Borderlands

Xbox 360

On the ramshackle planet of Pandora (think TV’s space-western Firefly) the best aspects of a first-person shooter and a role-playing game have come together. Somewhere there’s a lost treasure to be had, but like most quest-based games the majority of your time will be spent in mini plots designed to move you about the world. Neither the FPS nor RPG elements are too in-depth, but the mashup is entertaining. The RPG contributions (skill trees, leveling and stats) give life to the tired FPS genre that carries its own here by providing fast-paced action and supposedly almost 18 million weapons. Revolvers with bullets that spray acid and shotguns that burst with electricity are as fun as they sound. The loot system is similar to RPG Diablo, so you spend too much time picking up endless items and comparing their stats. If you can find a good group for multiplayer, you’ll be in store for exponentially more difficult baddies in an environment that thrives off teamwork. The slightly twisted artistic style mirrors the feel of this quirky game that breathes new life into two genres—right before blowing heads off with a fire-spewing submachine gun.