Borderlands: How A Chaotic RPG Became 2K’s Greatest Series

With Borderlands, 2K Games gave us one of the most innovative, original, and fun RPG looter-shooters ever made. A combination of finely-tuned gunplay, immersive world-building, colorful characters, and sophomoric humor form a chaotic, yet extremely solid fusion that has left a huge impact on the cultural landscape of modern gaming.  This perfect storm of sometimes conflicting elements has helped cement its status as among the most widely beloved first-person shooters on the market. While it started as a somewhat risky new concept, Borderlands has grown into a massive, billion-dollar franchise spanning seven mainline games as well as multiple spin-offs, DLCs, graphic novels, and even a new film out this year.

So…You Want To Hear A Story, Eh?

When Gearbox developer Randy Pitchford originally pitched the idea for what would become Borderlands, he knew it was a big risk. Born from his love of various RPGs as well as FPS games, Borderlands was initially pitched as “Halo meets Diablo“, merging the typically slower-paced leveling-up process present in most RPGs with the frenetic, high-speed gameplay of the more action-oriented FPS genre. Although the two genres had many differences, Pitchford felt they didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Thus, the concept of an FPS/RPG hybrid was born. Further development produced a narrative about Vault Hunters scouring the planet of Pandora for rare loot, and cel-shaded graphics utilized to give the game its unique look.

Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked

After the first Borderlands found significant success, it didn’t take long for the franchise to expand its conquest in the gaming world. The very animated characters behind the guns function as integral gears of 2K’s unstoppable war machine. With an iconic cast that includes the phase-magic-wielding siren Lilith, the haiku-speaking android assassin Zero, and the ultra-cool sniper/falconer Mordecai, these lively characters help bring the world to life while also serving as character classes themselves. Four-player co-op gameplay meant you could witness the delightful chaos that unfolds when you have four wildly different playstyles causing mayhem on the battlefield at once. Also, Claptrap exists, and you can shoot him.

A Pandora’s Box Of Possibility

As the Borderlands franchise grew, so too did its surprisingly deep world. While the first game mostly took place in a vast desert reminiscent of the Mojave from Fallout: New Vegas, subsequent games in the series introduced a nice variety of different biomes including lush green grasslands, snowy mountains, murky swamps, and sprawling cities. These environmental changes kept the game feeling fresh with new areas to explore and fight in. Contributing to the immersive atmosphere were the many NPCs populating Pandora, along with the additional side quests that they often provide that facilitate the player’s ability to learn more about this intriguing planet. The openness of the world catered to gamers’ adventurous spirits.

Guns. Lots Of Guns

One of the biggest draws of the series is its vast amount of firearms. While not one of the most realistic shooters you can play, Borderlands more than makes up for its lack of realism with near-infinite creativity when it comes to guns. With Borderlands 3 alone boasting over a billion procedurally generated gun variations, there is virtually no limit to what you can do with your weapons. Shotguns that fire ricocheting projectiles, machine guns that fire caustic rounds, or even a gun that shoots other guns are just some of the interesting death-dealing devices you can find on Pandora. The replay value is high considering no two playthroughs will find the exact same guns.

Mathematically Hilarious

Play any Borderlands game for ten minutes and it will immediately become clear that this is a franchise that doesn’t take itself too seriously. From Claptrap and his bad puns to the not-so-subtle Innuendobot 5000, Borderlands’ special brand of offbeat humor is injected into every corner of its wacky world. The player characters crack jokes and rip on each other constantly, toilet humor is abundant, and side quests often have humorous goals such as a bandit that just wants you to shoot him in the face and a mission that merely sees the player character use a suicide booth. However you feel about its sense of humor, it undoubtedly remains an intrinsic part of the series’ DNA.

Opening The Vault

Borderlands is a franchise that has produced a number of high-quality games in its fifteen-year history and still shows no signs of stopping. The eccentric characters, varied locations, dumb humor, and of course, the tons of guns keep millions of players coming back. Even with a wealth of content already in their hands, it is clear that fans want more. This is evident in the Borderlands movie, in theaters this August. Directed by horror maestro Eli Roth and starring an all-star cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, and Jack Black, fans remain hopeful that this film will be a faithful and worthy adaptation of this beloved series.

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