Borderlands 3 pleases gamers
By: Samuel Donato
Staff writer
“Borderlands 3” has become one of the most talked about games of the year, with it quickly rising in the ranks as one of IGN’s most popular games. Everything from the previous three installments has been brought back, and even more has been added to truly give it a warm “Borderlands” welcome.
Welcome to Pandora!
As it has been in the past, you start off with Marcus, the gunsmith/story-teller, weaving a tale of the Vaults, and the mystery that surrounds them. Upon finishing the opening cutscene, you are greeted with a cinematic, introducing you to the four new Vault Hunters of this game.
The first choice is Amara, a Siren with crazy powers linked to the blue tattoos that adorn her arm and body. This particular Siren is a brawler who specializes in close combat, punching her enemies into submission.
The next Hunter you can play as is Moze, the Gunner, the most soldier-esque hunter of this game. Moze is my personal favorite, as with her special ability, she summons a large mechanical bear, known as “Iron Bear” to jump into battle and start blasting away at your enemies.
The next VH is one that has become the “most overpowered” to be introduced. That hunter is FL4K (pronounced ‘flak’), a VH specializing in controlling one of three beasts: a Skag, a large dog-like creature, a Spiderant, an antlion-like insectoid hunter and a new creature introduced in this game, a Jabber, a primate-like creature that can also wield a gun for some reason. FL4K has become noticed by more than just ‘Borderlands 3’ fans however, as the voice behind him is none other than Sung Won Cho, known as ProZD on Youtube.
The final VH is the Technician that is Zane Flynt, a drunkard, but one able to cause mass chaos on the battlefield with his many gadgets that aid him in combat. These four are some of the most dynamically different Vault Hunters in the series, giving players many different ways to play the same game.
Loot, Baby!
As in “Borderlands” tradition, loot is a very important part of the game. This game in particular though has been given an overhaul on weapons, and some even feature an alternate firing mode, thus adding another layer to combat.
Each character can use any gun, and let me say there will never be a shortage for the adventurer. From guns that fire homing missiles, to insane rocket launchers that blast opponents with all kinds of elemental damage, the loot in this game has been amped up to eleven, offering up rare weapons around every corner.
Time To Fight!
In any “Borderlands” game you can always expect insane boss fights and heated power struggles throughout, but “Borderlands 3” has brought into play mechanics that have changed the way you play.
Two new mechanics, one recycled from an earlier game, and one new addition entirely, are the ground slam and the slide, respectively.
The ground slam, when activated, brings your character down to the ground with a melee swing, knocking back any opponents, or taking out ones low on health.
The slide, while I may not be using it properly, has been added so that when you dash, you may hold the crouch button to slide, allowing you to get to cover, or to slide right into an enemies face and melee them. It works pretty well until you get frozen, at which point your dash is nonexistent.
“Borderlands 3” is the long-awaited next installment in the “Borderlands” franchise, and, from someone who’s played every one since the beginning, I can safely say that it is an absolute shoot and loot masterpiece.