I’ve decided to get back into game reviews here on Goatmoose. Not quite as in-depth and expansive as I used to, but brief looks at whether something tickled my fancy or tickled my hatred. Last April, I more or less stopped doing reviews when I became senior editor over at Addicted Gamer. Since that site has come and gone, and I rarely acquire games quick enough to write much at Xbox 360 Digest (since, you know, they’re into being all current and suave, and I’m too poor to buy games when they first come out), I’ll do the occasional belated review here on this dandy site. I still keep up with XBLA and DLC quite a bit as well, so you’ll see more of that as well. This site often looks too much like an ad outlet anymore, and that bugs my psyche.

So here we are – Borderlands. It’s a pretty swell game, and I’d like to tell you a thing or two about it.

You’ve probably heard a little bit about the game in one way or another. Coming out around the same time as Modern Warfare 2 and all that other jazz got it lost in the dust a bit, but it’s a really unique game that offers a ton of replay value and plenty of individuality in how you play. Consider GTA meets Fallout 3, as it’s a free-roaming shooter in a lawless waste world where you complete dozens of tasks for various parties.

There are hundreds of missions in this game, and thousands of weapons to use to get through them. Seriously. It’s rare that you pick up the same weapon more than a couple times, and there are plenty of modifications and customizations that make it possible to create some ridiculous number of weapons that’s in the tens of thousands.

Graphically, it’s a cel-shaded world that looks absolutely awesome. This coloring style is one more thing that helps separate the game from its comparisons and gives it a really unique style. It doesn’t use the style to a fault, though, and suffer from a lack of content and substance like other games have done (Wet, anyone?). It also doesn’t boast the same obviousness with cel-shading like early games in the style did (XIII). It’s just plain nifty.

Fans of any type of shooter, RPG or action game should take a look at this title. There’s character customization, leveling, skill attribution and all those great things that make your playable character unique to your playing style. There’s a long list of achievements (many of which require good time investment) and several characters to choose from, each with their own skill set that will alter how you handle the game. All of that comes along with great action and a good sense of humor to boot. Those little claptrap robots all over the world are pretty comical, beatboxing and rapping all day.

Boss fights offer real challenges. Hell, random enemies can offer real challenges. The game certainly isn’t a cakewalk, but can be controlled by the way you design your character and keep up with your weaponry. There is a backpack element, so you can only carry so many weapons, shields and medpacks with you. Ensuring you sell off old stuff when you acquire new stuff is crucial to having the resources you need to survive even the most common of foes.

Oh, and there’s a warthog-like vehicle for you Halo freaks.

All in all, it’s a pretty entertaining game. I do say you should give it a try. There’s no reason it’s not worth a rental, and I’d say if you come across it in a store for $40 or less, don’t even think about passing it by. That’s not to say it’s not worth more than that, it’s just that anything less than that is a no-brainer. Enjoy!