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.

Review: Evolve offers an incredibly fun twist on multiplayer shooters

When you were a kid, were you afraid of monsters? Did you worry about the boogeyman in your closet or some nasty beast under your bed, preparing to eat you piece by piece as you slumbered?

Well there were never any monsters under your bed but there are on the planet Shear in “Evolve,” the latest multiplayer shooter by Turtle Rock Studios.

Evolve isn’t your run-of-the-mill first-person shooter either. Where most multiplayer shooters rely on team deathmatch or free-for-all frenzies, Evolve presents a unique “4 vs. 1” dynamic which pits a team of four hunters against one massive monster.

Much like Turtle Rock’s engaging team-based shooter “Left 4 Dead,” Evolve doesn’t have an overarching narrative or campaign mode, rather, the game world and characters are fleshed out through the course of dialogue and encounters during gameplay. Hints about the game world and the motivations behind characters and corporations are hinted at, allowing interested gamers to understand more about events before and during the game.

In Evolve, humanity has progressed to such heights that deep space exploration and planet terraforming have become possible. Far away from earth, located in the “Far Arm” of the galaxy, the planet Shear was becoming colonized but as humanity expanded, several species of never-before-seen and deadly monsters began attacking the settlements. More than just wild beasts, these monsters displayed an intelligence not seen in any of the other dangerous wildlife on Shear. The colonists, desperate to survive and flee the planet, hired a team of hunters led by legendary planet tamer William Cabot (a playable, support class character).

These hunters each specialize in a unique role – assault, support, trapper and medic. There are three different playable characters in each class (more to be available via DLC), and while each character has different weaponry, each class also has one constant ability (like the assault class’ personal shield or the medic’s health burst). Only one character in each class is available at the start of the game and the rest can be unlocked through leveling up the newest (or first) character’s weapons or abilities.

There is a large emphasis on teamwork in Evole, as each character brings special attributes to the battle. 

Each team of hunters is made up of a trapper, support, assault and medic character.

Assault is the main damage dealer and tank of the group, bringing several different weapons to the table as well as a personal shield (and in the case of Parnell, an ability which boosts damage output, firing and reload speed).

Medic, like the name suggests, heals teammates and two of the three classes utilize sniper rifles which can mark weak spots on a monster. Val and Caira also have abilities to restore health along with the standard health burst but Lazarus has the unique ability to bring players back from the dead. (Hunters can be downed by the monster twice and are out of the game the third time down and need to wait for a dropship to bring them back to the fight.)

The trapper’s main role is finding the monster and each of the three playable characters has a different method of doing so. Maggie has a trapjaw (sort of a dog mixed with a big lizard) which can sniff out the monster’s trail. Griffin utilizes sensor spikes which can be tripped by the monster and Abe uses tracking darts which can be fired directly at the monster or into prey animals, revealing his location on screen. Each also has a weapon to slow the monster (such as Maggie and Griffin’s harpoon gun and Abe’s stasis grenades) as well as the mobile arena, which generates a forcefield around a small area for 60 seconds. This dome traps the monster inside to keep it from escaping as well as allowing hunters to enter but not exit. Though, it’s better to use this early on in the monster’s evolution (the quote “I’m not trapped in here with you, you’re trapped in here with me” from the movie Watchmen comes to mind).

Finally, the support class offers a little bit of everything. Each character has a powerful main weapon as well as a cloaking device which can make the entire team invisible, but each has two unique abilities as well. For instance, Hank can call in an orbital strike on a small area which does massive damage and also uses a portable personal shield to make any other hunter invincible while it’s aimed at them. Bucket can lay down up to five auto-turrets to fire on the monster as well as detach his head and use it as a UAV (Bucket is also a robot). And Cabot can use radioactive dust from his ship, the Laurie Anne, to highlight the monster for a short time as well as having a damage amplifier which, when fired on the monster, doubles the amount of damage it takes from the other hunters.

