Splitscreen Co-op
Now, this is where things get complicated. The old games used to offer horizontal and vertical splitscreen. I can’t explain why, but Borderlands is one of those few games that worked extremely well with splitscreen in the vertical format. Unfortunately, that option has been removed in the third instalment, and you’re stuck with a 32:9 layout at the top and bottom. It’s too wide, and it’s too narrow. You can change the FOV from the default of 90 to help. However, increasing it degrades performance and makes already tiny on-screen text and elements smaller. Reducing FOV to 70 improves performance but makes some objects not fit vertically either. Hopefully, this is something that will be addressed in future updates to the game on consoles.
Couch > Online
For this household, couch co-op is king. Sure, online gaming is a big hit, but being side by side is the kind of co-op I grew up with. Borderlands has been a staple of my relationship for ten years now, and we’ve been hyped to play the new one together. It’s been a rocky experience so far though. UI scaling issues, performance issues, and image degradation are prevalent in console splitscreen. However, the developers are aware and we’re hopeful for some updates in the coming weeks to address this.
Gameplay
Did you like Borderlands 2? If the answer is OMG YES! Then good news, it’s pretty much the same deal here. There have been a few tweaks though. The loot systems, as I said above is one. The way ammo is auto collected from crates now but leaves what you don’t need is a welcome fix. You can refill ammo at vending machines with one click now too. Again, awesome fix. Plus, there are improvements to upgrading your inventory systems, fast travelling can now be done right to your or your friend’s vehicle, and from ANYWHERE. I won’t spoil too much, but little details add up a lot. It’s Borderlands, but just a little easier to manage.
Play in Style
The new characters are fantastic. We’ve settled on the Siren and Zane for our co-op tinkering. However, Moze with the massive gunner robot and FL4K with his beast skills certainly mix things up. Every one of them feels like they’ll work well solo, and their abilities compliment each other well. The voice-over work is fantastic too. Plus, as you can expect from Borderlands, familiar characters from the franchise, crazy bosses with crazy guns, and even crazier scenarios for you to shoot your way out of.
The skill trees are still a big part of levelling up. Albeit they’ve put a bit of a twist on some extra side abilities that can modify your abilities even further. Again, same as before, with a few more chillies thrown in.
The new players are enjoyable, and this time around you even get off of Pandora. The other planets throw in some verity to the game but don’t muck with the formula too much. They’re very pretty though, especially on the PC version, where the game really shines!
Once again, I thought I would write an in-depth review of the details. However, I’ve said it before, and I will say it again before we’re through here. It’s Borderlands, it’s exactly what you would expect, and it does have some bloody fantastic surprises in store for you; especially later in the game… I promised I wouldn’t say who, what, where, or why though. I can tell you that the villains in this one are fantastic fun… if a little keen on being some kind of Instagram influencers of Pandora and beyond, ha!
