Battleborn Reviews
Battleborn left me feeling like it was not bad or good, it just is, and that's not a good thing.
The game doesn't shine unless you have real communication among teams, which is tough to find with random players. I can't see myself sticking around to learn all the different Battleborn and embrace what this game is ultimately about without a group of friends to play it with.
In the end, I'm enjoying my time with Battleborn.
Battleborn mixes the FPS and MOBA genres to produce a game that oozes character and original ideas. Just don't expect to love it straightaway.
Classic Gearbox shooting with an experimental MOBA twist, but it's no Borderlands.
All of that makes Battleborn feel light, airy, and inconsequential. It's enjoyable in its best moments and especially in one of its multiplayer modes, but the problem comes with its lack of longevity. It's clearly a game built to be enjoyed in the long-term, like the MOBAs that inspired it, but it doesn't have the legs to run that far. This is a game built to be played repeatedly over the course of months, but I felt tired of it after a week.
All in all, I'd say Battleborn is a very well made game. The gameplay is fun and actually well thought out, and the characters all bring something different to the table. The story mode can be hit or miss, but the competitive side of things is really where the game shines in its strategy and game play.
It's tough to actually decide where I stand on Battleborn. One the one hand I can see that it's a competently made game with plenty of charm in its varied roster and one fresh gameplay mode that I would happily play again. Yet the single player was a bore in its core gameplay loop, the two multiplayer modes have issues with their map design, and the gating of characters and abilities just feels unnecessary for a MOBA. However, it is still possible to get a kick or two out of Battleborn.
Battleborn is by no means a perfect game. Underneath its flaws however, there is a satisfying and fun character-driven shooter to be found.
An ambitious team shooter that struggles with its identity and is let down by a weak script and try-hard comedy.
Battleborn isn't a bad game in the sense that it lacks work or effort – the team has clearly put in the hours – it's just that, for me, it's an uninspiring result which can't justify its hefty price tag.
And even with a number of problems, it's still a lot of fun to play.
Battleborn has a strong cast of characters and exciting action, but suffers from a lack of content, frustrating server issues, and some questionable design choices.
Showing signs of early promise, Battleborn very quickly becomes a chore, its repetitive story and paltry selection of multiplayer content putting the nail in its coffin after about 10-15 hours or so. That's assuming you even have the perseverance to stick around for that long. Battleborn is a disappointment.
If you have the option, don't play this game alone. That's a great way to dislike Battleborn. There is no real loot to collect, and the story is threadbare. It's about having fun with friends and strangers, and if that does not appeal to you, then this game is not likely to please.
Battleborn is a lot of fun but how popular it will be remains to be seen. Releasing it during roughly the same window as DOOM and Overwatch was poor timing on their part. I plan to keep playing it, but given the game's retreading of Borderlands with an added MOBA spin, I don't expect my friends to join me.
While Battleborn didn't gel as well with my gaming sensibilities as much as I'd hoped it would, even I can't deny that the game has a lot to offer to the right sort of gamer. If you're itching for a new Borderlands-esque experience which is all but guaranteed to keep you occupied over the long term, Battleborn will certainly scratch that itch. If, however, you never cared for the Borderlands style of humor, and you're more of a solo-minded gamer, you might want to look elsewhere for your next shooter fix.
Battleborn is big, colourful and wholly raucous, but its overall design and first-person-shooter/MOBA-inspired mechanics don't gel as well as I was hoping they would. There's a lot of repetition, poor difficulty balancing and a limited amount of content to be found at launch, and while that will surely improve over the coming months, it makes the game's expensive price tag loom high at this point in time.
Battleborn constantly pops with a charmingly garish visual style, a small army of exotic characters, and disorderly combat with just enough strategic edge to keep it from being sloppy. While some may find the clashing colors and overall derangement to be a little too busy, I personally felt right at home with its special blend of stupidity and style.