Bridge between Borderlands retains chaotic action, humour

SINGAPORE — The word “crazy” may sum up the Borderlands series thus far and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (B:TPS) does not stray too far from that — if the game’s tongue-in-cheek subtitle isn’t enough of a hint.

However, with a new release that isn’t Borderlands 3, is this something worth getting?

Set between the events of the first Borderlands and its sequel, B:TPS takes players from the games’ setting, Pandora, and sends them to a new, faraway location: Elpis, Pandora’s moon.

Gamers may remember the sight of the semi-destroyed moon and, now, they will get to find out how that happened and how Handsome Jack evolved into the antagonist of Borderlands 2.

While original developer Gearbox is now sharing the reins with 2K Australia, the core of the Borderlands experience, thankfully, still remains, from the chaotic action to the witty humour.

If you are a Borderlands fan, the gameplay and familiar characters are bound to bring a smile to your face. In addition, the ridiculous Claptrap from the previous games is now a playable character and you can try out his silly skills.

However, that is not to say all things have stayed the same. Other than the change in location, players have to contend with lower gravity and oxygen levels as well as master new types of weapons, new characters and their new skills.

2K Australia did manage to add a special touch of its own: All the characters from Elpis have an Australian accent.

It is the changed gravity that makes the main difference in the game, as attacks can now truly come from all directions and there is a new sense of verticality in combat.

Add the multi-player mode to that and combat teeters on the edge of Borderlands’ barely controlled chaos.

However, while action sequences are fun and frenetic, they can at times seem few and far between, giving the game an odd lull between set pieces.

Vehicles do appear early on to help reduce the trek; there are times when the somewhat open world feels just too sparsely colonised.

Making sure you have enough oxygen on the moon can sometimes also feel like a chore, especially when it happens mid-battle. Claptrap, being a robot, thankfully does not have to worry about that.

Despite the changes, B:TPS feels more like a fun diversion that is extremely compelling, as you move from quest to quest to hit the next scene.

With B:TPS, co-developers Gearbox Software and 2K Australia did not manage to reach the moon, but it is still worth 3.5 stars.

B:TPS is available for the PC (S$59.90, PS3 (S$75.90) and Xbox 360 (S$69.90).

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