610°

Polygon - Borderlands 3 review: third time’s a chore

The game certainly delivers more Borderlands, though not much else. Borderlands 3 is often a shadow of Borderlands 2, and more of the same is a disappointment for a franchise that used to feel so refreshing and rebellious.

jjb19812073d ago

This article has more reach than Halo.

PeaSFor2073d ago (Edited 2073d ago )

If Polygon hate it, then it must be good.

akbennyewu2073d ago

If the game doesn't have a gender slider, then its completely worthless to Polygon.

GrubsterBeater2072d ago (Edited 2072d ago )

And if there WAS a gender slider option, Polygon would deduct points from the game because “gender is a social construct”...

JesusBuiltmyHotrod2072d ago

Why? Because he does not fawn over ever AAA game thats the same as the last?

WukeWiking2073d ago

A disappointment for being more of the same? People wanted more borderlands and got more borderlands, nothing wrong with that.

mrmikew20182073d ago

If they would've change anything that wasn't true to the originals, Polygon would've been one of the first ones to bitch and moan about that.

These game journalist are a joke.

DaDrunkenJester2073d ago

So what series get to stay the same and which ones need to try something new and fresh? This is the fourth game in the series and I was personally burnt out after 2 and I couldnt even get through the Pre-sequel.

Ricegum2073d ago

The ones that should stay the same are the ones that still have millions of players playing it 7 years after release.

If you're burnt out this franchise isn't for you.

DaDrunkenJester2073d ago

@rice

That's fair enough. So basically just keeping doing the same with only small adjustments until sales and player base tanks.

blackblades2073d ago (Edited 2073d ago )

Same here, I took a long break on BL2 and then finally finished it. Got prequel free so i gave it a chance since its been awhile but stopped playing it quick. I do like the games it's just how I feel to a certain point.

UltraNova2072d ago (Edited 2072d ago )

Same here, I couldn't finish the pre-sequel. I understand that a lot of people love the loot grind but man they could have made other changes to the formula to cater to less dedicated people while preserving the loot grind. BL3 its just a bigger, prettier BL2...

Enate2072d ago

@UltraNova that's because the Pre-Sequel was a bad game. That was done quickly to try an capitalize on the the fun people were still having with BL2.

UltraNova2072d ago

Enate,

True I've only tried it due to PS Plus. BL2 was excellent but still left me saturated on the general formula.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 2072d ago
AngelicIceDiamond2073d ago

Gears 4 got ripped into for being more Gears. A bad game can derive from being more of the same and sticking with the same template despite the template giving said developer praise and love before. In which case if a game is more the same then you might as well stick with the old ones. I don't agree with polygon here btw.

dumahim2073d ago

I think maybe the difference here is that Gears games come out reasonably regularly. It's been quite a while since the last real Borderlands game and people want more now. Especially since no one seems to have been able to really copy what makes Borderlands so great.

3-4-52073d ago

It doesn't have enough Social Justice issues in the story so they don't like it.

AngelicIceDiamond2073d ago

@Dumahim True Gears releases regularly compare to BL. Though I disagree that other genres haven't taken from BL. BL is a first person 4 player co op RPG shooter or "looter shooter" Destiny has taken those concepts and built upon them. If BL was the king of the looter shooter genre they would innovate once again with new material, (maybe they have despite this review) If not then BL would be stuck in 7th gen just like Gears 4 was stuck in 7th gen. But now Gears 5 is not bound to old tired concepts that were at one point in history, were once great. But then some could argue what more can you really do with looter shooters considering its very simple straightforward concept?

dumahim2073d ago

I didn't say others haven't taken from BL, but that none of the others have been able to capture the magic of BL. These other shooter looters of recent years tend to focus more on GaaS crap and holding people back. It seems like most of the time I hear about Destiny is of people complaining about something. Gearbox isn't trying to milk the player for coin at every turn. They're giving us a game we can play and have fun.

gamer78042073d ago (Edited 2073d ago )

yah sounds like gears 4, if you love gears you'll love gears 4, reviews for borderlands 3 almost pointless, I think everyone knows what they are getting when they buy it, and its not a bad thing if you are a fan.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 2072d ago
victorMaje2073d ago

Not reading this until I finish the game.
Hopefully this weekend is going to be a blast :)

2073d ago Replies(2)
zen_hydra2073d ago

After reading the article, I have to say this is kind of what I was afraid of. I loved the first two Borderlands games, and have put hundreds of hours into each of them, but everything I've seen about this latest entry just feels flat and uninspired. The writing in BL2 was mostly great, and Handsome Jack was a phenomenal villain. Nothing in the BL3 promotional material has really stood out as interesting. There doesn't seem to be a hook other than "here's more of the same." Mechanically the game looks solid, but after BL2 and Tales From The Borderlands I was expecting at least a comparable level of storytelling. It doesn't look like that's the case, which is disappointing.

elliselijah922073d ago

Tales from the Borderland was amazing.

