Verdict
As an enormous fan of the Borderlands collection, the Legendary Collection provides me nearly all the things I may’ve wished – a stable port that runs effectively and eventually does the collection justice in handheld type. The steep asking worth and lack of recent content material is unlikely to sway all current followers, however the bundle is must-have for newcomers.
Pros
Runs rather well on Switch
Bucketloads of content material
The gameplay has aged effectively
Cons
Doesn’t come low-cost
Very little in the best way of recent content material
Key Specifications
Review Price: £39.99
Genre: Shooter
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release Date: May 29, 2020
Let’s make a journey down reminiscence lane – particularly to 2015. After rinsing by way of the PC model of Borderlands 2, completely enamoured by its fast-paced gameplay and engaging RPG mechanics, I used to be alerted to the existence of a PS Vita port of the sport. With the Vita being my transportable console of selection on the time, I snapped up the primary copy of the sport I may lay my arms on. In hindsight, I ought to by no means have gotten my hopes up.
Despite its lofty intentions of getting a full-scale triple-A recreation on the go, Borderlands 2 for the Vita was an absolute mess. The body charge would drop as quickly as any enemies made an look, and the sport’s textures can greatest be described as having a sludge-like high quality to them. My hopes of taking Borderlands with me on the each day commute have been dashed. That is, till now.
As a part of its effort to deliver a few of its largest titles to the Nintendo Switch (alongside XCOM 2 Collection and Bioshock: The Collection), 2K has bestowed the Switch library with all three Borderlands titles from the final console technology, specifically Borderlands, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The query now’s – has 2K lastly delivered on the promise of Borderlands on a handheld? Emphatically so, nevertheless it’ll value you.
Anyone who’s performed a Borderlands title will know that the collection’ iconic mix of the RPG and FPS genres doesn’t change all an excessive amount of between every title. With the exception of various locales and narratives, the core gameplay is nearly indistinguishable between all three titles, however when the method works so effectively to start with, it’s simple to grasp why.
Related: Best Nintendo Switch Games
Even although I poured numerous hours into Borderlands 2 again within the day, enjoying it once more on Switch merely jogged my memory of why I discovered the sport to be so gratifying within the first place. From the extremely fast-paced revolvers to the well-timed executions of your character’s distinctive ‘action skill’, every recreation does its utmost to make you’re feeling like a complete badass – however that’s just one aspect of the equation.
Borderlands makes use of an RPG fashion levelling system to constitution your development, with ability bushes that allow you to spend money on the play-style that fits you greatest. It’s nowhere close to as in-depth as what you would possibly discover in a full-blown RPG, however every bump gives a noticeable improve on the battlefield. By the tip of every recreation, you’ll really feel like an absolute powerhouse, and it’s each bit as rewarding because it sounds.
Of course, with three video games bundled as a part of the Borderlands: Legendary Collection, it’ll be a very long time earlier than you attain the credit on all of them. With oodles of sidequests and loot to acquire, every recreation has at the very least 25 hours value of content material to plough by way of in case you’re speedy, however that’s with out taking into impact all the additional DLC that’s included. If you’re on the lookout for a stable Switch recreation to final you all summer time – that is it.
Related: Breath of the Wild 2
While single-player is most definitely an possibility right here, Borderlands actually involves life inside its multiplayer set-up. Up to 4 gamers can deal with the primary marketing campaign of all three titles cooperatively, both on-line or by way of an area connection. Given simply how synonymous the Nintendo Switch has grow to be with multiplayer – significantly sofa co-op – Borderlands seems like an ideal match.
The solely concern is that, very like every other port of a significant third-party title, Borderlands falls foul of the well-documented ‘Switch tax’. With a Nintendo eShop worth of £39.99, Borderlands: Legendary Collection doesn’t come low-cost. It’s nowhere close to as pricy as Burnout Paradise Remastered, nevertheless it’s a particular hike upon what you’d count on to pay on different consoles.
If you’re approaching the collection for the primary time then I can’t consider a greater approach to benefit from the Borderlands expertise. The versatility provided by the Switch means that you could actually make investments your time into these video games, and there’s a ridiculous quantity of content material to be loved in return.
For those that would possibly simply be serious about replaying the video games on the go, I’d argue that there’s no rush to snag the sport forward of the following eShop sale. Besides, exterior of the portability issue (and a few marmite movement controls), there aren’t any unique items of content material to this Switch port to sway current followers.
Related: Upcoming Switch Games
I perceive that for the businesses that produce these Switch ports, their enchantment is in the truth that you have already got the present framework accessible and so it’s far much less of a problem than making a recreation from the bottom up, however it could be good to see some type of new content material to assist ease the sting of those greater than standard costs. Even only a few costumes of iconic Nintendo characters, much like what Diablo 3 did, could be a pleasant addition.
Verdict
As somebody who has been ready slightly patiently for a fully-fledged Borderlands expertise on the go, Borderlands: Legendary Collection is precisely what I had hoped for. There was no stuttering or body charge drops to talk of throughout our testing, because the Nintendo Switch was greater than able to maintaining with the explosive motion featured throughout all three titles.
The lack of any main additions to this Switch model – exterior of movement controls – imply that it’s not precisely a must have possibility for current followers, however for anybody who’s coming to the collection for the primary time and fancies a plethora of content material to sink their tooth into this summer time, Borderlands is a Switch important.