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Cliffy B: Borderlands is the Diablo of the FPS generation photo

You know who likes Borderlands? Clifford Bleszinski! The Epic Games designer has spoken incredibly highly of Gearbox Software's "roleplaying shooter," going so far as to compare it with the classic Blizzard RPG Diablo.

"Borderlands, I adore you," Tweets the handsome Gears of War creator. "You’re Diablo for a generation raised on first person shooters. I want a Claptrap."

I've spent the past two weeks playing Borderlands whenever I can get a spare minute, and I must say that I have loved almost every second of it after the a rather dull start. Once the game kicks into high gear, it becomes an addictive loot fest and the power that players feel when they start customizing their characters is incredibly rewarding. I feel inclined to agree with Cliffy in part. This is very much the Diablo of first-person-shooters.

Oh, and I also want a Claptrap.








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57 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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Chris Carter's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:05
Chris Carter
It's not the Diablo of FPS games at all, if you look at replay value, which is a HUGE part of what makes Diablo Diablo. The sad truth about Borderlands is that it'll only take you a short amount of time/halfway through playthrough two to reach max level. Diablo took months to reach level 99, and was very challenging on Hell mode, hence why people still play it today.

I doubt Borderlands will have legs after the DLC is said and done in six-eight months, because of the fact that they went the DLC route instead of elongating base playthroughs.
catsithx's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:16
catsithx
Well let me think I like Borderlands. Not to say Diablo suck s or anything just that I like the simplicity of the game. Will it be better than Diablo. Well depends on how much you like to replay a game. Well to each their own.
Spitfire's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:17
Spitfire
Im surprised that no one has compared this to Phantasy Star Online for the Dreamcast.... I guess not many played it. Only difference I see is that PSO was 3rd person. Random quests, lvling, and fat loot hunting are all present. Special events might be cool - whoever kills most monsters within some time/day period wins some special weapon.
Klipsched's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:18
Klipsched
Sorry Cliffy, Borderlands is great fun with friends but it is certainly not Diablo for the "FPS" generation.
whateverthismeanstoyou's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:20
whateverthismeanstoyou
@magnalon

Sorry but I have to disagree with you. I think it is a fair comparison as far as FPS is concerned or it is a best attempt today to match something similar to Diablo in the FPS. This game is truly addictive and I could not stop playing this game for 2 days in a row. I avoid all the main quests b/c I want t the experience to last as long as it can. I am soooo looking forward to start the co-op missions with my buddies. I still like the Fallout 3's mission varieties, but this is a real gem that grows on you. As a one snippet comment, I think the comparison is a good one.
reindall's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:21
reindall
Not enough skills, not enough foes, not enough weapon modifiers, not enough randomness. It's a good game, I hope Borderlands 2 will be a great game.
Jaysky0's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:22
Jaysky0
Spiitfire I've had that thought in the back of my mind for a while now. I would definitely compare it to PSO, only I played it on the Gamecube. Rare weapons in PSO had unique looks to them though while Borderlands is more about attributes.
Chris Carter's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:22
Chris Carter
@Spitfire
Phantasy Star had hundreds of levels for a cap as well, and people still play Blue Burst on PC (free servers) because of the replay value included in the base game.

Borderlands needs to patch in a higher cap.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:29
Jim Sterling
A few people are being ludicrously literal here.

He's not saying Borderlands is *exactly* like Diablo and should be comparable on every single level. He's saying that if you grew up on FPS', then this is your Diablo, as in, the closest equivalent you'll get in the FPS genre. I think that's a very fair statement.
Chris Carter's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:39
Chris Carter
@whateverthismeanstoyou
Oh, I love the game man! I fell asleep playing it just three days ago, and I'm addicted as hell. But it only took me 40 hours to get max level, as opposed to the 500+ hours I spent playing Phantasy Star/Diablo: and that was only to max out, much less finish.

