Borderlands

 PC
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1852 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,191 out of 1852
  2. Mixed: 474 out of 1852
  3. Negative: 187 out of 1852
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  1. quadsqwi
    Jul 31, 2012
    2
    In 1-Player mode, is an extremely bored and repetitive game after only a few hours of gaming. Surely, it gains a lot of interesting features if played in coo-op mode.
  2. Ruckainc
    Sep 28, 2012
    0
    Quite possibly one of the most overrated games of all time. I really don't find the entertainment value in this game. Perhaps I am crazy, or it's an issue with today's common gamer. This game is simply boring. There's nothing fun about it. That's a very bold statement, but I stand by it. The game treats you like you're a child with ADHD; there are flashy graphics, constant drops of itemsQuite possibly one of the most overrated games of all time. I really don't find the entertainment value in this game. Perhaps I am crazy, or it's an issue with today's common gamer. This game is simply boring. There's nothing fun about it. That's a very bold statement, but I stand by it. The game treats you like you're a child with ADHD; there are flashy graphics, constant drops of items and loot, and oh so silly jokes that would keep only those who find shows like Family Guy entertained. The game is an insult to my and, I would hope, most other gamer's intelligence. Yes, there is a lot of loot. And I found myself changing weapons and all my gear so quickly it'd make my head spin. The time I finally got a weapon I enjoyed using, another one would drop which was objectively better. This would happen throughout the game and it would happen multiple times in one hour. This leaves the whole looting system lose it's charm. While some would call it a rewarding system, I would argue it's the exact opposite. While it does make you feel good to upgrade a weapon, it happens so often that it just becomes a pointless mechanic. The game's humor is that on a 13 year old's who first started using curse words in front of his friends. The jokes are just dumb. Literally, just dumb. The multiplayer is just that, multiple people playing the same boring, dull, repetitive, and half-witted game. I am glad I got the game for free, but it's unfortunate I cannot get a refund. What a joke.… Expand
  3. Dave
    Oct 26, 2009
    2
    Art style is unique and fun. That's about it. Gameplay is boring. The FOV is too narrow and makes me nauseous. The co-op aspect of the game is broken and bulky. The only way this game is going to survive the test of time is through Hamachi. I don't feel satisfied with what I got for the amount of money I shelled out.
  4. syrik
    Sep 8, 2011
    4
    This game is a very fun shooter, but with flaws. I'll go over the good first. The combat is entertaining and a touch different than other shooters. You get to tweak your character with different abilities to make unique builds which change how your character plays. The game randomly generates weapons so everything that drops is unique and a possible great find, it keeps you looking forThis game is a very fun shooter, but with flaws. I'll go over the good first. The combat is entertaining and a touch different than other shooters. You get to tweak your character with different abilities to make unique builds which change how your character plays. The game randomly generates weapons so everything that drops is unique and a possible great find, it keeps you looking for loot. These things make it fun to play and the graphics are done in an art style like animation cells which I really like, it looks superb. The bad things bring it down however. The game scales terribly. As you do quests and gain exp. you will level too fast and quickly become too powerful, tearing through groups of enemies far too easily. A second play through with tougher enemies is possible, but not fun. You will start much higher level than foes and there is no challenge. The game is lacking several graphics controls on the options menu, which is stupid because the devs put the coding for the controls in the files, they just didn't make buttons. You will have to edit the .ini file yourself to turn on things like v-sync and get a widescreen point of view. Very lazy on the devs part there. Instructions for doing this are easy to find and it's not hard to do, but I shouldn't have to. So, overall Borderlands is a fun game that ends up being far too easy to play and has some basic setup options missing, but obtainable with manual editing on the users part.… Expand
  5. TaylorM
    Dec 9, 2009
    4
    It's got a good concept, but the story and all the side quests are so lack luster. Every single quest, including the main ones, consist only of going to a point, killing something, then coming back, over and over again. Unless the only thing you expect from a game is mindlessly killing waves upon waves of enemies who fundamentally act the same and completely "quests" that have no It's got a good concept, but the story and all the side quests are so lack luster. Every single quest, including the main ones, consist only of going to a point, killing something, then coming back, over and over again. Unless the only thing you expect from a game is mindlessly killing waves upon waves of enemies who fundamentally act the same and completely "quests" that have no content or story or dialog or ANYTHING, then avoid this game.… Expand
  6. TheJusta
    May 26, 2011
    3
    First of all I'd like to point out that I didn't buy this game. It was offered in a bundle with other games, much more entertaining games but still I decided to try it out. The first hour of the game is quite fun, you shoot at stuff, collect guns and ammo, do a few missions and progress through the campaign all the while ignoring the terribly annoying storyline (and characters). Once youFirst of all I'd like to point out that I didn't buy this game. It was offered in a bundle with other games, much more entertaining games but still I decided to try it out. The first hour of the game is quite fun, you shoot at stuff, collect guns and ammo, do a few missions and progress through the campaign all the while ignoring the terribly annoying storyline (and characters). Once you get used to this game and actually get some decent gear you start noticing all the bugs and glitches, most notably the hit boxes. The one critical, essential, necessary game mechanic a shoot-em-up game must get flawlessly is the hit registration. You shoot people in the head point blank with a sniper rifle and it misses, you shoot em in the chest point blank and it misses. You goddamn purposefully shoot beside them and it hits... The storyline, characters and cutscenes are dreadfully annoying and also unskippable, therefore you're not playing this game for the plot. The game mechanics are riddled with bugs which render the game almost unplayable, therefore you're not playing this game for its gameplay. This game has terrible graphics, graphics that at first sight reminded me of a f2p game called Drift City(for those familiar), therefore you're not playing this game for the awe factor. A single question remains. Why are you playing this game?

