Borderlands

Thank you Borderlands, for introducing me to Cage The Elephant.
BL1 is one of those 'product of the times' games where you kinda had to be there. It's similar to Undertale in that sense that if you weren't playing it when it was new, the "Why was this regarded as so cool?" is lost. BL1 stood out because it was the first to really do a lot of things well. We'd had looter shooters before but none that were actually... good. Gamers were still kinda meh on the whole cel-shaded thing that we associated with the Wii and BL made it cool. The humor was peak aughties "Penguin of Doom!" nonsense. Having RPG-style progression in shooters was still relatively new. It was a co-op shooter where you weren't just another military grunt. And so on.
Now that stuff is everywhere so it no longer really makes up for the other shortcomings in the game. To be fair, it was quite a new thing at the time to be a Diablo shooter. It probably doesn’t feel great now but for the time, no one was really doing passable action with RPG mechanics. As crazy as that sounds with where todays industry has gone in terms of bolting loot and "builds" into every genre. I still find it okay but maybe it’s because I played it at the time and know what to expect.
This game is practically prehistoric now, so it's a bit dated. I mean, I'm getting close to 40 and I feel like I played this game a long, long time ago. Xbox 360 if I remember right. Despite this I replayed it recently and still enjoyed myself. The gameplay is very dated like I said though, and the environments are far more samey than the sequels, which can be a pro or con depending on how much you like the wasteland theme. I still don't think people should skip Borderlands 1 but it's not the sort of game that's worth more than a single playthrough just to experience it.
7/10

Borderlands is like that first sip of an energy drink before a marathon of madness. You think, "Oh, a shooter with cartoony graphics, no big deal." And then it hits you: psychos with axes, monster trucks, guns that scream when they fire, and a plot that feels like it was written by someone high on penguin action movies. And that's just the beginning! With each sequel, the insanity grows like a snowball rolling down a hill drenched in gasoline and set on fire by a rocket launcher.
The DLCs for the first game are like training for the apocalypse. Borderlands is the starting point of a world where logic taps out after the first two minutes, and you're left holding a gun with a crooked grin on your face. And you know what? It's a damn good time.

The best Gearbox game and the best Borderlands of all. Love this game
Its a shame that it was just a coincidence, because in the next 15 years Randy Pitchford couldnt make anything even close to borderlands 1.
R.I.P. Gearbox

It's a game where you hunt for treasure, but mostly find bandits and guns that shoot everything but bullets. The graphics are like wallpaper, but you're too busy to pay attention - everything explodes, and that's enough!

Borderlands is still such an incredible game to play, even after all these years. The art style is just something so unique and special. The game holds a sense of humor, while still keeping the bleak and lonely tone along with it. Ambiance is incredible for the tone as well. Characters are memorable and add so much personality to the game.

Originally played this game years ago on my own, but now am enjoying it and appreciating it even more with friends.

That being said.. Randy Pitchford still sucks.

This is the premium game for premium gamers randy. You mistakenly called borderlands 4 the premium game.

Going back to Borderlands feels like opening an old treasure chest: that dusty world of Pandora, with its barren landscapes and eerie music, is just as hypnotic as the first time I set foot there. The journey starts slow, with mediocre weapons and enemies that seem unbeatable… but every mission, every piece of loot, and every skill point brings you closer to that magical level 50. Progress isn’t just about numbers; it’s a transformation. You go from dodging bullets in fear to tearing through waves of bandits and beasts, feeling unstoppable. That mix of irreverent humor, endless loot, and the satisfaction of watching your character grow makes Borderlands 1 a trip that feels like meeting an old friend—one who always greets you with a weapon chest and the promise of another adventure.