Games

Best of 2009 | 08 |07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Borderlands

EMAIL PRINT pc

7.8 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 35 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 222 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: Gearbox Software

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter, Action, Role-Playing Game

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: October 26, 2009

Summary

As the first title in an all-new sci-fi action franchise, Borderlands combines the best elements of Gearbox Software's first-person action titles with player customization and vehicular combat. Borderlands features a unique content generation system allowing for near-endless variety in missions, environments, enemies, weapons, item drops and character customization. Borderlands is a cooperative experience, allowing for multiple players to share the same game experience simultaneously online. Players can freely join or leave each other’s games at anytime, or choose to play in the full single-player mode. Borderlands features life-like character animations, impressive real-time physics, and customizable vehicles. More details to follow. [2K Games/Gearbox Software]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

FiringSquad

Fast, fun, and unapologetically crass, this is the best game I’ve played in a long time, and is truly deserving of the moniker “role-playing shooter.”

Read Full Review >

AtomicGamer

I think you'll agree that when you've got guns blazing from four players at once and loot is flying everywhere, Borderlands easily makes up for any perceived shortcomings.

Read Full Review >

Total PC Gaming

An excellent FPS/MMO hybrid with great combat and the most multiplayer fun we've had in ages. [Issue#26, p.40]

Game Over Online

The bottom line here is that as true hybrid games go, Borderlands is as great a success as there has ever been.

Read Full Review >

PC Zone UK

The visuals, music, gameplay, feel and balance are all spot on. [Jan 2010, p.64]

2404.org

Borderlands has more weaknesses than strengths, but the few strengths it has absolutely overwhelm most of the problems the game has.

Read Full Review >

IGN

It's something action role-playing game fans looking for an experience more up-close and brutal than genre entries of the third-person variety should have a blast with, and one of the more memorable products of 2009.

Read Full Review >

PC Gamer UK

A good FPS and a good RPG come together to make an excellent game. Or FPSRPG if you're being fancy. [Dec 2009, p.86]

Vandal Online

Original, visually attractive and unique, Borderlands won't leave anyone indifferent and will be a treasure for those who enjoy its innovative style.

Read Full Review >

Destructoid

With tons of weapons to find, a great co-op system, fantastic art, and a whole bunch of exploding bodies, Borderlands is worth your money. Even when I feel that the game is starting to get repetitive, there's something about it that keeps me playing.

Read Full Review >

GameSpot

Fun combat and a steady flow of rewards make this journey a massively enjoyable one, especially with some fellow mercenaries along for the ride.

Read Full Review >

Gameplanet

After wave upon wave of bad console to PC ports recently, it's nice to see Gearbox have taken their time with Borderlands. It's a highly capable title that lends itself well to mouse & keyboard control, and has enough depth to keep players keen for months.

Read Full Review >

3DJuegos

Borderlands is a pretty brilliant example of the power of genre mixtures. RPG, Shooter, Sandbox… all of them quite simple but assembling a brilliant and addictive videogame.

Read Full Review >

PC Games (Germany)

The Shoot and Loot that Hellgate should have been. The lousy story and the flawed RPG-System do not spoil the fun you will have when frantically mashing through waves of enemies, collecting all kinds of cool weapons!

Read Full Review >

GameShark

Packed with so much stuff to see and kill, Borderlands offers plenty of things to aim your spiffy new weapons at, all the while providing one of the best co-op experiences of the year.

Read Full Review >

Computer Games Online RO

What I have to admit, in the end, is that Borderlands doesn’t have too many technical obstacles or annoying bugs, and compared to the other (few as they are) representatives of the so-called First Person Roleplaying Game genre, it’s a clear winner.

Read Full Review >

SpazioGames

Borderlands has been a great game. First of all we have to reward the willingness of developers to propose something different, that we dare to define original. The RPG-FPS hybrid gameplay works perfectly and playing the co-op mode online, the title takes off, ensuring many hours of fun. Combine this with its excellent graphics, in its way kind of unique too, and you'll understand the value of a fresh product, suitable for all those who love to spend their time online.