@Jim
I feel you. I just think that base longevity (sans DLC) over a number of years is really a huge part of what makes Diablo so classic, and it doesn't even compare as a game. I would say calling Borderlands "as close to the Diablo of the FPS generation as we have now" is more spot on. I think this quote is a bit premature, but this is coming from a biased die hard Phantasy Star/Diablo fanatic, who feels Borderlands is nothing like those games.
InfraredChimera's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:39
InfraredChimera
Being a big fan of Diablo and games like it, I think Borderlands is great to open up people to a new genre of game they would otherwise wouldn't have ever considered in playing. I'm not saying Borderlands is on the same level as Diablo, but it could get people who never played it (or not interested in it) to finally give it a shot.
CRKFIEND's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:40
CRKFIEND
Agreed.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:41
Holyetheline
Is it bad that I'm so obsessed with Borderlands that when I make it to level 50 (I'm level 49 1/2) with my Siren and get to the third playthrough I'm going to try to do the same with the other three characters? I don't know if it will burn me out or not but so far nothing has even been able to distract me from Borderlands. I would even go as far as saying that on Tuesday I will be more concerned with leveling up my level 24 Hunter to even give a shit about Modern Warfare 2... and I LOVE MODERN WARFARE. It's just... after Borderlands other games just don't do it for me anymore... I just think to myself "I wish I was playing Borderlands." whenever I'm playing a different game... I dunno... Gearbox did good, they did too good, Borderlands 2 will be the shit just like Diablo 2 was. I hope we can have the level cap raised soon, can't wait for the DLC!!! =D
Arucardo's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:45
Arucardo
At first I felt like the claptrap was a bad attempt at a funny mascot but in the end it won me over, I quite like the little fellows now.
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:47
DeusPayne
Confirmed, Borderlands 2 will be made and have socketed weapons and bloody foothill runs.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 08:54
Jim Sterling
"At first I felt like the claptrap was a bad attempt at a funny mascot but in the end it won me over, I quite like the little fellows now."

He was annoying until he got wounded. The damaged Claptraps make me feel really sad.

Also, the "rude" Claptrap is fucking awesome.
reindall's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:00
reindall
@Jim - closest equivalent? Surely that has to be Hellgate: London.
Misanthrope's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:04
Misanthrope
Yeah, well Diablo was patched several times to catch all bugs so get to it, stop pricing and start fixing the issues first.
mabman's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:18
mabman
@Misanthrope - Amen
ParticleSt0rm's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:20
ParticleSt0rm
The traveller will protect meeeee ^^
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:24
DeusPayne
reindall: the closest would be HG:L, other than the fact it was released over a year too early, was so buggy you couldn't reliably play coop, which is all the game is about, and the servers were shutdown within a year of it being released.
SedeoInedus's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:42
SedeoInedus
Agree entirely.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:44
Jim Sterling
Solgrim:

I just didn't feel it really kicked in until I got some better loot and the character customization opened up.
beastrn's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 09:55
beastrn
Is this a joke? Comparing it to DIABLO?

Boringlands is a totally forgettable game that nobody will ever think about in a month. Especially during this years holiday season.

When the inevitable sequel comes out expect more of the same digested boring shit with new colors.
thrillhouse's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:02
thrillhouse
The core gun mechanic is well done along with the art. But everything else is completely barebones. It's like they slapped on everything else once they had the gun generator working and the art in place.
Chris Carter's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:02
Chris Carter
@Jim
I love the game, but to be fair, what character customization? Three colors, choosing what "element" you want your bird to be, and one of three simple specs (extra special damage, extra gun damage, extra stats) weren't detailed at all.

The only character I feel is even close to unique is the Soldier's healing spec. I've came across many players that are the exact same type of Hunter as myself.
Jim Sterling's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:09
Jim Sterling
Magnalon:

I never said it was deep customization. But it is fun. Turning the Bloodwing into a fearsome exploding bastard that leeches health is terrific. It might not be an endless cavalcade of micromanagement, but the perks you get open the gameplay up and make things more fun.
Gyrael's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:31
Gyrael
I also felt the game got way more fun past the first town.
Chris Carter's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:41
Chris Carter
@Jim
Yea that's true. I guess I'm just looking at it in comparison to other RPGs (and I don't feel like people should be comparing it to say, Diablo), and feel like Borderlands is fairly bare bones compared to those, but for a shooter, it's great.
Y0j1mb0's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:49
Y0j1mb0
I love this game.
bluemeep's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:57
bluemeep
I'm glad I'm not the only one that made a PSO connection here.
matrixdude171's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 10:58
matrixdude171
Hah! take that GoW that abandoned it's PC base!
The Silent Protagonist's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 11:06
The Silent Protagonist
I love the reading comprehension going on here.