    I give it a 3 out of 10 because 1. the game actually was capable of installing itself on my PC. 2. The splash screen pops up when you click the game's icon. 3. The .exe file actually works and the game launches. Otherwise it's worthless.    … Expand
  7. Morfolk
    Jun 13, 2011
    1
    The game is extremely repetitive and has little to offer in story or background. The ending is especially lackluster. The promised huge number of weapons amounts to basically same weapons with some slightly different DPS number on it. This game makes killing hordes of enemies boring. The fact it is considered an RPG makes me extremely sad. I was actually lucky to make multiplayer work andThe game is extremely repetitive and has little to offer in story or background. The ending is especially lackluster. The promised huge number of weapons amounts to basically same weapons with some slightly different DPS number on it. This game makes killing hordes of enemies boring. The fact it is considered an RPG makes me extremely sad. I was actually lucky to make multiplayer work and complete it with a friend and we both felt it was an absolute drag.… Expand
  8. OrenI
    Oct 26, 2009
    0
    I would rather take off my pants and have Saddam Hussein cut my penis off than play another second of this game. I DID NOT USE ALL CAPS!
  9. nevek
    Aug 17, 2012
    0
    Just the worst game I've ever played. BL is an example of anti-game. Not fun. Not entertainment. The idea was great, but in the end is just one more in a million.
  10. nonaste
    Nov 21, 2012
    0
    Boring repetitiveness and the graphics absolutely suck. Somebody commented "fantastic art". Lol. Sure, if you never graduated from crayons as an art medium.
  11. SteveJ
    Jan 3, 2010
    3
    This is strictly a multiplayer game. The single player is horrible due to character balance issues and plain boredom because it is so repetitive. There are also a number of bugs including dynamic shadows being incorrectly implemented so you have to turn it off. This is a bad port from console to pc, and you can tell they did not put much effort into the pc version.
  12. noobr
    May 6, 2011
    0
    The game consists of circle strafing and utterly boring missions. The co-op is a huge hassle keeping people on the same pace, and god help anyone who decided to play this single player. I just can't see any real +ve to this game - a utter waste of money.
  13. FrankZ
    Nov 7, 2009
    1
    PC review Boringland the game is advertised as a mutiplyare RPG. as it is now it's not. the multiplayer takes allot of work to make it playable. if your hooked up to a router (which just about every PC is now) you will need to know how to forward ports to be able to join a game and even then many games will be un-joinable and friends my not be able to join a game you host. on top of PC review Boringland the game is advertised as a mutiplyare RPG. as it is now it's not. the multiplayer takes allot of work to make it playable. if your hooked up to a router (which just about every PC is now) you will need to know how to forward ports to be able to join a game and even then many games will be un-joinable and friends my not be able to join a game you host. on top of the that the gameplay is very linear there is no build up or excitement to be had anywhere in this game . overall it's very very boring and add to that some bad level design where you can get stuck allot and have to restart because there is no save system other than auto save there are allot of bug with character lose . so yo might play for 20+ hours and lose you character at some point which is not fun. overall though the frustration of dealing with the software problems and player mechanics problems you realize your not having any fun playing the game itself . it's extremely repetitive and no NPC charterers you meet ingame are worth remembering . overall it's Boring-land… Expand
  14. Kakapato
    Oct 31, 2010
    4
    I can't undestard how you can call it an RPG... not all "experience oriented" games can be deifned as RPG... it's a arcade FPS, nothing else...

