Plans for a multi-platform Borderlands Remastered Edition were outlined in a recent posting by the Australian Classification Board. The classification date was established yesterday, and it appears to be authored by Gearbox and 2K Australia. The focus seems to be entirely on taking advantage of sensible next-gen multi-platform remasters such as Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection (kind of).
GTA V brought us a completely rebuilt combat and gameplay system through first person, as well as a total visual overhaul that can be justified through comparisons. The Last of Us cut things too close during development by distributing just before the release of the Playstation 4, and made sure its visceral campaign could be experienced in true high-definition on a next-gen platform. Lastly, the Master Chief Collection brought Halo fans extreme fan service by compiling each franchise title into a convenient online experience, giving it slightly more purpose than a massive exploitative cash-grab.
The announcement of a Borderlands remaster comes as a bit odd; mostly for those who own and have experienced the game through PC gaming, which already allows a high-resolution experience. Visually, the game doesn’t have very many places to go. With the cel-shaded art direction, the aging of Borderlands‘ graphics have been kind over the years, so there’s not much justification in that department. Gameplay-wise the franchise has been adding installments with a sequel, Borderlands 2, and with over a dozen DLC add-ons over the five-year span of the series.
There are plenty more of the same-old gameplay mechanics, meme-filled dialogue, and shallow stories to experience with each new Borderlands installment; including the most recent lazy installment of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! So what is the intention with a Borderlands Remastered Edition? Other than manipulating players into dishing out more cash for a redundant game (that most have already played) there isn’t much capacity for this to be more than a low risk that requires little to no creative development effort. The details remain to be seen.
Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