There was no direct 1-for-1 comparison to Diabolo. They said it was the closest thing to Diabolo that an FPS could be. Its not beyond my grasp to see where the two overlap, but I don't feel the need to bring up everything that doesn't.

Hell, you don't even have to have ever played Diabolo to know what people are talking about when they talk about Diabolo. Play Borderlands, play Phantasy Star Zero, Monster Hunter or Torchlight and it just starts to become clear that, hey, these things have stuff in common!
ndschroede23's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 11:22
ndschroede23
@reindall

I agree with what you said re: Borderlands 2. Borderlands is good, I love it - probably going to be one of my favorite games this year. But there were some things that i wish I could have seen done differently, things that are almost the norm in other games. You touched on one - enemy variety. This was one of the few disappointing parts of Borderlands for me. Fighting skags and bandits and spiderants until your eyes fall out. Maybe some more emphasis and variety in the vehicle department.

I hope they continue the franchise and make Borderlands 2 even better than the original.
Fearzone's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 11:40
Fearzone
Need to wait at least 6 months before making that call.
Michael Brown's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 11:54
Michael Brown
I still prefer Fallout 3...
BuildingSuns's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 11:57
BuildingSuns
I think the point he was making was that it was in the same vein like Diablo, it is addictive, fun, has many similar characteristics to Diablo. Sure, it may not have the staying power but it is SIMILAR to it. That's what I thnk he is trying to say, that it is as close a Diablo as the FPS genre is going to get.
Gee-Man's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 13:37
Gee-Man
Jeez, calm down Diablo fans. He didn't say Borderlands was a 1:1 console equivalent of Diablo, he said that for a generation of FPS players, Borderlands is their Diablo-equivalent. I mean, can any of you think of another shooter recently released that emulates Diablo-esque gameplay? And didn't suck terribly like Hellgate London? I didn't think so.

And personally, I would agree. Borderlands has proved itself to be easily one of the best games of 2009, and definitely one I will play for a while. As long as you got a couple of friends, I feel like the game never gets boring.
KingSigy's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 14:01
KingSigy
I don't know...the game is more of an RPG really. It doesn't play like Diablo either. It's more like Guild Wars. Actually, whatever, CliffyB is never wrong.
wutang4ever's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 14:05
wutang4ever
I love this game for one simple reason: Split-Screen Play! This game would be fun to play alone or online but split-screen, the company of real friends, is what makes the game so much fun to me. I applaud gearbox for having such a feature. Split screen is the reason I buy most of my games. I wouldn't touch Earth Defense Force, L4D, Gears of War, or LittleBigplanet if they didn't offer offline multiplayer.
AliasWyvernspur's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 15:13
AliasWyvernspur
Cliffy B. remembers PC games? I'm surprised.
Kyle MacGregor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 15:55
Kyle MacGregor
Thank you Cliffy B none of us had realized that before. How insightful!
Rabite's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 17:34
Rabite
I love the game. And if it weren't for the fact that the skill tree is so bare bones compared to Diablo style games I'd agree with this. But only one attack skill per character that you get immediately? I liked the idea of having entire skill trees that each gave you a new attack or changed stats worked far better.

Also driving sucks in this game. Even with it's flaws though the game is easily one of my favorite games I've played in a long time. Now fix the damn weapon stats not showing up correctly and I'll love Gearbox even more.
ikiryou's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 17:41
ikiryou
Borderlands cancels out my sense of time and space. It's the Tardis of video gaming.
klops's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 18:31
klops
..and it runs on UE3!
Baleur's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 19:40
Baleur
Borderlands is great but... UE3 sucks tbh.. Still has problems with Anti-Aliasing.
In 2009!!
siriusly's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 20:29
siriusly
Is anyone surprised? You know you're saying this because its made with your Unreal game engine.
sir monster210's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/07/2009 21:34
sir monster210
i can see the comparisons and ill even make a few more. much like diablo borderlands becomes repetitive, also like diablo, once you have completed the game there is little reason to continue to play it. dont get me wrong, i think both games are lots of fun.

also, on the topic of borderlands, the ending plays out too much like a metroid boss fight and i came away from it feeling seriously gypped. but lets say 200 years passes which is "not within your lifetime" what exactly is preventing those stupid cloner things from popping out a fresh you? (loop hole that bothered me)
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