    Anyway: good graphics, average sounds, very boring and very repetitive gameplay.

    I uninstalled the game before reaching the end.
  15. Kossak
    Apr 3, 2019
    0
    I do not support bribing for store exclusivities. Avoid at all costs. Thank you.
  16. Chlodwig
    Jan 17, 2011
    0
    It's obvious that this game was created for consoles. The menu handling on PCs is, to put it politely, braindead. It all makes sense instantly the moment you realize that it was originally meant for consoles.

    And the game remains consistent at this. The loading times between levels is, in one word, stunning. Usually enough time to get a new can of soda, just like you'd expect from a    It's obvious that this game was created for consoles. The menu handling on PCs is, to put it politely, braindead. It all makes sense instantly the moment you realize that it was originally meant for consoles.

    And the game remains consistent at this.

    The loading times between levels is, in one word, stunning. Usually enough time to get a new can of soda, just like you'd expect from a console game that needs to load the next level from its DVD. But ... on a PC?

    Now, consoles do not have firewalls or other pesky things like this. Hence, Borderlands' multiplayer option refuses to work if you happen to consider security something that you might want on your PC. Only if you turn off every semblance of protection, forward a metric ton of ports and let everything and anything connect freely to your machine, you might be allowed to hope that maybe you could possibly be rewarded with a working multiplayer session.

    Ok, I take that 'working' back. It might connect. For how long, well, let's say it will be a surprise for you.

    When you finally get to play, it's FUN! For about 10 minutes. Then you notice that, well, you're actually doing the same crap over and over and over and over... and while that was fun for Diablo a decade ago, it kinda got old by now.

    It's not even fun as a shooter. This from someone who loves multiplayer shooters and adores the graphics of TF2 (one of the reasons why I bought BL, the graphics sure resemble those of TF2). It just is plainly and simply no fun. And it's not even that the enemies are "only NPCs", I love Left4Dead with a similar "us 4 against 100 enemies, we're soooo unfair!" feel to it. The Borderlands NPCs are just simply terrible. Either they are brain dead zombies (no pun intended) that look at you blankly while you take potshots. Or they have superhuman radar that makes "sneaking" up to them completely pointless since they seem to know just where you are on the map, all the time, whether they can see you or not. Essentially, that reduces the "shooter" element to "fire your gun in the general direction of the enemy, absorb the return fire (no need to duck or anything, it won't change a bit), then go and collect the trinkets. Rinse, repeat.

    Tactics? GROUP tactics?

