Borderlands 3

Don't get me wrong, this is a popular and fun franchise with some great writing and BIG loot system but with it being a triple A title, the game has the worst performance from any game in the series. From terrible Frame rate issues to extremely slow and laggy menu loading screens, these are just the tip of the iceberg of problems. I would have been happy to wait an extra couple of months for the team to release a stable product..

The core gameplay mechanics work beautifully, shooting hasn't felt this amazing in a borderlands game before, the ability to slide and mantle onto ledges makes the core loop of shooting and looting even more satisfying than the previous games. But unfortunately those new additions can't save the game from poor pacing and a lackluster story that leaves much to be desired, mix that with really forgettable villains and a horrible mid section on eden 6 that last far too long

Borderlands 3 definitely went the wrong road in story but the right direction in gameplay

If you're like me who loved the story of borderlands 2 you won't find that here If you're someone who is here for just the story and a laugh then it's definitely the game for you

Pros: Fantastic loot Movement system is a major step up New vault hunters are all a welcome addition

Cons: Boring story Empty worlds Poor pacing and mid section

The game just dropped so it has some glitches but the game is still awesome

May 2020 Edit: Borderlands 3 earns an additional point for it's outstanding post launch support. It's quality and frequency of updates are overall very good. These include: It's 15$ side story DLCs all 4 of which are more entertaining and pleasent compared to the main story; It's free events, raids and raid bosses, new missions, gameplay fixes, general content updates, weapon and skill buffs, level cap increases, limited time items, and of course a huge variety of new legendarys with some very clever and interesting new unique effects; Then there's whole new game features such as new skill trees giving basically 33% more versatility to each character, new item machines, an aniontment re roll option, new mayhem modes, the arms race game mode, that borderlands science thing, ect. This is on top of a game that already came out with a solid wealth of content.

The only minor thing I'm disappointed with is the character updates. Borderlands 2 and PS had two DLC vault hunters, this game has none. While especially with the 4th skill trees the BL3 VHs have better variety than the BL2 VHs, they have all played pretty much the same since launch. If they can introduce another more exotic skill tree for each character and easier than that start doing new things with class mods, that I believe would make up for having only 4 characters. Still a pretty small complaint. This game has reached a whole new level of GUN P*RN. Well done devs, honestly.

Review at release (8/10): Borderlands 2 was big leap forward from BL1 in story AND gameplay. Borderlands 3 is a step up ONLY in gameplay. Borderlands 3 is probably the most satisfying and punchy feeling FPS's I've ever played. With 4 different classes, tons of creative abilities, and an insane variety of core weapons along with legendaries with unique and goofy effects, the game is pretty much flawlessly executed in terms of being a fun first person shooter.

Unfortunately BL3 clearly has lost most of it's writing talent from it's predecessor over the 7 years in between the games. The story is coherent enough, but it's held back by a pair of bad villians who you don't want to kill as much as you want them to shut up. Many old characters either don't return or are left out. I was esspecally disappointed that you only get to hang out with "The B team" (Mordicai, Brick, and Tiny Tina) at one minor point in the story. New characters are a mixed bag, but one negative highlight was Ava, a petualant and annoying pre-teen who is given way too much power and screen time for no reason. It's sucks they couldn't stike the right balance between good old and new characters like BL2 did.

It's disappointing Gearbox could not follow up to one of my top 5 all time games with a better story, but it's hard to be mad when pretty much everything else is a slam dunk. Btw endgame is also superb, unless you're a raid boss fan.

Directors Cut: After beating Tales of the Borderlands, my friend and I jumped right into this game a day afterwards, and lemme just say; it was whiplash for sure. Bringing back characters like Claptrap with a new voice actor really bummed me out. Just didn't feel like Claptrap anymore, and actually kind of found him unfunny (unlike literally every other Borderlands game). I was also not entirely used to the new mechanics in this game, as it really does feel a lot different compared to the other 3 games (1,2, and the Presequel). They also introduced new villains who gain a huge cult following among the bandits; so much in fact, they become a cult that will do whatever they say. At first, I wasn't a fan of the brother/sister duo. I actually didn't really care at all; but soon, I found them to be pretty messed up and funny. The game does a lot of stuff right, like giving you more ways to enhance your character, finally letting you able to travel to different planets that isn't Pandora or it's moon Elpis, upgraded graphics/mechanics, so so so so many different types of guns; it's definitely far from bad. But I also didn't find the story to be as amazing as its predecessor, Borderlands 2, and that COULD be because Handsome Jack is no more, but it also could be because the game just isn't as greatly written as well. I'm not entirely sure, but it's still a great Borderlands adventure. The dlc, like mostly all of Borderlands dlc, is a must play too. The Directors cut extra content, like Arms Race was boooorrriingg, like who the hell wants to play Borderlands battle Royale? Definitely not me. All of the other extra missions the directors cut gives you is fun, although not very important in the overall plot, but enjoyable.

The first dlc to Borderlands 3, Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, is probably the weakest of the Borderlands 3 dlcs, but it still was serviceable, and has some fun nostalgia for anyone that misses dear dear handsome Jack. Actually, now that I think about it, having this dlc to this game was a smart move. What the game desperately needed was a Handsome Jack throwback since he indeed was the best character in Borderlands 2. Although this dlc isn't anything truly special, and this dlc technically doesn't have Handsome Jack in it, it's still so much fun, and I would recommend to Borderlands fans.

Guns, Love, and Tentacles; Who doesn't love love stories, especially when they deal with Sir Hammerlock getting married on a ice planet that's inhabited by a cult who worships giant monsters. This was a blast and honestly a pretty decently sized DLC with plenty of jokes and Lovecraftian-esque landscapes. Definitely a recommended Borderlands dlc to check out ASAP.

A western-themed dlc for Borderlands titled Bounty of Blood was a no-brainer, with a brand new planet to discover that has plenty of experimental mishaps to kill. There also happens to be a mercenary group called The Devil Riders that need to be taught a lesson. Although the dlc isn't as memorable as past Borderlands dlcs before it, it's still enjoyable, and a welcoming addition to Borderlands 3's dlc.

The last dlc to Borderlands 3, Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fuster-cluck, had plenty of promise once it started, but it soon lost both me and my friends attention( this could be because we played binged this game far too long). Me nor my friend played as Krieg in Borderlands 2, so I can't say seeing him having his own dlc excited me, but I soon found out that his character is one of the strongest in the entire game, and with this dlc giving you both a psycho version and a normal version of Krieg, it had some awesome discourse to be had. The missions may have been slightly forgettable, but I definitely won't forget Krieg! Recommended.

In all, Borderlands 3 was fun, but 100 hours of gameplay is a lot, and it's also not on the same level as Borderlands 2, but still a must-play installment in the Borderlands machine.