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In a distant future, the planets at the outer edges of the galaxy have become a beacon to fortune seekers and those yearning for a better life off world. But there are no guarantees in deep space. Pandora, one of these distant planets, was reported to be rich in untapped mineral wealth, and so drew many hoping to get rich quick, but in the end little was found beyond the scattered ruins of a past alien civilization. With nothing to gain, any who could soon abandoned Pandora, leaving those who remained to deal with the lawlessness of a world gone bust, and the mystery of the long-dead alien civilization. But as chaotic as these times were, there were worse days yet to come. After several years the planet's huge orbit slowly brought it near to its sun and once unknown and horrifying creatures sprang from their long hibernation to terrify the stranded colonists. The only hope of the colonists seems to be a vault discovered in the side of a mountainside, rumored to contain alien technology and secrets about Pandora. Will this discovery be the colonist's salvation or their end? Discover their fate in Borderlands.

Trailers & screenshots

Scores by platform

PC

Critic 8.4 (6 critics) · Gamer 9.0

PlayStation 3

Critic 8.4 (10 critics) · Gamer 9.0

8.4

Xbox 360

Critic 8.3 (12 critics) · Gamer 9.0

8.4

Critic reviews

  • Games Radar+

    Tyler Wilde · Jun 24, 2012

    8.0
    Borderlands lacks the charm of Fallout 3, Mass Effect, or Half-Life 2, but it does offer a crap-ton of ‘roided-out bandits, effed-up dog things, giant spider demons, and screeching pterodactyl beasts to shoot with a crap-ton of guns. And that’s really what it’s about – finding weapons and shooting things with them. You have to assign a skill point now and then, and there’s kind of a story, but those things don’t matter much.
  • Video Gamer

    Wesley Yin-Poole · Oct 23, 2009

    8.0
    Gearbox should be praised. Borderlands is unique, it's different, and it's hard to classify. But it's not for everyone. It's not for the stereotypical CoD/Halo crowd. It's not revolutionary, but it is interesting. And, crucially, it's a hell of a lot of fun, but only, long term at least, in co-op. When you're standing over the corpses of Skags, Midget Mutant Psychos and Badass Bruisers, having pounded on a heavily guarded compound with three mates, you can feel the adrenaline pumping. This, despite what they say about the guns, is what Borderlands is all about.
  • GameSpot

    Chris Watters · Oct 20, 2009

    8.5
    Combat is satisfying, and upgrading your skills and equipment is engaging. The constant stream of loot and experience is rewarding, and sharing it with some friends makes the experience that much richer and more exciting. Despite its hostile (albeit stylish) environment, Pandora is a great planet to visit if you want to shoot some stuff. Just be sure to bring some friends along for the ride.
  • Game Informer

    Dan Ryckert · Oct 19, 2009

    9.3
    This is one of the rare occasions where all of the new experiences a game brings to the table work out splendidly, especially when viewed as an entire package. Co-op is a blast, the variety of weaponry lends an addictive quality to the game that's rarely seen, and it maintains a distinct sense of humor and personality. It's a long-lasting experience that manages to stay fresh throughout, and the ability to easily jump into a friend's game at any time only lengthens the appeal of an already stellar title.
  • Game Trailers

    Game Trailers · Oct 19, 2009

    8.4
    On the downside, the world can feel a bit stiff in some ways. NPCs and set piece items don’t react when you shoot them, and there are no ripples when you drive through water. Textures take a bit to load in when you enter a new area and some close-up shots reveal pixelated shadows. Borderlands is a bit of a grind-fest, but that’s part of the fun, as you take on tougher enemies and hunt for bigger and badder gear. The co-op play is integrated seamlessly, and there’s a huge world to explore with friends or on your own.
  • Giant Bomb

    Jeff Gerstmann · Oct 19, 2009

    8.0
    The structure of Borderlands makes it feel like an MMO game that doesn't require you to rely on groups of other players to enjoy. Though it's probably better when you're playing online with friends, playing alone is still perfectly fine. It's also one of those games that's so strong in parts that its shortcomings become almost glaring by comparison. As such, the game's barebones story, lackluster AI, and insufficient player trading options are real disappointments that prevent the game from reaching its full potential.

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Gamer reviews

  • Kitarachi

    Sep 19, 2023 · Xbox 360

    10

    Borderlands

    The game that made first person shooter and looters so popular. I absolutely love this franchise. Brderlands is a barren world yet doesn't lack in environment. Filled with really cool enermys, structures, points of interest and ofcourse loot! You'll be having a blast shooting up any and everything. With 4 vault hunters to choose from, with exclusive skull trees and abilitys the replayability is here. The story is fun and gripping, it's exciting finding new loot and exploring all the zones. If your looking for humor in a shooter look no further then Borderlands.

  • pigy

    Jul 29, 2021 · PS3

    2.0

    does not play well if solo play borderlands 2 its way better than this even if you play alone

  • Irfan Hamzic

    Jun 20, 2021 · PS3

    7.5

    This game is very different from the first person shooters that I usually play but after I gave it a try it showed that while this is a good game it quickly felt like one has to play in co op with others to get the real experience and sadly I didn't get that. The gameplay is good and pretty engaging at times and the weapons for the most very useful but I won't try and play this game again any time soon. The lack of a real engaging story was the biggest dissapointment for me but besides that it is a decent shooter game if you like to play with friends instead of solo.

  • Jeff Morgenroth

    Jan 27, 2021 · Xbox 360

    7.5

    Addictive but mostly fluffy looting and shooting. Influential and memorable but not without some slop in the gameplay and grind in the pacing. Great sense of humor.

  • Luke Judy

    Sep 30, 2019 · PC

    6.5

    very good game and the first of a great series, but it does not hold up as well as i had hoped

  • Yatogami

    Jun 6, 2019 · PC

    9.5

    All hail the great looter-shooter game that started it all. It revolutionized the looter-shooter mechanic. It also has its amazing cast of characters. Challenging yet fun boss battles. Quirky humour and lots of explosions. Best played with a friend on a co-op multiplayer

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