As a long time Borderlands fan, this first playthrough of the series third main installment has been suprisingly long in the waiting. Five years since release and the game is still suprisingly buggy, albeit not game breaking, but still annoying or hilrarious at times. But there is some great QoL updrages that are more than welcome, like being able to switch between missions with just the click of a button.
Gameplay wise it's one of the strongest contenders in the franchise. I really like the mix 'n' match approach to the skill trees and action skills, which makes it easier to experiment and fully explore a character in a single playthrough rather than several. I also love how the different gun manufacturers have been differentiated from each other even more. In Borderlands 1 every gun looked and acted pretty much the same, despite manufacturer. In Borderlands 2 they gave every manufacturer a more distinct look and some gimmicks. In Borderlands 3 every manufacturer has a distinct look, mechanics and stats, making every gun feel much more unique and interesting. I do however hate that legendaries are so common in this game that they've lost their legendary status. I practically every gun is legendary, none of them are.
The story is fun and it's exciting to leave Pandora and exore other planets. The new characters are all fun additions and fit the cast perfectly. Tyrene and Troy as the villainous twins leading an Instagram cult give a valiant effort to fill the enormous shoes left by Handsome Jack. They're fun characters and provide an interesting exploration of power accumulation through charismatic manipulation in an age of social media, which has never been seen before in the Borderlands universe. The ending did however feel a bit underwhelming considering it was intending to be the big climax of a trilogy.
Overall though, I'm satisfied with Borderlands 3. Sure it is quite buggy and doesn't really reach the heights that Borderlands 2 did. I feel like Borderlands 3 might be the strongest installment gameplay wise, but Borderlands 2 gave the best combination of both gameplay and story. Despite my obvious nostalgic bias towards Borderlands 2, this game managed to deliver a fun experience that I will propably revisit again in the future sometime.
Gameplay wise it's one of the strongest contenders in the franchise. I really like the mix 'n' match approach to the skill trees and action skills, which makes it easier to experiment and fully explore a character in a single playthrough rather than several. I also love how the different gun manufacturers have been differentiated from each other even more. In Borderlands 1 every gun looked and acted pretty much the same, despite manufacturer. In Borderlands 2 they gave every manufacturer a more distinct look and some gimmicks. In Borderlands 3 every manufacturer has a distinct look, mechanics and stats, making every gun feel much more unique and interesting. I do however hate that legendaries are so common in this game that they've lost their legendary status. I practically every gun is legendary, none of them are.
The story is fun and it's exciting to leave Pandora and exore other planets. The new characters are all fun additions and fit the cast perfectly. Tyrene and Troy as the villainous twins leading an Instagram cult give a valiant effort to fill the enormous shoes left by Handsome Jack. They're fun characters and provide an interesting exploration of power accumulation through charismatic manipulation in an age of social media, which has never been seen before in the Borderlands universe. The ending did however feel a bit underwhelming considering it was intending to be the big climax of a trilogy.
Overall though, I'm satisfied with Borderlands 3. Sure it is quite buggy and doesn't really reach the heights that Borderlands 2 did. I feel like Borderlands 3 might be the strongest installment gameplay wise, but Borderlands 2 gave the best combination of both gameplay and story. Despite my obvious nostalgic bias towards Borderlands 2, this game managed to deliver a fun experience that I will propably revisit again in the future sometime.