All things Borderlands

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ratsoalbion
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All things Borderlands

Post by ratsoalbion »

James and the gang return to Pandora on Thursday 26th June for a full and frank dissection of Gearbox Software's loot-and-shoot sequel.

Please share your thoughts and opinions on the game (and all that DLC) here dear community.
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AndyKurosaki
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by AndyKurosaki »

It took me a while to get into the original Borderlands, once I did I played it to completion and very much enjoyed it. I got Borderlands 2 on release, got about 5 hours in. And it kind of slipped into my pile of shame. I've only just gone back to it last week, I really should give it a proper go. It's not that it's a bad game, far from it. Maybe it's just that it can be a bit frustrating solo, especially when fighting bosses and dying constantly.
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registradus
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by registradus »

I didn't get into the original Borderlands at all. I downloaded and played about 15-30 minutes. I found the desert setting really bland and unappealing.

But for some reason Borderlands 2 grabbed me straight away and I've now played 200 hours over the past 18 months. I love how colourful it is, that it doesn't take itself too seriously, and of course the Diablo-like loot system. It is the only First Person Shooter I have ever got into.

It is also one of the few season passes I have purchased and played all the way through, and really enjoyed every episode.
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InsrtCoins
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by InsrtCoins »

I passed on Borderlands 2, I hope not unfairly. I spent 21 hours with the first Borderlands trying to find the appeal, but I never did find myself enjoying it. I'm a bit bummed about that fact, actually. Even on Steam sale for $5, I still don't really have any desire to pick up the sequel. I am really interested to learn more about what people do like about the series, though.
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countstex
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by countstex »

Borderlands 2 took the intoxicating loot mechanic of the original and added something that first game sorely lacked, story. And not just any story but a genuinely funny script that went even further in the DLC. In fact the Borderlands games are shining examples of how to do DLC and how to support your game long-term in general.
Of course the game excells in co-op, and some would devalue that into all games are better in co-op, but I truely can't imagine playing it without Linda at my side complimenting our attacks and powers to decimate the increasingly crazy mobs.
In fact we probably have more shared experiences in Borderlands games than anything other than WoW and that probably says everything you need to know.
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RoboticMonk3y
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by RoboticMonk3y »

You could wiffle on for a good while about why borderlands was good, no doubt you'll be doing this in the show, so I'll kep things short and sweet.
The game is crammed full of geeky references and winks to the first game. The story was good and entertained throughout.
The teaser trailer kinda summed up borderlands 2 for me "a bazillion guns just got bazillionier", it was just more borderlands with extra sheen and more story, and most importantly, more giant numbers flying in a satisfying arc whenever you land a shot, and more dancing claptrap (I can forgive the dubstep for claptrap dancing).
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by Macstorm »

I made at least two attempts to play the original Borderlands and three or four attempts to play Borderlands 2, both on PS3. It never stuck with me. But for some reason when I picked the game up recently on Vita, it just worked. Part of this is because I'm a handheld gaming elitist who loves the Vita (yes, Darren Forman, we are brothers in this), but the other part was due to it being such a great pick-up-and-go game. On console, the open world setup was not conducive to my playstyle. Sure you could save anywhere, you when you restarted you were always way back at the starting checkpoint. On Vita, if I needed to stop in the middle of a firefight, I could just put the game into sleep mode and pick it back up whenever.

I'm not sure this is as much a testament to the Vita version being better, as much as me hating the checkpoint design of the game in general, but it worked. I loved almost every minute of this game. The humor was great and the characters were interesting. I did find that I HATED constructors and varkid. Those things can die in a fire...of bullets from my fire bullet shooting gun. So yeah, the guns were also great. I'm not someone that enjoys FPS typically, but the RPG hooks really made this one my cup of tea. I'd love more Borderlands on Vita, because for me to really care it would need to be a better pick-up-and-play game.
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Beck
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by Beck »

Sorry guys, I hope I haven’t missed the recording.

After three hours I gave up on the first borderlands, I declared it “a boring 1st person World of Warcraft with guns”. Borderlands felt like it had missed out all the components that made WoW appealing and fun. The social aspect was completely lifeless even when playing with others. The layout of instances wasn’t great, I hate backtracking and borderlands was full of it . The lack of story or even direction was a turn off and the walls of text was disappointing. I have a lot of admiration for WoW, I spent nearly five years with that game and borderlands just felt like it was a poor knock off.

Borderlands 2 appeared on ps + and I had no desire to play it after the first one. Thankfully a friend begged me to play it with him and I was quickly blown away with the difference between it's first game. From the get go there was a funny story to follow and the quests didn’t seem to be so text focused. I was able to see past the similarities with WoW and focus on exploring a game full of humour and lore.

Gearbox and Dameon Clarke deserve to be congratulated for the trickster that is Handsome Jack, it’s rare that a character can be such a dick but funny at the same time. A great example is when Jack has just executed Mordecai’s companion bird Blood wing -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... S-T6v8#t=1

(Listen from 0-13 seconds then 1:35 till end)

I now own Borderlands 2 game of the year edition and have got the platinum trophy. Borderlands 2 has been one of the best games I have played. It just works, the multiplayer is excellent fun. The plot and humour is a welcome change in the FPS genre which tends to be far too serious. Pandora is a world that I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I hope to explore again.
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by ratsoalbion »

The recording isn't for another six hours or so yet folks :)
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Beck
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Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by Beck »

Excellent, I'm looking forward to this one :)
adwild1982

Re: All things Borderlands

Post by adwild1982 »

I have to say a started Borderlands when it first came out but struggles to get in to it. I was recently off work for a week and was looking for a game to sink my teeth in to. I loved Skyrim with its looting and the simple upgrading system (something that has put my off RPG’s in the past) and spent over 200 hours playing it.
I decided to do some research instead at work one day and came across Borderlands 2 and found the GOTY edition for £15 from my local Game in Middlesbrough and thought why the hell not.
Much like the first one I struggle to get in to this but decided to crack on with it as I had time on my side and am glad that I did. I may only be up to level 15 on my commando mode but I have loved nothing more than deploying my turret and let hell fire rain down on my adversaries with my arsenal of over the top weapons and the chaos that ensues is nothing short of magic, the looting has satisfied the kleptomaniac in me and have found myself saying to wife “ just one more mission I want to see what gun am going to get” and her looking at me with look of shame and anger once being late making me over an hour late for her cousin birthday party.
I have died a number of times and this is normally down to my balls out run and gun style of gaming and because of this have struggles in parts of the game that are clearly designed for co-op such as taking on Wilhelm and this would normally be cause for me to put the game down and not touch it for a long time but because of my addiction to loot I find myself waking up and trying to cram an hour in before work.
My only complaint about the game is that fact that it come across that it would be much better experienced in co-op and I feel that I am missing out on the true experience playing on my own. Saying that as I am writing this I am counting down to home time so I can get back to Pandora and get some more LOOT.
adwild1982

Re: Our next podcast recording: Borderlands 2

Post by adwild1982 »

AndyKurosaki wrote:It took me a while to get into the original Borderlands, once I did I played it to completion and very much enjoyed it. I got Borderlands 2 on release, got about 5 hours in. And it kind of slipped into my pile of shame. I've only just gone back to it last week, I really should give it a proper go. It's not that it's a bad game, far from it. Maybe it's just that it can be a bit frustrating solo, especially when fighting bosses and dying constantly.
I have to agree with you on the whole solo thing and fighting bosses am getting sick of Wilhelm kicking my ass all over.
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