Maybe I've got a bit of bias, since I grew up playing this game, but it's so distinct from anything else in the series—that makes it special to me.
There's this serenity to it. The NPCs you meet can only be interacted with so much before you have to leave them behind and move on with the game, and for that reason it's an isolating experience. But that isolation isn't lonely or painful. You're a vault hunter, little more than a mercenary, and the planet you live on simply isn't the place for a social simulator. Really, you spend most of your time doing quests, traveling the vast borderlands, collecting loot, and shooting baddies. Alongside an awesome, ambient soundtrack in the background, this game establishes a strong atmosphere for Pandora and sets a tone for the rest of the games. While, technically, it's far from the highest quality game in its series, I think it's essential to understand just what Borderlands is. For that reason, it's special!
There's this serenity to it. The NPCs you meet can only be interacted with so much before you have to leave them behind and move on with the game, and for that reason it's an isolating experience. But that isolation isn't lonely or painful. You're a vault hunter, little more than a mercenary, and the planet you live on simply isn't the place for a social simulator. Really, you spend most of your time doing quests, traveling the vast borderlands, collecting loot, and shooting baddies. Alongside an awesome, ambient soundtrack in the background, this game establishes a strong atmosphere for Pandora and sets a tone for the rest of the games. While, technically, it's far from the highest quality game in its series, I think it's essential to understand just what Borderlands is. For that reason, it's special!
Borderlands is like a loot-splosion party on a wacky alien planet! You and your vault hunting buddies shoot your way through tons of crazy enemies (psycho bandits are hilarious!), grabbing a ridiculous amount of guns and gear along the way. The cel-shaded art style is awesome, and the world is full of dark humor. The story itself is kinda forgettable, and the repetitive quests can get a bit grindy. But if you love frenetic action, tons of loot, and co-op fun with friends, Borderlands is a blast.
I love the entire borderlands series, with Borderlands 2009 being my introduction to the series. Borderlands clearly feels a lot more basic than the sequels, but the gameplay and story still hold up. The art style is truly unique, and the main reason i picked up this game. The Looter-Shooter combat is fantastic in this game just like the entire series, with the gun play being fast, fun and every changing as you loot more guns and upgrades.
Borderlands is a groundbreaking genre defining title being the first looter shooter to genuinely be fun, as opposed to a certain game title that rhymes with bestiny that require more grinding than a male stripper. It’s one of the few games where the comedy not only makes you laugh but enriches the world, characters and stories. The final boss defies all expectations changing how the player views their main goal in all following titles. It can’t conquer a slight dip in elevation thoudgh.