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Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (PS4) Review
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K
Genre: First-Person Shooter / Action RPG / Looter Shooter
Release: 2015
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection brings together two of the strongest entries in the Borderlands series: Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Rather than being a simple remaster, the collection provides an enormous amount of content, including the major downloadable expansions, character packs and additional challenges.
At its best, the collection represents everything that makes Borderlands enjoyable: fast shooting, absurd quantities of loot, memorable characters, humour, RPG progression and excellent cooperative gameplay. Borderlands 2 remains the clear highlight, while The Pre-Sequel provides a worthwhile companion experience with its own mechanics and setting.
Gameplay & Mechanics
The foundation of both games is the combination of first-person shooting and RPG progression. Enemies constantly drop weapons, shields, grenades and other equipment, encouraging you to continually experiment with new gear.
The enormous weapon variety is one of the collection's defining features. Different manufacturers produce weapons with different characteristics, while elemental effects such as fire, shock, corrosive and slag can dramatically change how you approach certain enemies.
Both games also feature playable Vault Hunters with individual skill trees and abilities.
Borderlands 2 offers classes such as the Commando, Siren, Gunzerker, Assassin, Mechromancer and Psycho, while The Pre-Sequel introduces its own selection of characters and abilities.
Strengths:
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Excellent combination of shooting and RPG mechanics.
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Huge weapon variety.
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Numerous character builds.
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Excellent skill-tree progression.
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Satisfying loot system.
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Fast and responsive gunplay.
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Strong elemental combat.
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Four-player cooperative gameplay.
Weaknesses:
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Inventory management can become tedious.
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Constantly replacing equipment can become repetitive.
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Some weapons are significantly less useful than others.
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Later difficulty levels can become extremely demanding.
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The loot system can encourage unnecessary grinding.
The gameplay loop remains remarkably addictive: complete mission kill enemies collect loot improve character take on stronger enemies.
Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 is unquestionably the star of the collection.
Set primarily on Pandora, the game follows a group of new Vault Hunters attempting to stop Handsome Jack, the charismatic and increasingly unhinged leader of Hyperion.
The campaign combines excellent shooting with some of the best writing in the series. Missions regularly introduce new characters, locations and enemy types, while the open-ended character builds encourage multiple playthroughs.
The variety is particularly impressive. You can focus on critical hits, elemental damage, melee attacks, heavy weapons, elemental effects or specialised team-support abilities depending on your chosen Vault Hunter.
The downloadable content makes the experience even more substantial, with expansions such as Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt and the highly regarded Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep.
The Pre-Sequel
The Pre-Sequel takes place on Elpis, Pandora's moon, and tells the story of Handsome Jack's rise before the events of Borderlands 2.
It retains the basic shooting and looting formula while introducing several new mechanics.
The low-gravity environment allows characters to perform double jumps and ground slams using an oxygen-powered movement system. Different types of oxygen equipment can also provide additional abilities.
The game also introduces new playable characters and weapons, giving experienced Borderlands 2 players something different to experiment with.
Unfortunately, The Pre-Sequel doesn't quite match its predecessor.
The lunar environments can feel less varied, and the campaign is generally less memorable. The oxygen mechanics are interesting but aren't always as enjoyable as the game's more straightforward shooting mechanics.
Nevertheless, it is still an excellent shooter and provides dozens of additional hours of content.
Story & Characters
The biggest narrative strength is Handsome Jack.
He is one of the most memorable villains of the generation, balancing genuine menace with ridiculous humour and an enormous ego. His constant communication with the player helps give Borderlands 2 a strong personality.
The supporting cast is similarly memorable, with characters such as Claptrap, Tiny Tina, Moxxi, Marcus and Ellie contributing to the game's distinctive tone.
The humour is deliberately exaggerated and often ridiculous. It won't appeal to everyone, but it gives Borderlands an identity that separates it from more serious shooters.
The Pre-Sequel benefits considerably from explaining Jack's transformation from an ambitious employee into the villain seen in Borderlands 2. This gives the collection a more complete narrative arc.
Final Verdict
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is one of the strongest shooter collections available on PS4. It combines Borderlands 2arguably the high point of the franchisewith The Pre-Sequel and an enormous amount of additional content.
Borderlands 2 is the obvious highlight thanks to its excellent campaign, fantastic characters, superb villain and almost endless combination of weapons and character builds. The Pre-Sequel doesn't reach the same heights, but its lunar setting, low-gravity mechanics and exploration of Handsome Jack's origins make it a worthwhile inclusion.
Most importantly, the collection works exceptionally well as a cooperative experience. Whether playing through the campaigns with friends, experimenting with different Vault Hunters or hunting increasingly powerful weapons, there is an enormous amount to keep players occupied.
The occasional repetition, inventory problems and weaker aspects of The Pre-Sequel prevent it from being completely flawless, but these are minor concerns when considering the sheer quantity and quality of content included.
For anyone interested in first-person shooters, RPGs or cooperative games, The Handsome Collection remains an outstanding package.
Score: 9.5/10
