My current obsession!

Grinding, chasing ever phatter lewt, killing the same old enemies over and over again only with new toys. I admit it, I never tire of it. Removing physical prowess and dexterity from the equation almost totally, and replacing it with the correct selection of skills and abilities? Yeah, I'll take me some of that. Even better if I can co-op it. And even betterer if said co-op can take place on my sofa alongside my loved one.

This is what Borderlands is all about. Whilst it may look like an FPS, it is really just Diablo. Enemies attack, enemies get shot, enemies drop stuff. Pick up the stuff, and equip it or sell it to buy better stuff. Then, use this new stuff to kill tougher enemies. Lather, rinse, repeat.

At first, I was impressed with the visuals. Blue skies, pink hair, and basically not your usual boring brown and bloom.



Then, it was the humour that got me, with my class of choice going apeshit every time I hit his action skill. If running towards a midget psycho and punching his head off whilst shouting "RRRAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH, MOOOOOOOOOORRRRRREEEE BLLLLOOOOOOODDDDDDD!" doesn't tickle your funny bone, then you probably won't find too much to like in this one. But I happen to love the peurile and over-the-top nature, the pure craziness that is taking place on my screen is right up my alley.

Factor in a dynamic difficulty that makes things tougher when playing with friends, and a corresponding reward system that allows for better items to drop at the same time, and you have virtual crack to someone like me. It also helps that instead of being another dull Space Marine scenario, it is played out against a highly stylised backdrop. Characters look like they are taken straight from the pages of a sci-fi comic, instead of being the basic testosterone-heavy rent-a-designs found in most other first-person games. NPCs dish out quests with their tongues firmly in their cheeks, bosses are introduced in cut-scenes with knowing winks, seriousness is pushed aside in favour of silly at every turn.

The story itself is basic stuff, but that's not why you play this sort of game. You play for the way it lets you zone out the problems of the day. Shotguns that fire rockets, machine guns that set fire to their targets, and even sniper rifles with explosive side-effects await the adventurer who wishes to dispense instant karma with them.

To date, I have easily put over 60 hours in, and this is without coming close to finishing. There are 4 expansions available, and I am pretty sure I will be buying them all when I complete the quest. But I am in no hurry to do that, because so far it is too much of a blast. AND, I get to New Game + upon completion! This makes me a happy bunny indeed.

I can not recommend this game highly enough. It may be old, but this works in its favour as it is now available for a lot cheaper.

Buy Borderlands from Amazon