When 2K first confirmed that Gearbox Software, the developer of the Borderlands series was working on a brand new IP , I was intrigued and not just by the move to creating a new game but in that once again Gearbox was looking to blend a new cocktail of gaming genres to create a new style of game experience. That new title is Battleborn, but can it do enough to follow on the success of Borderlands?
There has been much discussion about what exactly Battleborn is. Much like Borderlands was a merging of FPS and RPG elements, Battleborn in my mind is at least a blend of FPS action and MOBA team based gameplay with a dash of the humour and fun we all came to love in Borderlands. The end result is a game that rewards for time invested to learn how the game and the huge 25 roster of incredible characters play. With both a story campaign and MP game modes, Battleborn offers a daunting amount of gameplay to master right from the start. But oh what a start it has.
The story campaign consists of eight story episodes that opens with an outstanding introduction and prologue that keeps the same tradition that Borderlands used to start each story with a bombastic beginning title sequence. Using 1980s animation style and a heart pounding music track, the story intro tells is the legend of the Battleborn. That legend now comes to life and the evil Rendain and his forces, have been systematically destroying stars and their systems in the universe. Now the last surviving system Solis, has become the gathering point for all the last surviving races. From those races step forward their mightiest heroes, who will make one final effort to stop Rendain before he can destroy Solus. These heroes are the Battleborn.
The story campaign can be played in either Public matchmaking where a team of five players will select their characters and tackle the episode together or it can be played solo or co-op with friends thanks to the Private matchmaking option. When played in a team the difficulty will ramp up to balance the number of players and will bring it down for solo play. After completing the prologue you can select to use any character that is unlocked in the roster to play as in the episodes and after completion the episodes can be replayed however using the same character will mean less XP for completion so trying different characters is advised. The episodes increase in difficulty and will feature different objectives to complete throughout. Playing solo can prove tricky with some of the later episodes in that at times you can be overwhelmed by the number of enemies but the clever level designs mean that turrets will be available to activate to give a much needed help. When playing with other players I found that understanding character roles and abilities to work together as a team is as important in the story campaign as it will be in the Competitive Multi-Player modes.
The story telling is very much in the same familiar style of the Borderlands games with a great sense of humour threaded throughout the dialogue and some great banter moments between characters during gameplay. The episodes can range anywhere for a 30 minute completion time to an hour, and the action is full on each time. They are a great way to level a character up, which I will go into more detail later on, and completing certain episodes will unlock new characters to use in the game once they are introduced in the story. Eight episodes may not seem like a lot but there is enough gameplay and story to leave a player satisfied. I love how the start of each episode is like an intro to a cartoon show with the characters selected introduced as stars of the show but it would have been nice to see the intro change as the episodes flow, it just uses the same footage from the prologue animation each time. But playing the campaign either solo, with friends or in public matchmaking there is huge replay value with the story campaign as you try out different combinations of characters. I was not sure what to expect from the Campaign mode but I was pleasantly surprised by it with some really outstanding gaming moments and a tremendous final battle against the clock in episode 8.
The story campaign gives a really solid look at the gameplay in Battleborn and how different characters and teamwork play a key role in gameplay. There is such depth to the variation in the 25 heroes that experimenting to find the right characters for you is going to take a long time. The characters are grouped into four factions; Eldrid, LLC, Jennerit and Peacekeepers. By playing as each hero, you will begin to level them up which starts to unlock new taunts and skins for each the more you use them in the game. By using the command hub in the main menu you can explore each character and follow their progress as you level up. By doing so you can really appreciate the intricate design and thought that has been put into each hero. They each have a history and lore that give a background story to them, the lore is unlocked by completing their individual character challenges which range from using their special abilities a certain number of times to completing in game tasks with them.
Another dynamic to each character is the Helix upgrade system which can change how a hero is used in battle. Each hero enters the fight at level One. As the character scores XP during the match or story episode, they will begin to level up. As each level is reached the player is given the chance to upgrade the special abilities of that hero by making a simple left or right choice on the Helix menu that will boost an ability depending on what the player believes to be the best option. They can range from changing the nature of a grenade such as with Oscar Mike where you can either pick to have the grenade explode with a neplam effect on the ground or to have it split into mini grenades for extra impact. The hero’s Ultimate Attack is unlocked at level 5 adding a new option to combat for the hero and along with the natural special abilities will have a cool down timer before it can be used again. The later stages of the Helix tend to make your hero even more powerful and as this will tend to happen towards the end of a match, it can be a real game changer when needed most.
The Helix system can really change how certain characters play, as some may seem weak in battle to begin with but with careful choices made to the Helix can become very powerful heroes in a match. Experimenting to tailor the Helix to suit either your playing style or to benefit your team is a clever one with the subtle changes to abilities that may not feel that crucial early on to reaching the max level 10 and having a much different impact overall. I would encourage trying out different heroes and just seeing how their Helix can change their game gameplay especially for heroes you may not naturally want to try or select in a battle.
