‘Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel’ PS3 review
By Steven Cayer, Senior Columnist
4/5
2K’s Borderlands series has always had a special place in my heart, ever since the iconic reveal in 2009 and the sequel in 2012. Now 2K’s Australian branch has created a standalone game that takes place in between 1 and 2, aptly named Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.
The game actually begins at the end of Borderlands 2, where Athena, one of Handsome Jack’s henchmen, is being interrogated by the townspeople of Sanctuary. She then goes on to tell the story of how Jack became the psycho that we know and love.
The game features a lot of the same things from previous iterations, such as four completely different playable characters from the past two games: Athena, Wilhelm, Nisha, and finally—my favourite character of the series—Claptrap. Athena, “the Gladiator,” was first introduced in one of the many DLC missions from the Borderlands 1. She has a shield which can absorb damage then throw it at enemies, not unlike Captain America. Wilhelm, “the Enforcer,” can eventually transform himself into the more cybernetic form he had as a boss in Borderlands 2. Nisha, “the Lawbringer,” first appeared in the sequel as the sheriff of Lynchwood. She has the weaponry skills of a true cowgirl and isn’t afraid to show you. Last, but probably the best, is Claptrap “the Fragtrap.” Being such an iconic character of the series, I am so happy that I could actually play as him. The best part is that he has a combination of skills from all of the past playable characters, depending on the situation you’re in.
The gameplay is more of the same (running and gunning, shooting and looting) with a few changes thrown in, such as low-gravity butt-slams and freezing weapons. Sadly, it also took the annoying stuff too. The pacing during some missions can get tiresome, especially when you go through bandit camps that spawn enemies every time you pass through.
If you’re a fan of what Borderlands is doing, this is just more of the same ridiculous humour and characters. I really hope 2K releases the whole series on the next-gen consoles.