Show all comments (55)
230°

Borderlands 3 player count is up 486% as movie gets absolutely destroyed by critics and fans

The new Borderlands has been a huge flop, but it has caused the video games to see a boost in popularity following its release.

Read Full Story >>
videogamer.com
spicelicka274d ago

Damn, the Fallout tactic but reversed..

Inverno274d ago

I am glad the movie is bombin, can we stop making horrible adaptations now?

ChronoJoe274d ago

There have been some good adaptations recently though. I think the Gran Turismo movie is really good and The Last of Us and Fallout TV shows are great too.

If they're going to try, some of them are going to fall short. That's just inevitable. If anything we should encourage more effort so that they learn more about what makes some of these work, while others don't. Honestly I think Borderlands should have been a hit, but I think it would have been much better as an animated show akin to the League of Legends TV show on Netflix.

Inverno273d ago

Yea but the good to bad ratio still leans more to the bad. All the ones you pointed out have been pretty great, can't wait for season 2 of all those shows. With that said, you can't "fall short" unless it's on purpose, in this case it's Borderlands. These characters, the world, the lore is/are fleshed out, there's a ton of source material, there are 7 games!

273d ago
Kosic274d ago (Edited 274d ago )

But BL3 is the worst one in the series....should do #2 and experience Handsome Jack

Michiel1989274d ago

there was no actor handsome enough available to play Jack

DustMan274d ago

Nah. Tiny TIna's Wonderland is the worst in my opinion. I enjoyed 3 more than the "pre-sequel" and Tiny Tina's Wonderland.

Dudeson274d ago

Agreed, at least 3 felt like borderlands, gameplay was great, bosses were interesting. Wonderlands was just a turn in the wrong direction, the idea seemed great, but playing through the game just didn't feel like borderlands to me. Also dlc scam.

porkChop274d ago (Edited 274d ago )

My issue with TTW is that it's supposedly a new IP in the Borderlands universe, not just a Borderlands game. Yet it plays and feels just like Borderlands with some magic tacked on. For every cool new idea there's a handful of ideas just rehashed from Borderlands. They really didn't do enough to make it feel like its own thing. It's still just an FPS with guns, except the guns are magical now. Why not focus instead on crazy melee weapons, bows, and magic/spells instead?

Lighter9274d ago

I'd say the pre-sequel because of the low gravity. That was horrible.

porkChop274d ago

In terms of gameplay BL3 is the strongest in the series. It's the narrative that really lets that game down.

ChronoJoe274d ago

Eh...

The story is definitely worse but there's more to these games than that. Gameplay, loot, endgame and build variety is definitely better in 3. I think they did a great job with the game, some of the DLC is fantastic too.

Kosic273d ago

I agree with people are saying. There's sole really good ideas in the games followed by some odd choices. I loved Bl2 , and I liked the presequel because it tries to explain Handsome Jack's downfall (YouTube game theory handsome jack).

Also PreSeq, has this really cool team play where talents could help pick your friends up from bleeding out. Athena throwing her shield if it bounces of a player they are picked up from dying. Head shots Aith the sniper chick etc.

BL3, I cannot get past the annoying social media influences, it's meant to be funny, it's just unbearable. Gameplay feels solid though. But I've not made it past lvl 20 ish on 3 tries. The story does not interest me, the classes are poor and talents feel bland.

gold_drake273d ago

i didnt like 3s sotry villains, like at all.

but i dont think any of the borderlands mainline games were "bad". i nejoyed all of them

but im not part of the community and play them mostly with my friends or alone.

there are worse games rly.

273d ago
+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 273d ago
badz149274d ago

Like they said...a bad publicity is still a publicity

jznrpg274d ago

I totally forgot there was a movie coming out. I’m not a big fan of adaptations mainly because most of them suck and they take away from me playing video games. I didn’t get into Borderlands 3 game. 1 was my favorite 2 was pretty good but a third with more of the same didn’t interest me much to begin with.

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180°

Check out the nine games leaving PS Plus in August 2024

PS Plus has nine games set to leave the service soon. Here is every game earmarked on our PlayStation Plus leaving list for Essential, Extra, and Premium.

Read Full Story >>
truetrophies.com
Zenzuu291d ago

Saved you a click.

