While Im charitable to the fact that this game has First Draft Syndrome, its impossible to ignore how the ugly Brown Aesthetic of late 2000s video games merged with this austere desert looter shooter to form the most rancid vibes known to man. It is so mind-numbingly bare that it almost feels like a surrealist project, some David Lynch psyop where theres just an uncomfortable amount of dead air.

And in some ways thats interesting, its like Borderlands 1 is a peek into an alternate reality. Its a much more dismal, less successful reality to be clear, and this is something that can only be appreciated retrospectively; its difficult to regard Borderlands as the “starting point” of the series when its such a distant relative to what the series is at this point (and really its estranged relationship with the series is the only worthwhile thing about it worth talking about)

Borderlands is like a loot-splosion party on a wacky alien planet! You and your vault hunting buddies shoot your way through tons of crazy enemies (psycho bandits are hilarious!), grabbing a ridiculous amount of guns and gear along the way. The cel-shaded art style is awesome, and the world is full of dark humor. The story itself is kinda forgettable, and the repetitive quests can get a bit grindy. But if you love frenetic action, tons of loot, and co-op fun with friends, Borderlands is a blast.

Maybe I've got a bit of bias, since I grew up playing this game, but it's so distinct from anything else in the series—that makes it special to me.

There's this serenity to it. The NPCs you meet can only be interacted with so much before you have to leave them behind and move on with the game, and for that reason it's an isolating experience. But that isolation isn't lonely or painful. You're a vault hunter, little more than a mercenary, and the planet you live on simply isn't the place for a social simulator. Really, you spend most of your time doing quests, traveling the vast borderlands, collecting loot, and shooting baddies. Alongside an awesome, ambient soundtrack in the background, this game establishes a strong atmosphere for Pandora and sets a tone for the rest of the games. While, technically, it's far from the highest quality game in its series, I think it's essential to understand just what Borderlands is. For that reason, it's special!