Borderlands: The Handsome Collection was recently announced by 2K for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The compilation has two games, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. So is the bundle worth buying on the two current-gen consoles? Let’s take a look at a few points that may factor into your decision.
The Games
First, let’s take a look at the two videogames. The first is Borderlands 2, which came out in 2012 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. It would eventually be ported over to the PlayStation Vita. The sequel is widely regarded as being superior to the first game as it build upon the hybrid mix of first-person shooter with role-playing elements.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is set after the events of the first game and before the second. Hence, the unique title. The Pre-Sequel adds a few unique twists to the formula. With that said, it was more of an expansion than an actual sequel.
Borderlands 2 ended up having an excellent Metacrtic score. While Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is not highly regarded, it still reviewed relatively well.
Both games are worth playing if you haven’t played them before. The only real disappointment is the lack of the first installment of the series. It would have otherwise been the ultimate collection for the series.
DLC Content
Thankfully, 2K is bundling all of the post-launch DLC packs for both games. This is a great value for Borderlands 2 alone as the game got two seasons worth of expansions. The first wave contains the Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt as well as Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep. The second season includes the following: 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 in addition to Sir Hammerlock vs. the Son of Crawmerax.
The DLC expansions released so far for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel are Shock Drop Slaughter Pit, Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack: The Holodome Onslaught, Handsome Jack Doppelganger Pack and Lady Hammerlock the Baroness Pack with more coming in the future.
So, even when you are done with the already time-consuming main campaigns, there are plenty of more content to get through with Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.
Exclusive Features
The PS4 and Xbox One ports also come with some exclusive features. The first is the ability to play co-op with up to four players locally via split-screen. On the PS3 and Xbox 360, you can only play with two players via couch-op. It is pretty rare to see a four-player split-screen experience in modern games. If you are looking something with great co-op to play with at least two more players, you should definitely check out this compilation.
The other neat feature is the ability to transfer save files. You can import you progress from the PS3 and Vita versions of Borderlands 2 to the PS4 release. The same can be done when moving from the PS3 to the PS4 with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. For Xbox 360 gamers, they can also bring their saves for Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel to the Xbox One iterations. Because of this feature, it will be much easier to upgrade for those who already invested a lot with the previous versions of the games.
Enhanced Graphics
Of course, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection will also be getting a graphical boost. The development team is increasing the resolution to 1080p and frame rate to 60 per second. While PC gamers won’t be impressed, PS3 and Xbox 360 may find the differences to be enough to be worth upgrading.
Overall
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection offers plenty of value with the inclusion of the DLC packs as well as some exclusive features. For newcomers, the compilations is a must buy. If you already played both games, however, you may want to wait for a price drop unless you really want to play the DLC packs you missed out on and/or want to try out the four player split-screen mode.
2K is releasing Borderlands: The Handsome Collection on the 24th of March for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. You can preorder the remastered release on the two current-gen consoles on Amazon with this link.