Introduction
Basic information
- Developer Name: Gearbox Software
- Full Name: Borderlands
- Release Date: October 20, 2009 (Original), April 3, 2019 (Enhanced Edition)
- Released on: PlayStation, Xbox, PC
- Cross Play: No
Initial thoughts
When Borderlands first launched, it redefined what a loot shooter could be. At the time, few games combined first-person shooting with RPG mechanics in such a seamless and entertaining way. The quirky humor, chaotic co-op gameplay, and ridiculous number of weapons made it stand out. Years later, even with multiple sequels and spin-offs, the original Borderlands still holds a special place in the franchise.
Jumping back into Borderlands now, I was reminded of just how much fun it still is. The gameplay holds up surprisingly well, the setting is just as wild and unpredictable, and the loot system remains addictive. While it may lack some of the refinements of later entries, this game still delivers an exciting and hilarious FPS experience.
Story and setting
Plot overview
You play as one of four Vault Hunters who arrive on the lawless world of Pandora, a wasteland filled with bandits, psychos, and dangerous wildlife. The goal? Find the legendary Vault, an ancient alien treasure that supposedly holds untold riches and power. Guided by a mysterious woman known as the Guardian Angel, you take on mercenary jobs, battle through hordes of enemies, and try to uncover the truth behind the Vault’s secrets.
World building and immersion
Pandora is a hostile, brutal world, and the game does an excellent job of making you feel like you’re just another scavenger trying to survive. The environments, from barren deserts to rundown settlements, are filled with quirky NPCs, hidden loot, and plenty of dangerous encounters. While the world may lack some of the depth seen in later entries, the Mad Max-inspired post-apocalyptic setting is still incredibly immersive.
Character development
The playable Vault Hunters—Mordecai, Brick, Lilith, and Roland—aren’t as developed in this game as they are in later entries, but their unique abilities and personalities still shine through. The real charm comes from Pandora’s insane cast of NPCs, including Dr. Zed, Marcus, and Claptrap, all of whom bring an offbeat energy to the experience.
Emotional impact
While Borderlands doesn’t aim for deep emotional storytelling, it nails humor and chaos in a way few other games do. The ridiculous situations, insane dialogue, and over-the-top combat keep things entertaining from start to finish.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with an 7.5
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
At its core, Borderlands is an FPS-RPG hybrid with a massive emphasis on loot and customization. The combat is fast-paced, the weapons are diverse, and the four playable characters each offer a unique playstyle, from Lilith’s Phasewalk to Brick’s Berserk Mode.
Difficulty and balance
The game offers a solid challenge, especially in solo play, where enemies scale aggressively. However, co-op is where Borderlands shines, making encounters feel much more manageable (and chaotic).
Pacing of the game
While the shoot-and-loot gameplay loop is addicting, some missions involve a lot of backtracking, which can slow things down. The lack of fast travel early on can make the experience feel a bit tedious at times.
Innovation and uniqueness
Back in 2009, procedurally generated weapons were a game-changer. The fact that you could find millions of different gun combinations, each with randomized stats and effects, was groundbreaking. While later games refined this formula, the original Borderlands laid the foundation for the entire looter-shooter genre.
Controls and user interface
Controls are responsive and smooth, and the UI is straightforward. However, inventory management can be clunky, especially when sorting through all the loot.
Microtransactions
None, which is refreshing.
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with an 8.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The game’s cel-shaded art style was a bold choice at the time, and it has aged surprisingly well. Even years later, the comic-book aesthetic still looks great and gives Borderlands a unique visual identity.
Technical performances
The original version had some issues, but the Enhanced Edition improves performance with better lighting, textures, and smoother framerates.
Environment and design uniqueness
While later games add more variety, the original Borderlands still offers a strong mix of wastelands, bandit camps, and abandoned facilities. It feels rugged, lived-in, and lawless—exactly what you’d expect from Pandora.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with an 8.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The music is minimalistic, often serving as background noise rather than a standout feature. However, the intro song—Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant—is legendary.
Sound effects quality
Gun sounds, explosions, and enemy screams are all well-designed, making combat feel punchy and satisfying.
Voice Acting
While the main characters don’t talk much, the NPCs absolutely steal the show. Claptrap’s over-the-top antics, Marcus’ shady sales pitches, and the bandits’ ridiculous one-liners give the game tons of personality.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 7.5
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
A full playthrough takes about 20–30 hours, but there’s plenty of additional content, especially in New Game+ and the DLC expansions.
Extra Content
The DLC packs—Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, and Claptrap’s Robot Revolution—add tons of new content, with some of the best humor and boss fights in the game.
Replay value
With four distinct Vault Hunters, randomized loot, and co-op, Borderlands is a game you can play multiple times and still have fun.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Borderlands 1 with an 8.5
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
- Fast travel should be available earlier.
- Improved AI for enemies and allies.
