Few games stack up in my repertoire the way Borderlands does. A handful. Something really special. Special when it was new, while it was popular, and even now on the Nintendo Switch port of 2009’s Borderlands. With the new movie coming, featuring Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Jamie Lee Curtis to name a few, I thought, “What a good time not only for an overdue review of Borderlands on the Switch, but a look at the first game in the iconic series itself!”
I have high hopes that director Eli Roth has assembled his team, and will deliver on this movie for fans and newcomers alike. My wish is that it gets would-be fans into the series, even those who have a problem with Borderlands’ cartoonish art style. Something that for me, was one of the reasons I initially played the game, and a key factor in me continuing to play as I do.
These games’ art style is not only stimulating to the eye, but serves key roles in your understanding of what is going on around you. The whole game has a cartoon-like visual style, but the content is very much mature oriented. In this FPS/RPG you will face hordes of bandits, psychos and monsters. To me, all of the enemy varieties bring something to the table in Borderlands.
Borderlands takes place on a hostile alien world called Pandora. Pandora is ravaged by bandits and greedy corporations looking for a hidden alien Vault. Supposedly the Vault contains untold wealth and knowledge from an ancient alien race. There is no proof of this, but here you are, getting off the bus your first day as a Vault Hunter. The story isn’t the most dramatic or compelling I have ever played by any means, but it is quite funny a lot of the time. The car horn still cracks me up after all this time playing. You’ll be doing a lot of shooting and looting. Loot is a major factor in this game, as randomness drives the creation of gear. Gear can radically alter your build.
This is a game meant for you to play a couple times, at least. The level cap in GOTY Edition is 69, and I finish the game in the low-to-mid thirties typically. There are millions of gear options. New Game Plus will offer fiercer foes, more intense combat, crazier loot and abilities beyond your reckoning. The character I played on the Switch can also be the most powerful, and even by the end of my first playthrough, my Siren was leaving corpses in her wake as she bolted across the battlefield with wings of fire, incinerating, shooting and using melee against whatever comes her way.
There are four main classes in Borderlands that you choose from at the start of the game. There is Brick, who is a tank that uses his fists as his ability, then there is Mordecai the hunter, who uses a pet falcon, third is Roland the soldier, who has a deployable turret, and finally Lilith the siren, who can create bursts of energy as she enters and exits another plane of existence where she cannot be hurt or seen. Every character is brilliant fun. Each offers a bevy of unique experiences, as each has three skill trees that you can spec into however you like, and reset for a fee.
What I must absolutely recommend when playing Borderlands, is that you find a friend to play through the game with you. I know this can be hard, but after spending countless hours on Borderlands 1 with friends, I just have to tell you that it is a really wonderful time. The bosses can be hard, even if you think you’re ready, and it is nice to have someone that has your back. You can revive someone who is in Fight For Your Life mode, where normally you need a kill to revive, which makes the game different.
You can play up to four people, and the level of dynamics between character class, build type, gear, play style and more will create a unique experience you and your friends won’t soon forget. It is a fantastic bonding experience. That said, you will still love it solo, as well. I’m just saying, for me, with friends playing this game are gaming memories I will remember forever.
If you love it as much as I think you will, there are three more Borderlands games after this: Pre-Sequel, 2 and 3. The games Pre-Sequel and 2 came with this one in a bundle on the Nintendo store deal for $20, so for probably my favorite game series of all time, how could I not try an FPS on the Switch that I have the highest chance of loving? I have played about twenty hours of the sequel and am enjoying the experience there as well.
So, how is the Switch port? Still one of my favorite games? Most certainly, yes. I beat the game in about twenty hours, and I suspect I will be playing it much more. The GOTY Editions come with all the DLC, and I never fully explored the DLC in any of the games. Switch will most likely be how I enjoy them. Playing on the Switch made this game feel fresh again, and that was meaningful.
Playing on the Switch versus Xbox took a lot of getting used to. The joy-cons felt less precise, but this was anticipated. My Switch was still new to me when I bought the games, and I wanted to put the new system to the test. You will have a better experience if you use a Pro controller, guaranteed. That being said, early in this game I had my doubts. However, I noticed I was not only getting better with the controller, but I was adapting and playing differently in ways that were successful.
Whether you have or haven’t played the original Borderlands games, the Switch ports are worthy of your attention. Play split-screen with someone, online with a group or just give it a go solo. The game looks great on the Switch, it runs good except for one or two weird bugs, (one of which was particularly annoying,) it plays well on whatever controller you play it on, and if you can get it on sale, is an absolute must-play on any console.
Credit: Borderlands. Screenshots by me.
HereticDerek 