Borderlands, a place where cell-shaded characters go hand in hand to gain some loot. A very popular concept that was introduced to the gamers on the past generation of consoles. Missed out on the action? No need to worry any longer, this handsome collection gives you just what you need. Call some friends and start your quest for some epic looting!
The almost complete edition.
Borderlands: The handsome Collection is by far the most complete version of Borderlands you’ll find in stores. It has a lot to offer but not everything is included. If you want to play Borderlands 1 for the first time or replay it in true high-definition, you won’t find it here. This Handsome Collection ‘only’ features Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-sequel. And every major DLC pack released.
So a lot of content without a doubt but if you were looking for the complete pack this isn’t it. So why isn’t Borderlands 1 included? Because it’s too hard to port it to this generation. Borderlands 1 uses a different kind of engine and would take too much work to port. It could happen in the future, eventually, but for now, be happy with the crazy amount of content in this Handsome Edition!
Time for a little story
This means you won’t get the story if this is your first Borderlands experience. Sure you’ll get most of it but you’ll miss out on some rather important character information that was revealed in Borderlands 1. The story isn’t that hard to follow in Borderlands 2. The crew is trying to stop Handsome Jack from obtaining a Vault Key. These keys open legendary Vault on Pandora (home planet), including tons of loot. Since you love loot, you need to stop Jack and obtain the Vault Key yourself!
Loot until you drop!
In the Pre-Sequel you’ll meet Handsome Jack once again, this time as your leader. Both storylines are rather straightforward and easy to understand but as said before, you won’t get all the jokes and information given if you haven’t played the first Borderlands.
Aside of the main story, there’s enough to do to keep you going. The world of Borderlands is huge and offers a lot of side-missions. Don’t want to look for the Vault Key? No problem, accept some other quests and gain even more loot.
Loot until you drop
You won’t need to understand the story the understand the core of the game however, looting. Borderlands is a shooter set in a huge world with a lot of different characters but they all have one thing in common, the need for loot. You’ll find millions of weapons spread over the entire map. Searching those new weapons is very addictive and once you started it can’t stop. Looting is the true power of the Borderlands franchise. You’ll always wonder if you’ll find a better weapon or useful item behind every corner. Spending a lot of time looking for those is main part of the game.
If you’re not a fan of looting, you can skip most of it but consider the fact that Borderlands might not be your type of game. Aside of finding loot in the environment, you’ll also find some by defeating enemies. There’s really no time to lose, go search the best weapon as soon as possible!
Time to meet the cast
Since this edition includes a lot of DLC packs, you’ll be able to start your adventure with a lot of different characters. In Borderlands 2 you can play as: Maya the Siren, levitate other; Zer0 the Assassin, turn invisible; Salvador the Gunzerker, dual-wielding and Axton the Commando, use a helpful turret in combat. Thanks to the DLC however, you’ll also be able to start as Krieg, a psycho and Gaige, also able to use a turret.
If you play the Pre-Sequel, you’ll be able to be Athena the Gladiator, use your shield to block bullets; Nisha The Sherrif, master of handguns; Wilhelm The Enforcer, technology has no secret and Claptrap, the infamous robot that was introduced in Borderlands 2. The DLC also adds Jack, clone of Handsome Jack and Aurelia, hunter and sister of Sir Hammerlock.
As you see, a lot of options right at the start of the game. Picking your main character is important since you’ll play as him/her for a very long time to come. Look closely at their specific skills and pick the type of character that fits your desires. If you want fast combat you’re better of with Salvador for example. Want sneaky gameplay? Go for Zer0. Selecting your favourite character is your first important decision!
Keep going for hours
Aside of the new characters, the DLC also adds a lot to the gameplay. There’s a lot of previously released DLC such as: Tiny Tina’s Assault On Dragon’s Keep,Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt, Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty,The Holodrome Onslaught and Claptastic Voyage that can really keep you going for hours to come.
Some might even say that this Handsome Collection has too much to offer but it’s never too much when it comes to Borderlands. You pay a small price for a lot of great content on your current generation console. Looking for a way to hide from your friends? This is the deal you’re looking for.
So what’s new?
Since this Handsome Edition can be considered as the definitive edition of Borderlands, you want some new stuff as well. First of all the game is playable in full 1080P with a frame rate of 60 frames per second. This results in a more fluent game and looks incredibly good.
One of the best new features on the other hand is the ability to play the game with up to four players using split-screen. This wasn’t possible until now! Playing with four players is great and works incredibly well. Only take note that the frame rate will drop to 30 frames per second but that’s nothing to worry about! The four player split-screen is great, really just great!
To conclude the new stuff, Gearbox also made sure you wouldn’t lose any process you’ve made on the previous generation. Save files can easily be imported to the new consoles, so you won’t have to start over again. This transferring of files can only happen if you played the games on the same type of console. PS3 to PS4 for example.
A great port
All in all we can say that Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a great port of two great games. Since it’s a port however, the same ‘problems’ can be found in this version. The world of the Pre-Sequel isn’t as interesting for example and well-known bugs are still active in this version. It’s a great port but don’t expect the perfect Borderlands.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is the perfect game for those willing to start their Borderlands adventure. It’s a shame that you can’t play Borderlands 1 but this game offers a great introduction to the franchise. If you have played the game before but want to continue your adventure on your new consoles, you’ll also need this edition. This edition is filled with contents to keep you going until Borderlands 3 is released. This is without a doubt the cheapest way to spend over hundred hours in a virtual world.
