. Those all important rare drops (Purple Epics) will feature meaning stiff arguments of some calculated bartering skills are going to be the order of the day. Think Phantasy Star Online and you get a picture of the kind of gameplay on offer here, albeit in first person. The world in which you play in is connected as one large area and we were shown a mission where the team had to reconnect a fast travel network - making navigating the terrain that little bit easier, although you'll be able to hop into various vehicles and travel in a convoy of sorts.
You're presented with shared mission objectives where working together is key to success, using each characters strengths and weaknesses to get the upper hand against troublesome foes. One such instance is the fact that the medic character is able to shoot healing bullets at team mates which is most useful (there is no friendly fire in the game) when the shit hits the fan. You will be able to duke it out though in a duel mode which is initiated by two players, but remember folks the idea is team work not who is the greatest fighter of them all. The game's skill system does beg for bravado type antics, and with massive amounts of hours poured into the game, you're going to want to show who's boss from time to time, so duelling is a welcome addition to the game (alongside the competitive arenas that will feature). Boasting aside, the team of players demonstrated taking down a large creature called Skegzilla, luring it out of hiding using meat and then collectively pounding the hell out of it for seemed like 10 minutes of frantic shooting action. Yes you read that right, although maybe 10 minutes is an exaggeration. The creature did take a while to finally tumble and managed to take down a few in the process. It looked exciting, intense and full on and certainly something to get excited for.
The game offers fully customizable controls, so those of you familiar with the call of duty control scheme can tweak the controls to suit. From what we could see, the game plays very smoothly and feels natural as you work together as the team from hell, thrust into hell. Those people playing really got into the game and that conveyed a lot of positivity for us lot watching - although we were really dying to have a play.
What of all the guns, well we were informed that the game actually uses a tech which generates millions of variables to create the unique weaponry in the game, and yes there are melee weapons also for those of you looking for something different. The whole concept of having so many weapons might sound daunting, but makes sense as you find you way to bigger, better and more suited arms for any given situation. Choice is always better than none at all and with the co-op element on hand, finding great weapons and trading will be a cool mechanic to explore.
Having had the game demonstrated to us, we came away very upbeat and positive with what Gearbox have created. Although a new IP, their vision with the game and how it looks and plays seems to be of a high standard and one that gamers should gel to readily. The team exude a passion with their product which is always good to see and we think that the whole first person exploration, co-op based action is going to be well worth checking out when it releases towards the end of this year. Keep your eyes peeled for Borderlands because it's shaping up to be a cracking game.
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