Among Us
Borderlands 3
NBA 2K24
Need For Speed Unbound
SpellForce III Reforced
Destroy All Humans
Destroy All Humans 2
Trials of Mana

jznrpg291d ago

If you added Among Us and Borderlands 3 to your library they won’t disappear. Not sure if any others were part of essential or not but if they were and you added them to the library they also will still be in your library

OtterX290d ago

Yea, not really a loss since we got them with the Monthly Games. :)

290°

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for July: Borderlands 3, NHL 24, Among Us

All playable July 2.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
LG_Fox_Brazil321d ago

Seems like I'll finally play my first NHL since the PS1 days

OtterX320d ago

Yea, I honestly have never been a follower of hockey, but I did grow up occasionally playing games here and there with some of my friends. Especially Blades of Steel NES and I honestly think my last one was one of the NHL ones on PS1 also! This may stir up some nostalgia. I wouldn't have bought it otherwise, but I'll give it a go w PS+.

monkey602321d ago

Well that's a lot of nope from me.

Doesn't Among Us sell for a whopping €2.50 anyway?

321d ago
phoenixwing321d ago (Edited 321d ago )

Never bought borderlands 3 since they picked that Jesus mockery of a photo. Was not impressed. There was literally no reason to use it other than to be blasphemous. There's no angels or demons in the game yet they had to be profane toward God and go out of their way to do it.

monkey602321d ago

I'd have said that cover art was easily the best thing about the game. Shame they neutered the humour in game so much.

BISHOP-BRASIL321d ago

Driving boring ass mainline Christians into rage fits is reason enough. Are you not entertained? 'cause we are...

(Also the third game revolves around the radicalization os Bandits and Psychos into the cult Children of the Vault which see the female twin as literally a goddess, in fact the whole franchise always made extensive use of tropes such as cult like factions and villains with a Messiah complex, so it's fitting, however a logical rebuttal to your whining is just less fun).

phoenixwing321d ago (Edited 321d ago )

No the point is they could easily have pictured a character from the game who they're worshipping but instead go after Christians. If they were so altruistic to stop and point out radicalization as if they're brave people they would have put Allah on the cover but oh no we can't upset them because instead of taking it in stride they'd have to actually confront the Muslims who would be outraged. But yeah let's do our weak attempts at being edgy on people who are more mature toward others. Basically all you atheists like to punch down why not go to an Arab country and protest.

Hofstaderman320d ago

@phoenixwing Allah is the arabic word for God used by Christians in the region too.

DarXyde320d ago

phoenixwing,

I can think of a few reasons why the Jesus imagery works better.

1. The intended audience would understand Christian imagery more than Islamic imagery. I'll also add that it's fascinating to observe Christian whataboutisms largely run to Islam to criticize when they feel attacked.

2. If you're trying to sell a game in more countries, there's literally only one Christian theocracy in the world. Do you think B3 not selling in Vatican City has the same impact as being shut out of the multiple Muslim theocracies globally?

3. Islam has an image problem in countries with high Christian populations in the modern era due largely to 11 September. There are people outraged by Hamas' actions without any willingness to engage with the context of how it happened. The Zionists are pretty supportive of the ongoing genocide of innocent civilians. In light of this, your imagery complaint feels very entitled if I'm being honest.

If you want to take it as a W, perhaps the devs in a weird, islamophobic way see Christians as being more tolerant of such imagery being used...? That you can disapprove and boycott without violence? I don't really know.

It's fine if you don't play the game on the basis that it upsets you, though as a member of a racial group that either gets dunked on routinely or pushed forward to further some tolerance agenda, I've learned to laugh at it. If I can learn to do that for immutable characteristics, you can for your beliefs.

You don't have to.... But you can.

thorstein320d ago

@phoenixwing

"Atheists like to punch down"

You poor, oppressed Christian.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 320d ago
MrBaskerville321d ago

Sounds like it was overall a goof decision. Nothing wrong with some blasphemy.

Profchaos321d ago (Edited 321d ago )

You missed nothing the game sucked key reason why it was selling for under 5 bucks not even a year after launch

Chance_of_Raine320d ago

I used to be like you, then I realized its all a fraud. You'll wake up, when and if you want to, in your own time.

thorstein320d ago

I bet you think pronouns shouldn't be taught in elementary school.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 320d ago
RhinoGamer88321d ago

Compared to June, this list is fantastic.

321d ago Replies(1)
Shane Kim320d ago

Hell no! It had Crusader kings and anno!
But city builders/4x aren't that popular among console users.

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