Joe Gamer

Lately I’ve been taking a break from playing Dragon Age: Origins to play Boarderlands. I like first person shooters almost as much as I like RPGs. Boarderlands is essentially both though it is still primarily an FPS.

You have your choice of 4 characters each of a different class. As you explore the land of Pandora you gain experience which allows you to gain levels. Every class has several skills that can be purchased as you level. The skills are divided between three different paths, essentially specializations for your chosen class. All very RPG. Where the game misses the mark in the RPG arena is that your missions (quests) are very linear and do not allow the various options and multiple choices that good RPGs now have.

Where the game truly shines is in four areas: world, style, multiplayer play, and guns. The world of Pandora is where Boarderlands is set. It is a dark and gritty land where only the strong survive. The style of art and animation both reflects the land of Pandora and has a very unique 2D quality to it. The multiplayer action allows for co-operative campaign play and PVP arena fights. Finally the sheer number and variety of guns is amazing. Using a method of gun generation much like the magic item generation system of Diablo, the number of possible unique guns in Boarderlands is in the millions.

My current character is a level 26 Assassin (a hunter specializing in snipper rifles). With two sniper rifles, a rocket launcher that fires three rockets at once, and a corrosive sub machine gun my character dominates the landscape. I admit that I’m still very much a divide and conquer player. I also tend to use the terrain to my advantage keeping the enemy at bay while scoring critical hits against the heads of my opponents until I’ve cleared the area.

I very much enjoy the game and I suggest it to anyone who loves FPSs and RPGs.

© 2009, Joseph Little. All rights reserved.

My newest addiction is Dragon Age: Origins. I have no idea the number of hours that I’ve poured into this lovely game for the X-Box 360, PS3, and PC, but I do know that my wife doesn’t speak to me anymore while I play and my child is noticeably taller. My sleep is suffering and my recliner has a permanent mold of my rear firmly implanted in it. That said let me actually speak about the game itself.

Dragon Age: Origins is a dark fantasy RPG. The player has control of up to four characters that form his or her party. And your primary character has six possible origin stories spanning three races and three classes. The remaining party is comprised of NPCs that you meet along the way. Interaction between your primary and secondary characters is more dynamic than many other games. Each character class has several possible combinations of skills, abilities, and specializations to give the game some replay value.

The game leads you down a road of violence, betrayal, lust, and violence. Yes I know I said violence twice. When you see how gory our characters get after their first real fight, you’ll understand. The game isn’t for little kids. If you’re the kind of parent that gets your teenager anything, expect your teenage boys to be begging for this one. The Desire Demons are some of the hottest monsters I’ve ever slain in game. Some of the subject matter out side of the violence and almost partial nudity isn’t for kids either, but then again I’m not your kid’s parent so do what you want.

© 2009, Joseph Little. All rights reserved.