As well as the Helix system players can also create special Gear loadouts that can boost attributes in battle. Gear packs can be purchased from the in game store with credits earned through gameplay and from completing challenges. Each pack will give the player an item that can be put in a loadouts that during play can be activated using the gold shards that can be collected. These can boost health, attack damage, shield strength and cool down times. There are different tiers of gear of uncommon, rare and epic and each Faction will have its own pack too. Unwanted ones can be sold for credit and new loadouts slots can be purchased or unlocked as your command level increases. Much like the Helix the activation of Gear can change a character and boost them at much needed times and as you will gain higher quality gear you will soon have loadouts that can benefit different playstyles of Heroes. Combined the Gear Loadouts and Helix system really add a level of personalised gameplay that I found refreshing.
But it is he competitive multiplayer that changes things up a level both in good and bad ways once you move away from the story campaign. There are three MP modes available currently with Capture, Incursions and Meltdown. Capture is your traditional control/domination match type which sees two teams of five heroes battle to control and maintain three points on the map to score points with the aim to reach 1000 points and win the match. This is the fastest MP match of the three and easiest to get into.
Incursion is an objective based mode which sees each team having to defend two large sentry robots from each other. Starting at opposite ends of the map, each team will have to press the attack and defend their minion bots towards the other teams base area where the minion bots can lower the sentry robots shields so the heroes can inflict damage. Turrets can be used to defend areas and the battle to push the other team back in order to attack their sentry bots can be a real fight. With a 30 minute time limit, the winner will either be the first team to destroy both sentrys or which ever team has scored the most damage by the match time ends.
Meltdown for me feels the most MOBA inspired mode in Battleborn. Another 30 min time limit match which this time sees both teams charged with defending their minion bots as they make their way to giant minion grinder stations to earn appeasement points by successfully sacrificing their minions. The first team to reach 500 points wins or which ever team has the highest score by the time limit. The minions can change routes during the match so making sure you focus on them and taking out the other team’s minion bots is vital. It can be all too easy to forget the objective and just fall into a TDM encounter with other team!
The competitive side does highlight Battleborn’ strengths and weaknesses in almost equal measure. Teaming with friends is a very rewarding experience in these modes as good communication and character selection and building a balanced team of Heroes can be key to victory. A combination of support heroes, defensive and attack characters can make all the difference and more so in Incursion modes. If your team fails to work together you can find the other team taking dominance and will find it almost impossible to claw back a win. It can prove extremely frustrating when a match starts to go against your team especially if playing in public matchmaking and your team is neither communicating or working together well. Once you select a hero you will be unable to change during the match so picking your strongest character is best which is why experimenting to find two or three different heroes to pick a head of time is beneficial.
The fact you are unable to change heroes can feel like a hindrance at times as should your team be losing or your own hero choice is not working out, you will be stuck for the duration of the match which at 30 minutes for modes can be a long time. I also found that the matchmaking can be rather imbalanced at times with low level or mid range players being teamed against very high-end players. Although each hero starts at Helix level one in a match, higher level players will have unlocked the more advanced characters as well as better gear loadouts and Helix Mutations, additional options to the Helix unlocked by character progression. Death is also punished in the Competitive modes as the longer the match goes on for the longer the respawn time will be, which at times and at the final moments of a match could be as long as 45 seconds. Being punished for dying feels harsh and if you are fighting hard to win a match this can lead to very one sided matches and often you will have team members rage quitting out of the match. Which is made redundant by the fact that the second you confirm your character choice in the prematch lobby you are then locked to that match until its conclusion, so if you leave the match at anytime you will be prohibited from joining another until the match has finished. Whilst a good way to prevent rage quitting when the game suddenly disconnects due to a server issue forcing you to wait up to 30 minutes to return to playing only ends up with you having to stop playing altogether.
There is plenty of good and bad with Battleborn right now. The difference in hero playstyles means a varied approach to gameplay that will entice some but be off putting for others. It takes a long time to level both your player level up and then each hero that at times progression can feel slow and grindy. Both campaign and competitive modes have a private option so arranging games with friends is smooth but public matchmaking on Xbox One can take an annoyingly long time and that after each match you are forced to match make again rather than simply staying in the player group if the last match can be tediously frustrating. I would have liked to have seen more of a fanfare to the end of matches as just having silence and a screen saying Victory or Defeat just feels really flat and even a piece of music or sound effect to signal the end of the match would help.
The blend of FPS and MOBA elements does work well for the most part, those expecting the same Borderlands gameplay will enjoy the story campaign but may take more time to get used to the competitive side. The roster is full of different characters with unique and challenging playing styles that are worth exploring to find the heroes that suit you best. Three competitive modes can seem limited but with a 25 hero roster to learn and master means every match can be different depending on your choice. It was a brave decision by Gearbox and 2K to bring two very different game genres together and it may take a long time for Battleborn to bed in with console players but it has a fun story campaign and rewarding character development style that can be satisfying.
Definitely worth taking a punt with if you are put off by MOBA games and feel more at home with FPS, Battleborn is an interesting new game that could do very well on the eSports scene but time will tell if it can win over console players going forward.
Despite its flaws it has won me over and is a refreshing shooter that is different enough to stand out but perhaps too much for the casual shooter fan.