Read Full Review >

PC Gamer

Addictive action and loot collection make it worth putting up with constant irritation from nearly all other aspects of this uniquely beautiful shooter. [Holiday 2009, p.61]

Gameplayer Sweden

There's blood on the asphalt. Well, the cell-shaded asphalt that is. Borderlands is without one of the biggest co-op happenings this year, and for those who love extensive loot tables with guns, guns, guns and guns in absurdum, this is the shit. It's a well balanced action adventure with a well balanced leveling system that only suffers a little from lack of variation. It is a perfect LAN-game however.

Read Full Review >

Gamervision

While it lacks certain elements that would have made it more memorable, the sleek gameplay and beautiful graphics represent a stellar example of genres melting together, something which too often fails in execution. After completing the game, a second play though is opened, turning up the difficulty and starting the story anew, something that many gamers will likely end up taking advantage of.

Read Full Review >

Telegraph

Its unusual, offbeat approach to the tropes of both its genres gives the blend that extra dash of flavour it needs, but the base ingredients are just as tasty and fulfilling. And then there’s those guns, those wonderful, wonderful guns.

Read Full Review >

RealGamer

Borderlands maybe a relatively simple mix of shooter action and RPG elements, however, it will mainly appeal to shooter fans rather than those looking for an immersive roleplaying experience.

Read Full Review >

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

The final rating of Borderlands depends heavily on your ability to forgive mistakes and enjoy its peculiar style and catchy gameplay. [Dec 2009]

GameDaily

Borderlands surprised us. We went into the experience expecting a pulse-pounding shooter with fancy cut scenes and lots of drama (no surprise, since we play more FPS on consoles than RPGs), and instead found a slower-moving and tough (but immensely rewarding) slog through a beautiful fantasy world populated by imaginative monsters and more weapons than we know what to do with.

Read Full Review >

GameSpy

The accessible nature of Borderlands -- with its relatively non-punitive deaths, constant checkpoints, and convenient fast-travel systems -- makes it a fantastic game for introducing FPS fans to some basic RPG tropes. And, most importantly, the killing and looting never ceases to be fun.

Read Full Review >

InsideGamer.nl

Borderlands gives the lonely gamer a kind of monotonous experience, but it is great when you invite some friends. The story is really thin and the world is kind of lifeless at some points. But tons of weapons, quests and the urge to level to the next stage makes the game entertaining. A solid game for those who like to play together, instead of against each other.

Read Full Review >

Eurogamer Italy

A good union between FPS and RPG, Borderlands is both deep and entertaining, with a perfect multiplayer option. The RPG elements are well implemented in a classic FPS action, and everything works in a very good way. The huge world could be boring after 30 hours, and the character design is not the most balanced in the world, anyway Borderlands will be the game of the year for a huge number of gamers.

Read Full Review >

Eurogamer

Borderlands is unusual, playable, and an artfully violent step in an interesting direction for Gearbox. The story aspect of the game could have been better - I'd love to have seen the role-playing influence extend beyond stats, levels and loot - and the ending is a disappointment. Even so, this should be a favourite game of the year for a huge number of people, since it plugs into gamer impulses at such a fundamental level.

Read Full Review >

Gamers.at

Borderlands is undoubtedly a unique experience - but one that comes with many flaws like being quite repetitive and somewhat boring, if you are not absolute into looting, grinding and playing Co-op. If you are though: This might be your sole past-time-activity for the coming months.

Read Full Review >

PC Format

We wanted to love it, but Borderlands doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from thew current slew of desert games. [Dec 2009, p.84]

GameStar

Gearbox mixed a first person shooter with a role playing game and slightly missed the mark. After 20 levels you've basically seen everything, the story is very thin and still you keep playing to collect more items. The setting and the good graphics deserved more than that.

Read Full Review >

Digital Chumps

The game is unique, imaginative and entertaining but I can't just put past the flaws of the PC version.

Read Full Review >

Gamer Limit

If you can get past all the problems that plague the PC version, you'll discover an extremely fun and addicting FPS that sprinkles in some RPG elements, and a "bazillion" guns, to create a unique experience unlike anything else.

