Borderlands, a franchise from 10 years ago is trying to make a tremendous comeback with Borderlands 3. Looking at what they’ve got in store and being able to play myself, I’m actually convinced that the game will bring looter shooters to a higher level. Let’s dive in!
At Gamescom, we were invited by 2K to a “Borderlands 3” presentation where all of the main features and backstory of Borderlands have been explained to the press. The presentation started off with an introduction of commander Lilith and the opponents you’ll have to face. After this exciting trailer, we got some information about Borderlands backbone and eventually got some time with the game as well.
“They’ve created billions of fun weapons to use!”
The main pillars where the Borderlands franchise is built upon are the key elements according to 2K to create this amazing game. We’re talking about the story, characters, FPS/ RPG genre, and the solo/ co-op feature. Talking about the story and Borderlands setting, the developers compare Borderlands with the Wild Wild West of the Universe. Of course, previous games happened on Pandore while Borderlands 3 takes it a step further. This time around Lilith got her hands on a spaceship that’ll take you to the different Wild Wild Space corners where events are happening. Characters are also one of the key components that make the game enjoyable and can reach a wider audience than most type of FPS/ RPG games. The “Vaulthunters” are created to have a deep personality that goes hand in hand with their specific skill bar. All of these hunters have a different playstyle palette that can be customized to suit your kind of playstyle. Each character will have 3 different Action skills that can be upgraded with the use of talent trees. All of these traits and action skills have also been created with co-op play in mind, different skills can really react to one another, it’s up to the players to find the right comb. Some character skills can even interact with other players. For example, Moze’s mech ( the gunner) has a trait ability that allows another player to jump on the back of the mech to offer some support.
Borderlands 3 will have 4 different Vaulthunters with their own set of skills. There’s Amara, The Siren that uses mystical powers to boost her melee damage or even hover over the enemies and eventually slam dunk into the ground. The second character is all about using high tech gear and gadgets to get things done, this character is named Zane and will be referred to as “The Operative”. Moze is the next character in the line and will probably be played by most people. This character has an Iron Bear mech that can mount different weaponry on its shoulders to cause mayhem. Moze takes on the role of “The Gunner”. Last but definitely not least, there’s FL4K which can be referred to as the Beastmaster. His skill is all about bonding with his pets and massacres the enemies. He will have three pets to choose from, all with their own special traits.
Gear is also one of the main pillars where Borderlands is built upon. Borderlands was one of the first franchises to put the name “Looter Shooter” on the market and with the upcoming sequel, they tend to put that name most DEFINITELY on the market. As the developers have already mentioned, they’ve created billions of fun weapons to use, most of them even have their an alternative shooting mechanic. No gun will be the same as they all function uniquely. Some weapons will explode after you throw them, some guns will add elemental effects and some weapons will have tracking devices to kill enemies behind corners. Whatever Vaulthunter you choose, you will find a gun that’s the most fun for you. They’ve also captured this opportunity to re-make some of the vehicles. There will be different vehicles to use and all of them will be upgradeable. You will be able to hijack the enemy’s vehicles and loot accessories that’ll boost the vehicle tremendously.
Of course, the multiplayer component is an important factor as well. The story has been developed in a way that it’s playable with friends or solo. There will be a split-screen mode for console users and even though this feature is “a pain in the ass” to work on, they find it very important as it was once the first step on gaming consoles to have a more social experience. The game will let you play the game with up to 4 people online and they made the game accessible with the use of instanced loot and level syncing. Instanced loot just means that each player within the online party will receive loot that only they can pick it up. Level syncing is a known feature to scale the level to the hosting players, so there won’t be “overpowered” players messing up the gameplay experience. However, they’ve also made a “classic mode” which allows you to play the game online but there will be no level syncing or instanced loot. In other words, you can show your skills based on your level and you will be able to “Ninja loot” the other players.
The end game is also something they’ve talked about and it seems like they’ve found a way to implement a “replayability” feature. Two modes have been explained: Circle of Slaughter and Proving Grounds. Circle of Slaughter is the mode that can be compared to Horde mode. Fight a bunch of enemies, survive as long as you can and get the better loot in the end. Then there are the Proving Grounds which acts as PVE content that’ll test your skills by offering challenges. During your singleplayer walkthrough, you’ll come across Ancien Alien Runes. Once deciphered, you’ll get some coordinates that’ll point out some interesting places. These places are 30 minute trials with different objectives for you to complete: alone or with other party members. The more objectives you complete, the higher the score which means better loot. An interesting feature that will point out the durability of the game.
After this presentation, we got a demo which allowed us to choose between 2 modes. There was the “classic experience” with story elements and getting to know the characters abilities along the way. But “Proving grounds” was also available, to test out this new feature, it was only logical to test this one out. You could choose between the different hunters and after this difficult decision, you got a couple of minutes to distribute your talent points. It was an overload of information but the people who played the franchise before will find the use of this talent tree quite easy. I chose The Siren for my first playthrough and I had a blast. The character was loaded with gear and different weaponry and I couldn’t help myself but I was constantly smiling. The game has the same aesthetics as before but upgraded for current-gen consoles, the shooting felt real and impactful, the game was a fast pace, hard enemies that needed your undivided attention as you had to scope out their weaknesses and find the right type of weapon that would melt the enemies within seconds. In the end, I had to face an enemy that changed his weaknesses along the way, so you had to keep an eye out for the signs and pick the right gun. The game was enjoyable and I’m convinced that Borderlands 3 will definitely put its mark on “looter shooters” and stand out from the crowd. I also played a few minutes as Fl4K but time was up!
Keep tuned to our website for more information on Borderlands 3.
