Battleborn Reviews
Battleborn has flaws but it also has potential. With time and the right attitude, it could be brilliant, but it's going to take a little work first.
A surprisingly complicated shooter that could prove worthwhile for those who invest the time.
Gearbox Software's experience with Borderlands clearly shows throughout Battleborn, blending a silly episodic story and a cast of charismatic characters with the competitive, on-trend MOBA genre. While its single-player and multiplayer offerings are limited at the moment, they're strong enough on their own to sustain a community, so long as Gearbox continues to update the game frequently. Battleborn could have easily been a soulless copycat of Borderlands or just another MOBA, but this is one fusion game that has its own identity and lays the solid groundwork for much more to come.
I've enjoyed most of Battleborn's campaign during my initial playthrough, though it's mostly due to the handiwork of the insane playable characters than the drab enemies and stages. The unlocks both near (in-match leveling) and far (unlocking new characters) have kept me anticipating each new campaign level attempt, though I wish said campaign were just a bit more exciting and varied. Hopefully some time with competitive multiplayer will make my upgrades and unlocks come even faster.
All in all, Battleborn is definitely a title I can get behind with its unique first person shooter approach, awesome cast of characters, gobs of weapons and power ups, and a hilarious framework to tie it all together. The game will take some getting used to and will force a few seasoned vets to step outside their comfort zone to enjoy the genus wonders that lie within. The hefty price tag may come with some initial sticker shock, especially after first firing it up, but those feeling will soon fade as you dedicate some time to Gearbox's latest work by mowing down hordes of enemies and laughing hysterically in the process.
Die Macher von Borderlands haben sich mit Battleborn dieses mal leider ein wenig mit dem Genre-Mix übernommen und in einigen wichtigen Bereichen einfach zu sehr am Inhalt gespart. Mit dem richtigen Team lassen sich einige spaßige Stunden aus Battleborn holen, aber ansonsten bietet der Titel leider zu wenig um euch motiviert zu halten und wiederholt sich sowohl im Story Part, als auch im Multiplayer zu schnell und vor allem zu oft. Von uns gibts es nur bedingt eine Empfehlung, da der Titel doch sehr speziell ausgefallen ist.
Review in German | Read full review
Battleborn has its moments, but its lack of maps and other niggling flaws makes it tough to recommend. There may well be a perfect FPS MOBA out there somewhere; but with Battleborn, the two genres feel fundamentally at odds with one another. It's not helped by its generic art direction and painfully unfunny sense of humor, which mostly consists of pointing toward some well-worn trope and asking, "Isn't that silly?" Right now, it feels geared toward the hardcore community in a way that makes it not very fun to play for more casual fans; and as Battleborn hasn't shown itself to be worth that kind of investment, I'm ready to take my leave of it.
Battleborn merges cooperative and competitive, hero and shooter, loot and shoot into an excellent melting pot and symbol of the times. Charismatic characters, clever intricacies, and compelling gameplay make this one of the best multiplayer experiences of the generation yet.
Gearbox Software's latest game is a hilarious good time, but still has a few flaws.
If reviews of Battleborn were conducted maybe six months from now, this experience might be more fleshed out, particularly on the competitive multiplayer side of things, and I hope it is. However, as this game stands now, Battleborn is a brief game that largely stumbles at the hands of a thin competitive multiplayer and grindy progression systems.
If Borderlands and the MOBA genre could have a baby, I imagine it would look something like Battleborn. Gearbox Software's signature style shines here, even if the humor falls flat most of the time. With all kinds of loot to tempt gamers into coming back for more, this "hero shooter" looks to be making a name for itself, and should hopefully stick around for a while with content updates now and in the future. There's so much stuff to unlock and master, Battleborn is one for the collectors.
Battleborn is a well-oiled machine with the potential for some great times to be had, but sometimes getting to those great times can take some patience.
Battleborn has done what I would have previously thought was impossible: it has kept me interested in its multiplayer.
I'm not sold on Battleborn's commitment to the MOBA genre but there's something fun there underneath all of it. I'll probably hop on occasionally to play Capture throughout its lifetime while the bulk of my efforts are spent on more polished shooters.
The experience that Gearbox has gained while developing Borderlands is clear in Battleborn, as it presents a hybrid of a sarcastic story and excellent characters in a beloved MOBA genre. While the game as it is now is not up to par with other MOBAs out there, it will definitely benefit from updates and the constant addition of content.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
In six months' time it may well make its mark, but for now Battleborn's mix of genres suffers from too little content and too much repetition.
On the surface 'Battleborn' is a lot like other competitive shooters we have seen in this generation: solid mechanics that provide a sweet honeymoon period, but are only held up by a stringy framework that brings down their replay value. I can see myself playing it a month from now, but six months, or a year? Anyone's guess.
A good FPS with MOBA elements that can be enjoyed especially in multiplayer, although more on the PvP side than PvE.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Most of its problems are fixable, but Gearbox really needs to fix them and serve up some more content if it wants to turn Battleborn into an ongoing hit concern.