The Top 10 Most Anticipated Games for the 2014/2015 Video Game Season

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In short, it generates -- ON-THE-FLY -- a massive bolus of possibilities in terms of the kit and weapons you receive as loot.

One of the claims the game made - and as it turned out correctly made - was the fact that you could never end up with the same weapon twice in a game. Period. True that, at least for loot-acquired weps and kit.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel -- or BPS as we prefer to call it -- is officially the third title in the Borderlands Series (there was a rumor that originally the third game in the series was intended to be a continuation of the second game but that it seems has changed) and comes somewhere in between Borderlands and Borderlands 2 - it being a pre-sequel sequel you see?

At its very basic in terms of definition, BPS is a first-person shooter action-adventure video game with elements of RPG and TPS developed by 2K Australia, with assistance of Gearbox Software, that is set to be published by 2K Games for Microsoft Windows PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. There is no word on any next gen versions.

The fact that it is being developed by an Australian team means that it will be every bit as exciting and excellent as the previous games in the series - no, it will be MORE exciting and with BETTER game play mechanics, because everyone knows that Aussie game wizards are far superior to all other game wizards and I am not just saying that because I am Australian. OK, yes I am, but still...

We've remarked that BPS combines FPS/TPS AA game play with mechanics common to role-playing video games (basically that means missions, quests, individual character building, player-adjusted stats, and of course your own wisdom in selecting the best of the best in terms of the randomly generated 'loot' weapons and kit).

Rounding off what is already a well-defined story with lots of plot elements that range from warm-and-fuzzy to cold-blooded argh! the game happens to include a compelling and addictive sort of collaborative multi-player campaign game play with a draw that actually saw gamers who were wholly disinterested in the story mode picking up the previous title JUST to play the multi-player side with their mates (my daughter being one of them).

From what we have experienced of BPS so far (mostly via E3 and private video breifs) what we have here is a game that is similar to the previous titles, renewing the unique focus upon its four-player character-driven team of protagonists - all of whom factor as NPCs in the previous games working as henchmen for Handsome Jack, the antagonist bastard of Borderlands 2.

The story this time around follows Handsome Jack's descent into villainy - basically it not only answers a lot of the questions that B2 failed to address about Jack and what motivated him, but how he became the heartless abusive Republican that he is!

With much of the main plot focused on Jack's escape and his capture of the Hyperion moon base, the game expands upon the story that is presented in Borderlands 2, introducing a wide selection of new game mechanics and secrets.

As previously remarked, all of the protagonist characters in this go-round were NPC henchmen of Jack's in the previous game - which while it may not endear them to you certainly makes for some interesting dinner table discussions... They consist of:

Athena -- 'Gladiator Class' -- previously in the employ of Atlas Corporation. She was first introduced in the Borderlands DLC campaign 'The Secret Armory of General Knoxx.'

Claptrap --'Fragtrap Class' -- was first introduced as a sort of comic-relief character in the original and also appeared in 2. Being the last remaining robot of its kind as of Borderlands 2, Claptrap actually thought of the relationship between himself and the player in terms of Master-Slave - and you were not the Master part of that pairing.

Nisha -- 'Lawbringer Class' -- first appeared in Borderlands 2 as the Sheriff of the town of Lynchwood.

Wilhelm -- 'Enforcer Class' -- was originally encountered as the second major boss in Borderlands 2. A unique character in his own right considering that he is not precisely human, and not precisely machine, being increasingly augmented with technology and weaponry over the course of the game so that he is transformed into a cybernetic form.

If you played the previous pair of games in the series you will be happy to learn that your return to the world of Borderlands also means being reacquainted with Black Market Vendor Crazy Earl, warm characters like Roland and Lilith, and not-so-warm ones like Red Belly, Brick, and of course Handsome Jack.

Rumor has it that at various points in the story we also rub-elbows (and other more intimate body parts) with Axton, Maya, Mordecai, Salvador, Zero, and Marcus Kincaid.

The story this time around is not simply the retelling of Jack's rise to power as viewed through the eyes of his henchmen, but also delve deep into the events that transformed Jack from what is arguably a morally 'good' character into the soulless devil incarnate that he becomes.

While the game play mechanics that are very familiar from B2 return, game play in BPS is not the duplicate of Borderlands 2 in that two new varieties of items have been added -- laser guns, and items possessing a cryogenic elemental effect -- creating a markedly altered focus on combat.

The fact that much of the play takes place in less than earth-normal gravity also factors in heavily as an element of game play mechanics, which should also clue you in as to why we emphasized the issue of Oxygen being an important element earlier.

There is a good and genuine reason for BPS making the list of the Top Ten Anticipated Video Games of the 2014/2015 Game Season, not the least of which being (and we are withholding full comment in order to prevent giving away an important secret) a nostalgic element that is similar in its impact to that felt by the regular gamer/fans of the Fallout Series during the transition between Fallout 3 and New Vegas in terms of a particular order of battling warrior monks.

Posted: 1st Sep 2014 by CMBF
Tags: Destiny, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, destiny, 2014 2015 games