- More dynamic mission variety.
Comparisons
- Compared to Borderlands 2, the original lacks a more refined story and quality-of-life improvements, but it still holds up as a solid foundation.
- Compared to later looter-shooters (Destiny, The Division), Borderlands remains one of the most charming and unique in the genre.
Personal experiences and anecdotes
One of my favorite moments in Borderlands is the first time you get a truly overpowered weapon. There’s something exhilarating about finding a shotgun that shoots rockets or a sniper rifle that sets enemies on fire. The game constantly surprises you with its loot, making every chest opening feel like a mini-lottery.
And of course, Claptrap. Love him or hate him, he’s an unforgettable part of the experience.
Rating
Taking in all the personal experiences with Borderlands 1, I give it a personal rating of 7,5
Last words
Pros
- One of the best loot systems in gaming history
- Unique cel-shaded art style that still holds up
- Addictive co-op gameplay
- Hilarious writing and memorable NPCs
- Four distinct playable characters
- Tons of DLC content for extended playtime
- Satisfying gunplay and combat
- No microtransactions
Cons
- Backtracking and lack of early fast travel
- Story isn’t as deep as later games
- Inventory management can be clunky
- Solo play can be frustratingly difficult at times
Borderlands remains a classic looter-shooter that still holds up today. While later entries improved on its formula, the original still offers a fun, chaotic, and hilarious FPS experience. Whether playing solo or with friends, it’s a wild ride that helped define the genre.
FINAL RATING
8
Please let me know what you think of Borderlands 1 in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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I never have played Borderlands, got a couple games free on Epic, I will probably play them sometime in the future, thanks for the review guys!
I hope you will enjoy the game in the future!
No fast travel to extend the lenght of the game is sad.
When this game was released, fast travel was barely a thing!
Lot of Backtracking which cannot be fun, truly is sad (except certain games, but not this).
But the gambling aspect of this (every chest feeling like a mini lottery) makes this a 11/10.
Yeah, the guns are really great in this game!
I bought all Borderlands games (except for 3) and their DLC’s back when there was a big sale for them, and as it tends to happen, I then proceeded to not touch them at all since then! XD
I promise I do end up playing the games I buy! … Eventually…
We bought the Pandora box as well!
I remember having fun playing Borderlands 2 quite a while ago, so this review was pretty nostalgic.
Yeah, we really need to finish Borderlands 2!
Heard good games about those games, i started to play Borderlands 1.5 because this version i got on steam, played only the beginning and somehow i didn’t liked this gameplay or type of graphic. Played solo of course. Maybe too early to say but I like when you can feel the weapon, recoil or something (one of my favorite shooters online for some time was Day of Defeat Source, some ww2 weapons had such amazing and hard to control recoil that good shooting with them was something i liked to do, fighting with my own weapons to be accurate hehe 😉 ), maybe if i played longer i would like it more, well anyway i also wasnt fan of single player Half-life’s but liked much Counter Strike or as i said Day Of Defeat which are on this same gameplay engine. PS – You put by mistake wrong video and your final rating, it provides to Little Kitty Big City.
Heard good things*, Had put*
Some weapons had insane recoil!
I remember it was just fun when I played it in the past.
Recently, though it was about 3 years ago, I started to feel stressed when I played it again.
About things related to movement, and damage limitations based on LV.
That said, the combat and equipment collection are still totally fun aspects of the game!🐑
Yeah, you should not try to kill enemies way above your level!
I had a blast playing the original with Hobbes and I think we would already have done a rerun on the enhanced edition if there weren’t so many other awesome coop games and so little coop time XD
Co-op games are the best!
Inventory management in coop splitscreen allways has been tricky in my opinion. As you meantioned it really aged good. Nice review. Hope you had a lot of fun playing.
Yeah, inventory management is hard, but you can also share the loot!
Great game. Just a question: is the review revamped or is it the review to Borderlands revamped. And if so, what’s the difference from revamped to original?
The review is revamped!
It’s fun to play, and the art is what stands out the most, but this series of games has never really caught my attention because I find the story a bit boring. The gameplay is interesting.
The story is better than Borderlands 3!
That was a good way to start a game series
Indeed, Borderlands 4 is coming as well!
Great review… Still not my type of game. 😆 Nice revamp though!
The review is much better streamlined!
That Silent Night loot price—that’s how many Octopearls Sven should get. :3
This Borderlands was good, but #2 outshines it in my experience.
Heheheh, prices are insane in this game!
Have to boot into the looter shooter genre someday 😉
You really should!
The artstyle is really unique, it almost looks like a comic book! The whackiness of the world and characters is interesting too!
Yeah, it is indeed, whacky!
Borderlands is one of those games I want to play. I’m late. Thanks for the review.
You really should play it!
I like this review! I bought this game with discount and I want to play it after reading review.
I hope you will enjoy the game!