Borderlands

[Daft]

 

http://www.borderlandsthegame.com/

 

Eurogamer Preview

 

We've seen some pretty impressive weaponry in videogames of recent years, but never anything on this sort of scale. Most gun-porn, like Black, tends to agonise over a select few pieces of weaponry, leaving us with maybe nine or ten pieces to play around with. Borderlands, on the other hand, has half a million different guns. Admittedly we didn't see every single one at the game's unveiling in Leipzig, but we did see enough to convince us that the claim holds water - and also that the people at Gearbox Software have a frankly terrifying obsession with virtual weaponry.

 

"There's a reason why they're called shooters," says Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox and our guide through Borderlands' first-ever showing. "It's because we like to use weapons. We love to use weapons. Our goal [with Borderlands] was to suit every possible playstyle, and always be able to improve that playstyle by looking for better guns." To this end, Gearbox has spent the last twenty months working secretly on Borderlands, developing new procedural weapon generation technology; you won't find the same gun twice with a marginally different name. Every one is different, according to its type, manufacturer, barrel length, clip size, stock weight, loading mechanism and hundreds of other tiny, baffling details. In a genre where games rarely feature more than two guns of the same type (grenade launcher, pistol, machine gun and the like), this is really quite revolutionary.

 

Borderlands is a sci-fi shooter from the people behind Brothers in Arms, set on a far-off set of planets where humans have made an unsuccessful colonial foray into alien worlds. Although the focus is very definitely upon the bafflingly enormous conglomeration of weaponry, Gearbox's alien word is well-developed. The game is set on an outlying planet called Pandora, part of the dangerous, desolate part of space at the very limits of human dispersion, which until recently had been fairly successfully colonised. However, the gradual onset of Spring - Pandora takes ages to orbit its sun, see, so each season lasts decades - has seen increasing numbers of weird and violent wildlife emerge from hibernation. Humans are now struggling to survive, and you, along with up to three friends, have arrived to investigate and eradicate this sudden, dangerous surge of zoological oddities.

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/borderlands-preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm surprised there isn't already a thread. I did a search and got nothing but if there is, sorry.

 

This game looks pretty epic. Anyone picking this up on PS3 for some 4 player co-op fun?!

Edited October 10, 2009 by Daft

[Pit-Jr]

I wish they would delay this actually, ive got Demon's Souls and Uncharted 2 to contend with for the month or so but this might be next on my list

[Nolan]

I'll be getting it on 360. I'd love to day 1 it, but don't think I'll have the money. I'm also surprised by it's lack of a thread though.

[Daft]

I just pre-ordered this from Play. There's some kind of pre-order bonus.

 

I'm shocked there isn't more interest in this. I know Uncharted is coming out but this looks ACE!

[Nolan]

I wish there was a CE, this is one of the few games I'd care about a CE, ofc I still wouldn't be able to get it.

 

I certainly plan on playing it online plenty, which I find it interesting that you'll have persistent characters for offline/online play. I can play offline then use the same over/underpowered guy online. I'm surprised they did that rather than keeping the two separate.

[Mundi]

I know I will be getting this but I dunno when, I doubt I will be able to get this on release but I really want to.

[dwarf]

It looks awesome, I just don't know enough about the single player campaign and haven't watched enough videos to make it exciting. If the campaign is big enough and draws inspiration from the Fallout 3 realm I'll definitely get it. 4 player co-op could be sublime, especially if each person has vastly different weapons.

 

Just thought, do you reckon it would be a good idea if before the co-op mission there was a brief introduction for each team-mate showing what weapons they had and what they as a character bring to the table? Maybe have a brief recording via headset when your character is shown or something.

Edited October 11, 2009 by dwarf

[Ganepark32]

It's definitely something that I've become more interested in as I've seen more of it. I do feel it'll be one of the games that you'll no doubt find discounted in the weeks running up to xmas in November and December so I'm unsure as to whether or not I'm going to get it on release.

 

And Daft, I hope you were jesting when you said 'I'm shocked there isn't more interest in this. I know Uncharted is coming out...' Uncharted 2 is a big game for the PS3 but on the whole, it's not that big a game for the xmas rush. I doubt that Uncharted 2 is the reason this isn't getting much attention. I think the whole 'reminds me of Fallout 3' is what's holding this back and even though it had set itself apart as being different, I think Fallout 3 is still too fresh in some people's minds that they'll hold off getting this, especially PS3 users who've only just got their hands on the DLC.

[dwarf]

I think the whole 'reminds me of Fallout 3' is what's holding this back and even though it had set itself apart as being different, I think Fallout 3 is still too fresh in some people's minds that they'll hold off getting this, especially PS3 users who've only just got their hands on the DLC.

Bar the DLC part, that's kind of what I was thinking. But being to similar to Fallout 3 should be seen as a great thing, especially because Borderlands is doing a lot to set itself apart. The art-style is just about different enough, kind of like a more realistic Timseplitters but with even greater variety.

 

The more I learn about it, the more I think it's going to be better than most other games in the late-year rush.

[Cube]

I'll probably get this at some point, but not straight away. Other games are higher up on my list (which just shows how good gaming is at the moment - I have to dismiss good games because there are too many of them).

[Dan_Dare]

this is bubbling away on my cooking metaphor radar. I'll pick it up depending on interest around the Edge forum, I think.

[Daft]

Basically I want dwarf and flameboy to get copies of this so we can go co-op some aliens.

