Summary
With some of the most critically acclaimed co-op games ever made under its banner, theBorderlandsfranchise has been an inescapable part of the video game landscape since its debut all the way back in 2009. Essentially pioneeringthe modern looter-shooter genre,Borderlandsand its subsequent sequels are some of the most beloved games of all time, and fans would be hard-pressed to find a gamer who hasn’t at least given the series a go at some point in their life. But for those few, theBorderlands Collection: Pandora’s Boxis ready and waiting.
Announced and shadow-dropped last week,Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Boxcollects every singleBorderlandsgame ever made, and delivers them in one neat package for modern platforms. But while this is one impressive collection, die-hardBorderlandsfans aren’t overly smitten with the bundle, and it’s clear thatBorderlands: Pandora’s Boxcould have put in a bit more effort in certain departments.
RELATED:What Borderlands' New Collection Says About Borderlands 4’s Release Window
Borderlands: Pandora’s Box Is a Great Deal, But It Could Have Been Even Better
TheBorderlands Collection: Pandora’s Boxis technically a great deal. This collection not only brings together all three mainlineBorderlandsgames, but alsothePre-Sequelspin-off, and bothTalesgames, including the most recent one which was only released late last year. And if that wasn’t enough, every DLC pack for eachBorderlandsgame is also included in the collection, giving players the definitive experience for everyBorderlandsgame ever made.
Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Boxofficially retails for $150, which although sounds pretty steep, works out at around $25 per game. And right now, this collection is discounted across all platforms, dropping the price to just $60, making it an absolute steal. A final cherry on the cake is that discounts are also given on the bundle if players already own one or more titles on that particular storefront. For newcomers totheBorderlandsfranchise, there’s never been a better time to just dive straight in, but for those who have walked Pandora’s wastelands before, this collection will do little for them.
However, thisBorderlands: Pandora’s Boxcollection doesn’t add anything new to any of the games included. This means that there are no new story missions, no new weapons, no new NPC interactions, and no new content of any description at all. This collection also doesn’t bring any upgrades to any of the games. The versions included in theBorderlandscollection aren’t remasters or upgrades, just ports. Fordie-hardBorderlandsfansthat likely already own most of, if not all of these games, there’s no reason at all to purchase theBorderlands: Pandora’s Boxcollection.
While theBorderlands: Pandora’s Boxcollection doesn’t claim to include any extra additions, and therefore doesn’t technically owe fans anything at all, it would have been nice to have gotten some kind of additional content, or at least some upgrades to the older games in the collection. The lastBorderlandscompilation, theHandsome Collection, included a slew of technical upgrades including improved frame rates and the addition of four-player split-screen. It also included some new content via the free-to-downloadClaptastic Voyage DLC. In comparison to theHandsome Collection,Pandora’s Boxis pretty disappointing. But, at the end of the day, this most recentBorderlandscollection isn’t for long-time fans; it’s for newcomers looking to finally jump into the series for the first time, and when looking at it through that lens it’s hard to deny that it’s a worthwhile and fair package.
Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Boxis available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:The 58 Best Local Co-Op & Split-Screen Games you may Play on the PS5 (September 2023)