    C'mon, it's so obviously a console shooter, you're expecting WAY too much.    … Expand
  17. Ramlosa
    Aug 28, 2011
    2
    Boringland could have bin great if it werent so repetitive and bland. I never felt I was in a wasteland, it didnt have that feel to it like STALKER has. What made it unplayable was that you couldnt turn the mics off so we couldnt use teamspeak. And on top off that the ingame sound quality was so bad that we had to plugg out the mics.
    How fun is a co-op game when you cant speak to each    Boringland could have bin great if it werent so repetitive and bland. I never felt I was in a wasteland, it didnt have that feel to it like STALKER has. What made it unplayable was that you couldnt turn the mics off so we couldnt use teamspeak. And on top off that the ingame sound quality was so bad that we had to plugg out the mics.
    How fun is a co-op game when you cant speak to each other? Such a simple feature ruining he hole game and makes it unplayable.
    I would like to give it a higher score but without the possibility to turn of the mics it´s unplayable.    … Expand
  18. SharpieMarker
    Sep 7, 2011
    2
    This game is a great play with your friends. I really enjoyed it until the last boss fight. The ending is very disappointing. A giant middle finger to the player and the reason I give this a 2. It doesn't matter how you get there as long as you get there. This game didn't get there.
  19. loungegecko
    Dec 3, 2011
    4
    This game was fantastic. The online modes are fun, the game itself is addictive, non linear, and open world (to an extent), and the enemies are fun to fight. All this, and them... boom. It was crippled by the absolute worst ending that I have ever seen in any game, book, movie, TV series... it was an ending that made me visibly mad at the developers. Even though I still had quests I couldThis game was fantastic. The online modes are fun, the game itself is addictive, non linear, and open world (to an extent), and the enemies are fun to fight. All this, and them... boom. It was crippled by the absolute worst ending that I have ever seen in any game, book, movie, TV series... it was an ending that made me visibly mad at the developers. Even though I still had quests I could do, the online modes are still fun, and I could see this game having replay value seeping from all parts, I have not been able to bring myself to play it since I beat it and experienced... that ending... It's worth buying, especially since it goes on sale every month on Steam, but prepare to be more disappointed than you have been with any game you have ever played. Also, some glitches here and there, a couple of story holes, and the fact that shotguns are just random damage generators irked me a little throughout the game, but not too horribly so.… Expand
  20. lordFu
    Apr 2, 2019
    2
    F*** exclusivity . F*** 2K . we don't want this . this will nt help and i wanted the game . not ready to support the like of them . >:c why why .
  21. ArielH
    Jan 15, 2010
    4
    After a while, you'll come to realize the claims they make about this game are fantastically blown out of proportion.
  22. Nut
    Dec 30, 2009
    0
    This game has internet check. I have to crack my own legal copy. Idiots. How are you going to play this 10 years from now? These checks ain't going to affect piracy but they will affect every legal customer. It's annoying enough that games have dvd checks. Ain't going to buy anything with internet checks ever again.
  23. gregorye
    Jan 11, 2010
    2
    After purchasing multiple copies of this game to play with friends, I was satisfied by the solo content but appalled at the near impossibility of hosting/joining a co-op game. After hours of research and non 2k games related fixe, I gave up. With multiplayer working this could have been a decent game. Without it is a pale and derivative echo of Fallout 3. A major dissapointment, given the After purchasing multiple copies of this game to play with friends, I was satisfied by the solo content but appalled at the near impossibility of hosting/joining a co-op game. After hours of research and non 2k games related fixe, I gave up. With multiplayer working this could have been a decent game. Without it is a pale and derivative echo of Fallout 3. A major dissapointment, given the angle of the marketing as a multiplayer experience.… Expand
  24. Y4nk33
    Apr 6, 2013
    1
    Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks
  25. RomanZ
    Oct 27, 2009
    1
    Played the PC version and it is a horrible, horrible, horrible console port. Game is EXTREMELY repetitive, has annoying tutorials you cannot turn off and awful multiplayer system. Do not buy this game for the PC.
  26. Serious_Gamer
    Dec 1, 2011
    2