 

And Daft, I hope you were jesting when you said 'I'm shocked there isn't more interest in this. I know Uncharted is coming out...' Uncharted 2 is a big game for the PS3 but on the whole, it's not that big a game for the xmas rush. I doubt that Uncharted 2 is the reason this isn't getting much attention.

 

Xmas rush? This is coming out a week after Uncharted. I think it's a fair observation that a new IP like this is losing attention because a hyped sequel with pretty much faultless critical acclaim is coming out just before it.

[dwarf]

Yeah I'd be up for some co-op nonsense. Really like to get it this year, would be better playing it through at the same time as everyone else so that our abilities are even somewhat.

[Happenstance]

I dont think ive even seen this before now, might have to get a copy at some point.

[MATtheHAT]

I downloaded the trailers and videos from LIVE, it looks mint.

[jayseven]

Honestly, the whole weapons thing doesn't really... bother me at all, but the game as a whole sounds really interesting. I may pick it up a fortnight after release (glee! Payday!) if it's been received grandly enough, but as with many RPGs the sheer scale of what's on offer scares me. With Fallout 3 I basically did 8-hour after 8-hour night seshes because I wasn't going to uni. This year I have uni, work and four other housemates to contend and compete with, attention wise (be it my timeshare or the xbox's).

 

Realistically I'll have to think about whether it really would be worth getting immediately, especially if I pursue the option of putting an offline xbox in my room. Will I be missing out on too much? I know not. I generally don't like playing with people online as I like to take things at my own pace and not feel shit at the game.

 

I love the story idea, especially the drawn-out seasonal change. Sequels would be very entertaining that way. Looking at the wiki page, I'm already torn between playing as Mordecai, Lileth and Roland... Ok so basically the more I read up on this game the more I want it.

 

(Shorty, Dan Dare, nami; If you guys ever read this -- this could be the new Marvel?)

[Shorty]

(Shorty, Dan Dare, nami; If you guys ever read this -- this could be the new Marvel?)

The new Marvel should be Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. But the damn thing costs £35-40 minimum. I was thinking we could split the cost 4 ways and then sell it at the end and split the earnings 4 ways...

 

On topic, I can't find anything saying you can play 4-way splitscreen? Or are you thinking of the ol' drag a second 360 round for a system-link sesh plan?

[Domstercool]

Getting the PC version here as it seems to be the version that runs the best (If you've got a PC to handle it of course) So I'm all up for some co-op if anyone is getting that version

[jayseven]

The new Marvel should be Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. But the damn thing costs £35-40 minimum. I was thinking we could split the cost 4 ways and then sell it at the end and split the earnings 4 ways...

 

On topic, I can't find anything saying you can play 4-way splitscreen? Or are you thinking of the ol' drag a second 360 round for a system-link sesh plan?

 

It's got two-player splitscreen online play, so can be something that can happen more often than marvel

[Aimless]

Giant Bomb have a Quick Look of the 360 version up. Whilst I still have several concerns about the game — repetition, skill trees not being all that diverse, bugginess, etcetera — watching a half hour of the game being played has made me much more interested in it.

 

It's fair to say I'll pick the game up at some point, although I may hold fire until it inevitably drops in price a bit. I'm also a little wary of how the PS3 version will perform simply because I haven't seen a single scrap of footage from it.

[Eenuh]

Just gonna urge everyone interested to buy this game. My ex/friend worked on this for a year (special effects/graphics stuff) and of course he'd be really happy if lots of people ended up buying the game (and enjoying it of course). =P

[flameboy]

Giant Bomb have a Quick Look of the 360 version up. Whilst I still have several concerns about the game — repetition, skill trees not being all that diverse, bugginess, etcetera — watching a half hour of the game being played has made me much more interested in it.

 

It's fair to say I'll pick the game up at some point, although I may hold fire until it inevitably drops in price a bit. I'm also a little wary of how the PS3 version will perform simply because I haven't seen a single scrap of footage from it.

 

oooh thats a bit of a concern. Just as I'm starting to consider picking it up...

Edited October 15, 2009 by Shorty
Housekeeping

[Aimless]

Just gonna urge everyone interested to buy this game. My ex/friend worked on this for a year (special effects/graphics stuff) and of course he'd be really happy if lots of people ended up buying the game (and enjoying it of course). =P

It's somewhat surreal seeing you 'round these parts, miss. I thought I'd accidentally entered the wrong thread at first!

 

Does your friend work for Gearbox or was he just a contractor? If it's the former maybe you should ask if they're still working on Colonial Marines...

 

oooh thats a bit of a concern. Just as I'm starting to consider picking it up...

Well after digging around a bit I found this HD rip of Qore 17 which has a small feature on Borderlands — it starts at around the 5:30 mark. Going off the PS3 footage in that it looks like performance across both consoles will be very similar.

[Eenuh]

It's somewhat surreal seeing you 'round these parts, miss. I thought I'd accidentally entered the wrong thread at first!

 

Does your friend work for Gearbox or was he just a contractor? If it's the former maybe you should ask if they're still working on Colonial Marines...

 

He started there a year ago but didn't get offered a full contract until last month. So now he's officially one of their employees and he works on the special effects. And as far as I know, Aliens is still being worked on, though I don't know if it's still the same as what had been shown already (but yes, still in development at the moment).

[Aimless]

He started there a year ago but didn't get offered a full contract until last month. So now he's officially one of their employees and he works on the special effects. And as far as I know, Aliens is still being worked on, though I don't know if it's still the same as what had been shown already (but yes, still in development at the moment).

Ah, I see. Thank you Ine "Hot Scoops" Spee!