In 2014, "Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel," the last title in the immensely popular Borderlands series, was released. The series was known for its insane missions, countless weapons, and quirky characters. Now, in 2019, the long-awaited third installment has arrived, featuring a new storyline and attempting to appeal to both fans and newcomers alike: a new story, new enemies, new abilities, but with familiar gameplay to achieve its goal.
Behind the moon, just to the left
Anyone who remembers "Borderlands 2" knows that the villain Handsome Jack is no longer around; a new antagonist is needed. How convenient that in the age of Instagram and YouTube, fame and glory are so easy to achieve. That's exactly what the murderous Calypso twins must have thought, as they set out to find undiscovered Vaults and seize their power. To this end, they've managed to win over the various bandits and freaks of the Badlands, especially through their HoloNetwork stream, where the twins showcase their murderous rampages and attacks to their fans. This has allowed them to unite all the gangs under the banner of "Children of the Vault," making them a major threat, perhaps one of the greatest of all time. So, it goes without saying that we'll join the Crimson Raiders, led by Commander Lilith, to put an end to the twins' reign of terror. Our journey takes us aboard our spaceship, the "Sanctuary 3," to distant worlds and alien galaxies, where we not only face powerful enemies but also encounter many old acquaintances and new friends who accompany us on our way. These include veteran Vault Hunters like Maya and Brick, as well as legendary characters such as the no-longer-so-little "Tiny" Tina. With each of these encounters, our fan hearts leap with joy.
Before we begin with “Borderlands 3“To get started, we have to choose one of the four classes. Besides the Siren, an agent equipped with tools and tricks, and a heavily armed Gunner, this time there's also a Beastmaster who can summon one or two wild creatures to support you in combat. All characters have their own separate skill tree, which can be filled and leveled up according to your preferences. A new feature is that we no longer have to choose just one special ability. For example, Agent Zane can decide he doesn't want to throw grenades but instead wants to call in a drone that makes mincemeat of his enemies. Moze, the Gunner, has a combat suit whose weapons serve as the basis for the individual parts of the skill tree, allowing him to choose two of the three weapons. This makes it even easier to customize and develop different playstyles.”
My style
Skills alone won't win wars, of course, and weapons have always played a crucial role in the Borderlands series, not only due to the conflicts between the various arms manufacturers and their battles amongst themselves, but also for us, who have access to countless weapons, compare them, and gradually build a powerful and devastating arsenal. This time around, the weapons again possess special properties, such as fire, poison, lightning, cryo, or radioactive damage, which inflict additional harm on targets and are more effective against certain units than others. Here, it's sometimes necessary to strategize which weapons to keep and which to sell, so that your inventory doesn't become cluttered, but you're also not left helpless against your enemies. Many weapons have their own advantages and disadvantages, so you have to think carefully about this as well. Unlike in the previous game, there's unfortunately no vending machine this time around where you can fuse several old weapons into a new one. That's a real shame, because many of the now-useless weapons might have had a second chance at life.
Otherwise, only a few minor adjustments were made to the game and its gameplay, but all of them had a positive effect. For example, in Catch-a-Ride, we now have a choice of three different vehicles, which we can modify not only in terms of weaponry, but also regarding boost, tires, and armor. For instance, we need vehicles with more traction in swampy terrain, while we need more armor in urban areas. We obtain the individual parts either by stealing bandits' vehicles or by discovering and collecting legendary, hidden vehicles. There are also many other collectibles, such as individual recordings, parts from dead Claptraps for Claptrap's new girlfriend, or the stories of Marcus, who gives us a glimpse into his past. The individual collectibles all require some effort to find and obtain, but they consistently provide plenty of amusement and variety. In addition, the vending machines have been slightly reworked; you can now replenish your ammunition with a single click, without having to directly access the machine's menu. Furthermore, it's now possible to fast travel from anywhere on the map, meaning you no longer need to go to a station to reach a base or your vehicle, as it now also functions as a mobile fast travel point. This is a truly helpful feature that can save us a lot of tedious travel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av5Eyx3bGtM
There are also a few small new features in multiplayer. For example, we can decide whether our server is more competitively oriented, with everyone fighting for their own loot, in the spirit of... "First come, first served"Or whether we prefer a cooperative approach, where not only can we prevent others from stealing loot, but it's also available to everyone at our level. Ultimately, the preferred playstyle is entirely up to you. For those who aren't interested in online multiplayer, or who, like us, only find a few players through the free search, local split-screen multiplayer is a good option.
Overall, “Borderlands 3"Exactly what fans have been expecting is delivered to the console. They get the familiar controls and the usual engaging gameplay, which boasts tons of loot, a reasonably compelling story, and many appealing characters. Unfortunately, the Calypso Twins never quite reach the level of Handsome Jacks, but the story is still quite immersive. Furthermore, there are some small but worthwhile changes and improvements that further enhance the enjoyment. Of course, you shouldn't expect a completely new and different game here. That's not the intention at all. Therefore, the title is a successful evolution that still retains its core strengths very well."
Diverse worlds
Because "Sanctuary 3" takes us to many different worlds, we find ourselves in a wide variety of landscapes. Our journey leads us to deserts, neon-drenched metropolises, and swampy forests. In all these worlds, we encounter numerous details, hidden hideaways, and secret areas, all worth exploring. Occasionally, during our explorations, we discover secret chests or one of the many collectibles, which can be quite rewarding. As in its predecessors, the game features a cel-shaded art style, without appearing cheap or overly alien. The character models are very well done, and their textures are quite impressive. Furthermore, small details are hidden throughout the worlds, making the environments feel more alive and appealing. You still have to expect to encounter a loading screen when changing areas, but these are so large that we can spend hours in one without being interrupted. They are therefore quite manageable. Furthermore, there were no pop-up effects or other disruptive elements; the performance speaks for itself.
Also worth highlighting is the excellent voice acting throughout the entire game. Not only do we get the same voice actors as in the previous installments, but they also do a superb job for the most part, conveying the atmosphere of each scene and character exceptionally well. This is further enhanced by an appealing soundtrack, which is very well mixed and effectively supports both the action sequences and the quieter moments.
Anyone who's played the other Borderlands games will immediately feel right at home in the third installment. The game manages to recreate the same atmosphere, primarily through its grandiose excesses and almost ubiquitous madness. Unfortunately, this also means that we eventually miss out on anything truly new. Don't get me wrong, Borderlands 3 is a really great sequel, or rather, thanks to the new enemies, a truly appealing spin-off, but it too often feels like a large expansion.
