Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition

Between Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition and the updates to the Handsome Collection, Borderlands is back in a big way, and that’s to say nothing of the main attraction coming in September. Unlike more recent entries in this space, Borderlands doesn’t hinge on fragile in-game economies or being stingy with loot. Instead, it's a game that just wants to have fun – silly, brash, play-it-with-friends kind of fun. Welcome back old friend, you have been missed.

Borderlands: Game of The Year Edition polishes up a game that already looked great and played well, so the upgrade to 4K isn’t a dramatic transformation. Improvements to navigation and inventory management remove some of the tedious moments that originally slowed things down, but the changes to the already weak final boss fight make it significantly easier, which is the exact opposite of what it needed. Of course, Borderlands’ campaign’s gameplay, humor, and charm hold up, which makes it a reliably good time, especially in co-op.

Having already seen Borderlands 2 squeezed into the PlayStation Vita (with, admittedly, ropey results), it’s a surprise this version of the first game isn’t also coming out on Nintendo Switch, but that’s an issue for another day. For many though, having an excuse to replay Borderlands 1 on the same console as the Handsome Collection is good enough. Definitely worth a play if you’ve never done so before, but perhaps not all that essential anymore.