Oddly addictive

Despite several shortcomings, Battleborn has something going for it

Gearbox Software will always be known for the terrible Duke Nukem Forever , a blemish they will forever be trying to wipe off their record. They should be in fact remembered for releasing the brilliant and funny Borderlands series, which is what their new game Battleborn reminds one of.

What’s it about?

Hit by an unknown cataclysm, the universe is whittled down to one last star. The last of humankind has fled to planets orbiting nearby. It’s up to you and a host of badasses to put aside their difference and protect the universe from being devoured.

Battleborn is interesting and retains the same tongue-in-cheek style that made Borderlands so great. Not to mention the stylish cell animation that’s reminiscent of the cartoon Aeon Flux that was popular in the 90s. The characters are varied; you can choose 25 heroes to fight as. Each of them has distinct personalities, idiosyncrasies and fighting styles. Battleborn has got plenty to keep you hooked. However, its biggest asset — the diverse characters — is also its biggest flaw.

How does it play?

This is a first-person shooter structured like a massive multiplayer battle arena (MOBA). It’s along the lines of the famous

League of Legends and the

Defense of the Ancients . The game is best played in multiplayer. Though the campaign can be played alone too, it gets terribly boring. It’s best to have friends to play along with or let the game match you with a team.

Everything about Battleborn can be described in contrasts. The action is fast-paced and energising, but soon gets a bit boring. It’s fun playing different characters and learning all their moves, but sometimes it’s just too much. The graphics looks fantastic with incredible animation and muted yet garish colours. But it can be tacky sometimes; from the menus to the level-up selection, there’s just too much for the brain to process.

All said and done, there’s something oddly addictive about Battleborn . The writing is extremely funny and is one of the few things that power the game. The banter between the player and the supporting cast also gets quite entertaining.

However, the game has hit the shelves at a pretty bad time. Uncharted 4 has just hit the streets, and Blizzard’s Overwatch in Beta and games like Dark Souls 3 and The Division are racking up the multiplayer crowd.

There’s also the problem of having to wait quite a bit to find players for the multiplayer mode. Everyone seems to be busy in other worlds leaving you desperate to find someone to play Battleborn with.

To sum it up, like most Hindi movies, Battleborn has picked the best parts from several genres to create one Franken-game. The parts work individually, but don’t necessarily make a cohesive whole.

Should you get it?

If you like the humour of Borderlands then Battleborn could be right up your alley. With a great cast of characters and some decent gameplay, this game has something going for it.

The writer is a freelance journalist

Battleborn

Developer: Gearbox Software

Publisher: 2K Games

Price: Rs. 999 for PC, Rs. 3,499 for PS4, Xbox One