Read Full Review >

PC PowerPlay

A deeply flawed yet passably entertaining co-op genre mash-up. [Christmas 2009, p.52]

Absolute Games

Borderlands is as empty as eye sockets of bodies “adorning” bandit camps. Gearbox chose the silliest approach to game design: made a bunch of same-looking levels, where colored explosive barrels are the only interactive objects, placed quest-giving NPCs made out of cardboard, and churned out lots of “fetch/kill” missions. Borderlands has only one active ability per class and no character stats, while skills increase automatically as you use different weapons. Imagine Diablo 2 where Barbarian is limited to just “Bash” or “Leap.”

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 222 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

David D gave it an8:
Great Game in Co-Op/Multi, but in Single Player make the game not so much fun, because its too easy in single and thats make it boring...

Josh Q gave it a6:
Let's start by saying this game completely shies away from any sort of depth what so ever in order to appeal to the console gamers. It doesn't have the RPG elements of a great crossgenre game like System Shock 2, nor does it have 1/10 the storyline. Also, the game focuses more on the "grind" of RPGs like mass loot hunting and quest grinding than the good stuff like progression and immersion. The devs brag about having so many guns, but in reality all guns of the same type feel very similar and it would be much better had there been just a few distinct guns of each type with a good, lengthy upgrade system. There's only one actual skill per class and the rest of the stuff is just stat modifiers. As for the shooting part of the game. It's what console gamers would die for, generic and run-n-gun styled. If you like that knock yourself out. Surprisingly the ballistics aren't terrible. Bullets do travel and there is some recoil/spread, but like the Modern Warfare series it's a generic arcade style shooter masked with some minor mechanic changes. To conclude the game is okay if you play with a friend and possibly not completely terrible solo, but its 100% catered to the casual moron. They took the dumbed down number crunching and grinding of an rpg and slapped it on a generic shooter with cell shaded graphics. The storyline is equally catered to people that hate thinking (console gamers... enough said.) The world has load screens, no big deal, but the actual mapping is just so boring and uninspired that it completely negates the makeshift openness of it.

Paul L gave it a9:
Fantastic game. I love the Diablo-like looting and leveling mixed with the action of a fps. This is the most fun I've had with a game all year.

Ninja Hedge gave it a9:
Lots of plain stupid fun. Plenty of references (if you listen to comments), jokes and other goodies. (Soldier saying "Heals here" is the same voice actor as L4D black dude..... at least in pitch, tenor and delivery!! ;) ) It takes some time, however. The skills are also a bit weird and unassociated with the categories they place them in. There are PLENTY of missions to finish, and it is fun oto play through several times (both with high level chars and other classes). I wold recommend the Siren and Berzerker as the best solo players, and guys like Hunter and Soldier can be a real help to a group. That is the other strong point, a FPSRPGMPG. So few are like that. TF2 is GREAt, do not get me wrong, but there is no plot, no goal, and no scads of bad guys to shoot w/o you dying. The only thing missing on this is Vs..... Downside? Having to use a Gamespy ID, WTH? You HAVE steam, why force another? (I had one already anyway from the ORIGINAL Quake days, so...). Also, SecuRom on the addon? Why on the addon and not on the original? What gives? Aside from that, I REALLY recommend finding three friends and getting the 4 pak through Steam.

Taylor M gave it a4:
It's got a good concept, but the story and all the side quests are so lack luster. Every single quest, including the main ones, consist only of going to a point, killing something, then coming back, over and over again. Unless the only thing you expect from a game is mindlessly killing waves upon waves of enemies who fundamentally act the same and completely "quests" that have no content or story or dialog or ANYTHING, then avoid this game.

Steve A gave it an8:
Really good game. I did not experience any bugs with the single- or multi-player campaigns. If you didn't know who made it, you could be excused to think that Valve had, since it's got that sort of dark humour about it that's become synonymous with Valve games. It's got some funny moments but it wasn't made for this purpose. There is a very weak storyline but I think that it's overshadowed by the good concept and a utopian-like setting and interesting missions. Some would criticise the missions to be a bit too repetitive but each one has its own challenges and therefore proves to be different to the others. It's definitely worth buying for the PC, though if you're in Australia you might have to get some friends together for multiplayer action since the closest multiplayer peers are in China, which provides for very laggy gameplay

tak gave it a10:
just awsome any one with probs just needs to fix there computer . only minor prob is co-op online but easly fixed

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Borderlands

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases