The Hunt Is On
Are you ready for some mayhem, vault hunters? It’s been 7 years since the release of Borderlands 2, and Gearbox Software is finally ready to give gamers the sequel they’ve been craving. Releasing on September 13th of this year, Borderlands 3 looks to be filled with all the chaotic action, sly humor and deep customization that made its predecessors a success.
The E3 demo covered a short section of a mission followed by a boss fight. While it was a small taste of what the game has to offer, the number of new features as well as the depth of customization made a strong impression. I was looking forward to playing Borderlands 3, but now it’s perhaps my favorite experience of E3.
Fantastic Enemies And Guns To Shoot Them
Enemies are diverse in size as well as tactics. Tiny psychos scream as they charge in for a melee attack, while snipers stay in the safety of their rooftop perches. The enemy AI is the same blend of intelligent and psychotic behavior that graced the previous games, and it makes for constantly evolving firefights.
The weapons available in the demo were varied and distinct. Snipers have a weighty kickback and cause devastating critical hits. Assault rifles spray damage across the battlefield, cutting a wide swath through dense crowds of hostiles. Grenades, which are unique to each class, feature interesting properties like laser-targeting or self-replicating.
Borderlands has always been gun-centric, but Gearbox seems to have spent a little extra time fine-tuning the visceral, weighty aspect of the experience. Both the visuals and the audio drive home the feeling of firing a seriously powerful piece of weaponry. It makes for a delightful contrast to the whimsical walking guns revealed in the trailers.
Class Warfare
While the beast-master class wasn’t included in the demo, the other three were on display in all their glory. The Gunner, Operative and Siren make for distinctly different experiences, with customizable skills and augmentation that make each one feel like several classes in one.
Utilizing the new “hard points” customization creates unique loadouts that cater to any play-style. The gunner, for example, has the ability to summon a mech with fully customizable slots for different weapons. Want two flamethrowers? You got it. Want a flamethrower on the left and a chain-gun on the right? You got it. Whatever your preferred play-style, there’s an option that will scratch that itch.
Playing as the gunner feels like a perfect option for tanking. The bottomless mags skill tree in particular allows for seriously destructive gameplay. The skills are self-explanatory, as the goal is to never stop firing…and to receive damage bonuses by doing so. For those who want to play with a group, there’s a skill that allows a teammate to jump in the back of the mech and operate a turret while sharing the armor bonus.
The Siren is very much a DPS class, but the various skill trees benefit very different strategies. Astral projection skills summon an apparition that deals damage to any enemies in its path. Kills add stacks of a resource that increases the damage of said apparition, allowing for some truly satisfying kills when the timing is right. On the flip side, one can use a grip skill that holds an enemy in place for the player (or anyone in the party) to unload on, uninhibited.
Those who prefer sneaking around or using gadgets will want to check out the Operative class. Perhaps the best option for solo play, the operative can create a holographic doppelganger that distracts enemies (even bosses), and switch places with their hologram at will. Sending out a holographic decoy and dealing damage until switching places when the time is right feels like cheating your enemies in the best possible way.
Customize And Socialize
Customization doesn’t end at skill trees, either. Those who played the first two games will remember selecting a color palette to customize their look. In Borderlands 3, there are options for primary, secondary and tertiary colors. Encountering another player who looks just like you is now a virtual impossibility.
Guns are also more customizable than ever. Any gun skin that has been unlocked can be applied to any weapon in the game, of any rarity. Additionally, players can discover various trinkets that socket into weapon slots for an added layer of customization, as well as increased ease of weapon management.
Graphically, the game doesn’t disappoint. Unlike some titles that don’t see the light of day for nearly a decade, Borderlands 3 looks decidedly modern. The varied environments planned for the final release should keep things interesting as well, as the game spans multiple planets this time. The graphical tone appears to have gone in a darker direction as well, though the vibrant colors and unique character designs are still present.
New social features seek to bridge the gap between single and multiplayer in subtle, but effective ways. Players can see (and purchase) weapons sold by friends at vending machines in single-player mode. Additionally, players who loot weapons or other gear that doesn’t suit them can mail that gear to a friend. The added potential for encountering useful gear simply by having friends who also play the game is enticing to say the least.
Certain “rare” enemies with a 20% or less chance of spawning can also be shared between friends. These rare enemies offer special rewards that can only be acquired by hunting them down, and anyone familiar with RPGs should be overjoyed at the prospect of combining spawn rates with friends…without even having to play together.
A Game With Character
Those who enjoy Borderlands for the rich characters and story should be excited as well. The new (seemingly) primary villains, The Calypso twins, are as bad and as stylish as they come. They lead a religion hell-bent on converting the masses, dead or alive. Based on the limited dialogue present in the demo, I can’t wait to hear everything they have to say…and then silence them.
Obviously Claptrap is back, and in addition to his iconic blend of depression and humor, he’s on a quest of his own this time around. He longs for companionship, and the player can help him build a girlfriend by locating broken down claptrap units throughout the game. It’s probably not going to end well, but who can resist helping clappy build his true love?
Based on what we’ve seen thus far, Borderlands 3 looks to be a shot of adrenaline to the looter-shooter genre Gearbox helped create. Vibrant personality, endless customization, and innovative social features make for a game that looks to be well worth the 7 year wait. Borderlands 3 releases on September 13th of this year for X-Box One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Be sure to stay tuned to NerdOn! for more articles and other great E3 content.
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