Borderlands is a series that is best defined as a first-person shooter role-playing game (FPSRPG) that was first released by Gearbox Software in 2009. The Borderlands series has received critical acclaim for its animation style, blend of compelling story and humor, character and level progression, and loot system.
The first game of the Borderlands series, Borderlands (Figure 1), is set in the year 2864 on space western planet of Pandora (think Mad Max in space), on which the player assumes the role of one of four Vault Hunters – Lilith the Siren, Mordecai the Hunter, Brick the Berserker, and Roland the Soldier. As a Vault Hunter, the player seeks to complete quests and survive on the planet Pandora while seeking the legendary Vault – a gateway which is believed to lead to fortune, fame, and power. The player eventually finds the Vault only to discover that it contained an ancient alien guardian known as the Destroyer. The player defeats the Destroyer, only for the Vault to collapse.
Figure 1: Borderlands Cover Art. [1]
The sequel to this Borderlands was released in 2012 with the title Borderlands 2 (Figure 2) and is held as the current best game in the series. Borderlands 2 is set five years after the events of Borderlands. Handsome Jack, the game’s main antagonist, has taken over the Hyperion Corporation (one of the many weapon manufacturers in the game) and has declared himself Dictator of Pandora. In this self-proclaimed position, Handsome Jack spends his time committing atrocious actions on the people of Pandora in order to eliminate those who he sees as unfit to be alive. The player assumes the role of one of six new vault hunters – Axton the Commando, Maya the Siren, Salvador the Gunzerker, Zer0 the Assassin, Gaige the Mecromancer, and Krieg the Psycho – and is tasked with killing Jack to restore “peace” to Pandora.
Figure 2: Borderlands 2 Cover Art. [2]