    I do not like this game due to the fact that it's a complete rip off of the Fallout Series created by Bethesda. When I first played it I thought it was a pretty good game, it felt great playing it until I realised I liked this game because it was exactly like Fallout but then I realised of how a true rip off it was, it's terrible compared to Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas! How people callI do not like this game due to the fact that it's a complete rip off of the Fallout Series created by Bethesda. When I first played it I thought it was a pretty good game, it felt great playing it until I realised I liked this game because it was exactly like Fallout but then I realised of how a true rip off it was, it's terrible compared to Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas! How people call this game a good game? It's a complete rip off and I don't reccommend it to ANYONE but I wouold recommend the Fallout series to ANY gamer.… Expand
  27. voiders
    Apr 26, 2013
    2
    That game is weird, stupid, pointless and looks like "backyard game". Why so good scores? I bought at steam and couldnt play more than 2 hours, really.
  28. NateS
    Oct 28, 2009
    0
    It's a great game, graphically, gameplay, but i shaved 8 marks off mainly because the game is advertised as a co-op game, yet connecting to online games turned out to be a pain in the butt. The one week delay to optimize the PC version turned out to be a big sack of lies. Nothing was optimized for PC. This game is a console port. 90% of the in game menus are NOT mouse supported. For It's a great game, graphically, gameplay, but i shaved 8 marks off mainly because the game is advertised as a co-op game, yet connecting to online games turned out to be a pain in the butt. The one week delay to optimize the PC version turned out to be a big sack of lies. Nothing was optimized for PC. This game is a console port. 90% of the in game menus are NOT mouse supported. For example, if you get into an online game, you can't kick some from clicking their name, you have to use arrow keys and select them. The online backbone of the game is even more crappier. Of all online gaming infrastructures Gearbox decided to use Gamespy... I pretty sure a lot of FPS gamers moved away from Gamespy back in 1998. So in the end if you want a Online CO-OP game. Do Not Buy this game, it's not a co-op game if you have a hard time connecting to other players. Probably better off purchasing Left 4 Dead 2. Gearbox Software is only good at bring PC ports to consoles, NOT the other way around. Save your money, this game is not worth it. Gearbox only released this game on PC to make some quick cash. They haven't even acknowledge on there official forums that there are a lot of problems. Sure they're could be fixing it, but easing your customers minds goes a long way. Once again DO NOT BUY! Unless you are only going to play single player mostly.… Expand
  29. Woody
    Nov 20, 2009
    0
    Games Great, but steam stuffed up the initial pre-load for Aussie's with the censored version, then to make it even better, a couple of weeks after the release, they upped the price from $45 to $79, and said "They fixed the price and have now released it at a discount" Steam treats Aussies like crap!, taking advantage of our strong dollar and what we usually pay in shops. I would Games Great, but steam stuffed up the initial pre-load for Aussie's with the censored version, then to make it even better, a couple of weeks after the release, they upped the price from $45 to $79, and said "They fixed the price and have now released it at a discount" Steam treats Aussies like crap!, taking advantage of our strong dollar and what we usually pay in shops. I would boycott if i didn't already purchase it for $45. Surely they'd drop the price if suddenly they had zero sales in the Australian market.… Expand
  30. VincentW
    Dec 30, 2009
    1
    The game is good but I would never buy another game from Gearbox ever again. There is absolutely no multiplayer available because you'll be spending time looking for games to join. If you do get in one, wait 5 minutes and press CTRL ALT DEL to close it. Enjoy?
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Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best PC Game of 2009
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
17
#17 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. IGN
    88
    It's something action role-playing game fans looking for an experience more up-close and brutal than genre entries of the third-person variety should have a blast with, and one of the more memorable products of 2009.
    Read full review
  2. Destructoid
    85
    With tons of weapons to find, a great co-op system, fantastic art, and a whole bunch of exploding bodies, Borderlands is worth your money. Even when I feel that the game is starting to get repetitive, there's something about it that keeps me playing.
    Read full review
  3. AtomicGamer
    92
    I think you'll agree that when you've got guns blazing from four players at once and loot is flying everywhere, Borderlands easily makes up for any perceived shortcomings.
    Read full review
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