Each hunter has a unique play style and it’s a testament to Turtle Rock’s excellent design that no one specific assortment of characters could be considered the best. Each hunter has interesting strengths and weaknesses and it’s up to you to figure out which work best for you.

(From left) The Goliath, Kraken and Wraith each have their own unique abilities and tactics.

But four-on-one sounds unfair, right? You might think that – until you’ve actually faced the three monsters in Evolve (with a fourth on the way soon, which was free with preorder and soon to be available via DLC).

Each monster has their own set of offensive abilities which can be used to both attack prey as well as the hunters, in addition to a standard melee attack.

The Goliath is your standard brute, with more health and armor capacity than the Kraken or the Wraith. Goliath hits harder than the other two current monsters and also has fire breath and the ability to leap great distances.

The Kraken is somewhat physically weaker than Goliath but makes up for it with an array of devastating abilities, like its banshee mines and lightning strikes. Kraken has the ability to generate bio-electricity, which is uses in several attacks, and also allows the monster to hover and glide short distances.

The Wraith is physically the weakest though its strength lies in deception and surprise attacks. With the ability to deploy decoy Wraiths (which also deal damage to prey and hunters), the Wraith specializes in separating groups of hunters as well as being able to buff its own speed and attack damage for short periods of time, causing massive damage with its scythe-like appendages.

At the start of each game, the monster has a short window of time to move about the map before the hunters arrive. Each monster has three stages of evolution, which are triggered by killing and consuming the native wildlife that appears on each map. Animals provide varying amounts of energy toward evolution and most are docile though some can be dangerous and aggressive, posing a threat to hunters and to monsters alike. These larger animals offer the most energy toward evolution and some also offer unique buffs, which can be taken advantage of by hunters and monsters.

There are several different gametypes in Evolve such as Defend, Nest, and Rescue but the main mode is Hunt, where a team of four hunter hunt down a monster across one of Evolve large, amazingly realized 12 maps.

These games by themselves can last anywhere from 5-20 or 30 minutes, depending on player skill level, though those who want a more involved experience can try their hand at Evacuation.

In Evacuation, four hunters and a monster will battle across 5 game types but the twist is that each victory or defeat causes interesting consequences for the ensuing rounds. There are several different modifiers, such as including armed colonists to help hunt down the monster or a crashed ship which leaks radiation to make native wildlife more deadly and aggressive. Evacuation ends with a Defend showdown where the monster starts at Stage 3 evolution (with two minion monsters) has to attack three generators, the third of which is powering a colonist escape vessel.

The planet Shear a dangerous place, especially
with packs of trapjaws roaming about

Evolve is playable offline though it is more fun to play against real human opponents, as their tactics are much more unpredictable than the computer (which has a tendency to be very unforgiving though also very predictable). Evolve even offers basic and advanced video tutorials on each hunter and monster to help aid in players ability to enjoy playing. I’ve learned several neat tricks about general gameplay as well as interesting tactical ideas for each monster from these videos.

Evolve isn’t your traditional shooter. It requires a different way of thinking than a majority of other FPS titles out there and even though it seems to be lacking on content at first glance, no two games in Evolve are the same. The several different modes and wealth of unlockables will have dedicated players hooked to the experience as well as offering casual fans a uniquely fun time that no other game has ever presented quite so well.

It should also be noted that Turtle Rock, though offering many cosmetic DLC packs for sale at launch, is offering all upcoming map packs for free. Additionally, they’ve stated that even though future monster and hunter DLCs won’t be free, you won’t be locked out of certain games or modes if playing against players who have purchased them, in the interest of not dividing the community.

Overall, Evolve offers an experience like no other game ever has. Its interesting characters, monsters and beautifully detailed worlds need to be experienced first-hand because words can’t do them justice. While it’s not quite the same if you don’t have friends to play it with or online capability to play with other humans, Evolve is still one of the most unique and interesting shooters that has ever been created.