E3 Hands-On — Borderlands 3

While at E3, I was able to see Borderlands 3 in a more intimate setting than just a trailer. Here is my take on Borderlands 3.

One of the games out at E3 that always seemed to have the longest line to play had to be Borderlands 3. It makes total sense given the huge following and fandom of the franchise and also how quickly since the official announcement to launch Gearbox has brought the game. September 13^th is not that far off and there is still so much to show for Borderlands 3 before we all get to play it on the PC, PS4, or Xbox One. It is a good thing that they had the game on display and playable out at E3 as it gave me a chance to actually try it out instead of just looking at fancy trailers.

Before we dive in, the demo I had a chance to play was the same that they showed off at the big gameplay reveal for Borderlands 3 not too long ago. It was a more current build of the game and I was able to play as Amara in my time, but still led through the same base and locations to the same boss fight at the end. Sadly, my time was cut short and I did not get to complete the full boss fight, but I did make it there. Now you know just about what to expect in terms of what was shown to the public as well as a little look at Moze before heading out to a terminal.

To start it all off, Borderlands 3 keeps to what it does best here and that is being a shooter game. I specifically went through with a sniper rifle and a machine gun on my play, I did not have time to cycle through other options, but it all still felt like it worked better than it ever has in the franchise. We all know that Borderlands does that well and it feels like there were some extra improvements to aim and cover; even if this is not a cover-based shooter. I never felt like I was being penalized for not being a top-ranked FPS player is what I am getting at, which is one of the bigger issues I have with games like this.

I will also say that adding in all of that with a few of the new moving options in Borderlands 3 also felt like it kept the pacing going as high as possible but never to an overwhelming degree. For those who do not know, we can now vault over things as well as the usual other forms of motion. It may seem like a small thing to talk about, but somehow it made it feel like it was a huge difference. I am sure it will not be something many gamers will use outside of the required locations in Borderlands 3, but it was a welcomed addition to running, gunning, and looting everything.

Speaking of loot, it truly felt like it was everywhere in the demo I had a chance to play. This could be the fact that we were only allowed a fifteen-minute run with the game and Gearbox wanted to make sure we did not die or run out of ammo, but there were boxes everywhere in addition to all of the dead enemies to loot. If that is what you truly want in a looter shooter game like Borderlands, then you will be happy. Unless it was all for the demo and the full game will strip some of it down to balance things out. There is no reason that a Siren should be playing like a gunzerker when all is said and done.

Sadly, as it came to Amara, I never had a chance to actually experience any of her special qualities in Borderlands 3. I will err on blaming the short time and placement of the demo, but I was always more focused on shooting and moving than actually trying to use her special abilities. Given that I also had no time in the demo to actually look through and tweak the character, I feel like I missed something. That is not a knock on Borderlands 3 at all, just a statement of fact so I do not get all of the Siren questions later on. I just did not get to see or experience them in this little slice.

There is not real sugarcoating or lily-gilding needed here. If you are a fan of Borderlands and want to have another title in the franchise, you will not be let down based on what I was able to play. It hit all of the basics on the head and felt like it improved on other issues I have had in the past with the franchise. I am almost certain a few things were amped up just for the demo. If not, then there is going to be some balancing that will need to be done after Borderlands 3 launches as it did not feel like I was ever in danger of dying or having issues bringing down enemies. You know, all the fun and stressful parts we like mixed into the humor of the game.