Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a must-buy for any Borderlands fan

As a big fans of the Borderlands series, I was really happy to find out that there was a way to experience the series on the PS4. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection features a ton of content for the price of a regular game (and I found it on Amazon for a slight discount of $50 instead of $60). It includes Borderlands 2, all the DLC as well as Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, which follows events happening between the first and second Borderlands game from the perspective of Vault Hunters in the employ of Handsome Jack himself.

Granted, it’s not entirely new content some of it was new to me, and considering all the content included, buying it was an easy choice. In addition to all the Borderlands 2 DLC you’re also able to access the Pre-Sequel DLC “Claptastic Voyage.” That DLC pack isn’t included on disc but is a free download as it was released the same day as The Handsome Collection. But Borderlands 2 features extensive DLC, which includes “Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty,” “Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage,” “Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt,” “Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep,” “T.K. Baha’s Bloody Harvest,” “The Horrible Hunger of the Ravenous Wattle Gobbler,” “How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day,” “Mad Moxxi and the Wedding Day Massacre,” “Sir Hammerlock vs. The Son of Crawmerax,” as well as the Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack which adds the Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, a new-game plus mode which increases difficulty as well as increases the level cap from 50 to 61. And though I haven’t started Borderlands 2 on PS4 yet, the description does say “all DLC,” so I’m assuming that also means the two extra playable characters, Gaige the Mechromancer and Krieg the Psycho.

The Handsome Collection is a remastered version of Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel and can run at 1080p resolution at 60 frames a second when playing with one or two players locally. It is also capable of allowing four players to play split-screen at once, rather than two as on PS3 or Xbox 360. Though playing with more than two players reduces the frame rate to 30 frames per second. Also, I believe you’re able to have play online with two players playing locally, though I’m not sure if it supports more than that.

Save data from previous games can be retrieved on the same console type – PS3 to PS4 and Xbox 360 to Xbox One. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include the original Borderlands game, though Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has stated that if The Handsome Collection is “wildly popular” they would consider remastering the original for next gen consoles.

Like I mentioned earlier, I haven’t started a new game of Borderlands 2 yet (because I had a 360 and so can’t transfer my old character), I’ve take the opportunity to play the Pre-Sequel because I never got around to playing it when it was originally released.

The Pre-Sequel takes place in between the first and second Borderlands games and is from the perspective of Vault Hunters hired by Handsome Jack to help him open a Vault on Elpis, a moon of the planet Pandora. Things go wrong quickly for Jack and the hunters but this game is unique in that it tells the story more from Jack’s point of view. I haven’t played too much but early on in the game, Jack seems like a much more sympathetic character so I’m wondering if that is because it is being told through the eyes of his associates or if it’s because something happens to Jack later on that causes him to become the massive jerk that you first meet in Borderlands 2.

The Pre-Sequel also introduces many new elements to the gameplay. The biggest is the O2 meter. Since most of the game takes place on a moon with no atmosphere, you’ll need special equipment to keep your oxygen meter topped off (which is constantly draining, though there is ample opportunity to refill it). Also, this equipment often offers special traits in the same vein as shield generators or grenade mods.

Also because you’re on a moon, there is reduced gravity which affects your jump speed and height and allows you to use your O2 stores to hover slightly as well as perform the new ground pound maneuver, where you can smash into enemies below at the cost of some oxygen.

There are several other new additions like jump pads and new elemental properties which can be applied to your weapons but overall, the Pre-Sequel doesn’t change up the Borderlands formula too much. There are still millions of gun variants and there are still lots of crazy enemies and monsters to kill on Elpis. You’ll meet several familiar faces along the way and the game is still replete with trademark humor you’ve come to expect from Borderlands.

Additionally, there are other new elements to the Pre-Sequel I haven’t encountered yet like laser guns, a new vehicle and a new “Grinder” machine where players can deposit two weapons and receive a new one of higher quality.

I also really like that instead of relying on the same playable character type that were featured in Borderlands 1 and 2, the Pre-Sequel offers characters with new action skills and skill trees. You can even play as a Claptrap unit or as a Handsome Jack clone.

Since it was made by 2K Australia, almost everyone in Pre-Sequel has an Australian accent which is kinda weird at first but you’ll get used to it over time. Also, being that it takes place entirely on a moon (well, as far as I know right now), the environments of Pre-Sequel are kind of dull. There are towns and scavenger outposts littered about Elpis but for the most part, it’s just been the game grey boring rocks. I’m hoping that there will be more interesting environments once I get deeper into the game. But being that it’s a moon and not a planet, I’m not entirely sure there will be.

 Considering that this title offers two games for the price of one, The Handsome Collection is already a pretty good deal. But when you throw in all the DLC, improved visuals, improved online abilities and cross-platform save retrieval, The Handsome Collection becomes an amazing value. The Handsome Collection is a must for any fan of the Borderlands series and would be a great addition to the library of an first-person shooter fan.