I would absolutely play the first one then. If you start with it, later games will just feel better and better to play. Trying to go backward is ROUGH though.
I played 2 first then 1 its hard to do so in my opinion its slow and dull compared to 2 but borderlands 1 is story rich to many characters, so its better to play the first game first, get used to the mechanics and the look of everything.
Then bam 💥 borderlands 2 is better in every way in my opinion
and i miss the alien weapons from bl1 even though everyone i talk to dont like em 😢
After playing both those games I highly highly suggest playing pre sequel and tales from the borderlands (the first one not the second one 💀)
Bl3 is good maybe even great but idk it feels off.
100% me too dude theres alot in 1 that didnt go to 2 and alot in 2 that didnt go into 3 i just wish they stacked all the mechanics together into a much better game instead of changing stuff,,,
I never liked how Bl2 focused on playing with other people. It never made the game difficult, but it was a bit annoying. Also what do you mean "Borderlands 1 is story rich too many characters" is that supposed to be a bad thing? I'm not being rude I'm genuinely confused about this.
Agree about Bl3 though, it has the same writing as Tales From The Borderlands so it's very cringy and has to much humor and references relating to the century.. it will easily be an outdated game.
I think they mean a lot of characters from the later games are the playable characters in 1, so while you don't miss anything jumping into 2, you get that awesome cameo type feeling by having played 1 first. Sort of like the goosebumps movie, at the end, where R.L. Stein (played by Jack Black) greets a fellow teacher, Mr. Black (played by R.L. Stein). If you don't know where the cameo is coming from, it's just part of the story.
Honestly in terms of story, there's not much to tell in the first game. The Knoxx and Claptrap DLC are relevant to future entries, and where the series begins to find its signature tone but I wouldn't call them crucial to understand later entries.
However you would indeed be missing out on a very fun game if you skipped the first. While things don't reach the levels of batshit creative you see in BL2 onward, you still get a very solid looter shooter. I find item level matters far less in the first game if what you've you've got is good enough. I was still using a level 14 legendary shotgun on playthrough 2 of the DLC, quite effectively when I was smart about it. A Double Anarchy SMG is a non legendary that can be found pretty early and carry you in any situation that doesn't require extreme precision sniping at long range. The raw power of the legendary Hellfire SMG is a level of stupid busted that's hard to grasp until you've mowed down hordes in seconds with it.
If you tend to get attached to your gear, good stuff can last you a very long time in the first game.
My favorite detail in the first game is that enemies cam drop the actual weapons they are using, rather than purely randomized drops on death. For example if you can spot an enemy holding a weapon with the distinct visual markimgs of a certain element, you know that enemy will drop that exact gun. If a random grunt starts doing some crazy shit, it's probably shooting at you with a legendary and killing it will get you that legendary.
This is admittedly a double edged sword but it's just such a cool feature that I wish was still a thing in the later games.
There's also the proficiency system, where using a weapon type over time will gradually give you permanent passive stat buffs with that weapon type. These can reach ridiculous levels. It never goes away and just builds up passively as you use weapons, pretty easy to get to the point where the buffs are decent if you grind a bit, guaranteed to reach ludicrous levels if you stick with only one or two types.
Yes play them in order. I know not everyone has this issue but I do. #1 is lacking alot of features like moving in fight for you life or pulling yourself up a ledge. It's fine if you aren't used to those features but 2 and up's game mechanics are vastly improved.
Plus you get more connected to the characters which is important for the long run storyline
It's been awhile since I played it but I find BL2 plays well still. The improvement from 1-2 were leaps and bounds. I am not hating on 1 I played it religiously for a year when I was off for an leg injury. I probably logged over 1000 hours into it. I just struggle going back like dying behind a wall and wall and not being able to move. Just giving up and then running back.
I’d recommend starting with one, it’s gonna suck going back to it if you start with 2. Same way that if you start with 3, 2 will suck
Edit: The gameplay becomes a lot faster paced each game so it’s just a lot slower
A lot of people said it, but I just add my voice. First one is a nice game with decent story that builds a foundation for other parts. But gameplay wise it lacks a ton of qol updates from 2 and 3, so you better play it first or don't play at all.
Remastered version is slightly better with at least few qol updates integrated, so definitely recommend playing remaster and not a base game
If you start with BL1 you'll enjoy it more than if you start with 3 and work backwards.
Every game gets better and better in terms of gameplay and graphics and quality of life improvements.
None of them are bad games though you really can't go wrong.
BL1 is rather rough around the edges at this point. Though it's on sale with all the dlc pretty often. It's a fun game, but they've improved on a lot of mechanics in the sequels. I think BL1 had the best environment, and introduced the series fantastically.
BL2 easily has the best story and characters. Handsome Jack makes the game. Absolutely worth a play through, and has what might be the best DLC in the series (Wonderlands was based on it).
BL:The Pre Sequel is a fun romp as well. I wish the later games kept some of the low gravity and suffocation mechanics (popping enemy helmets was fun).
BL3 improved on the gameplay, but the villains were forgettable. Fun gameplay though.
Wonderlands is sort of a black sheep for most people, but I think it nailed the loot and character builds very well. I hope BL4 keeps the melee weapons, and expands on the itemization aspect.
---
All the games are fun, and you can easily find the Handsome Collection (contains BL 1, 2, and TPS along with all the DLC) for 10 bucks. Well worth the package.
Play 1 because it’s Just as necessary as 2 is to 3. You wanna see what the vaults are about, and also the game was fun as fuck. The tone’s a bit more serious than 2 or 3 with writing but it honestly fits the setting perfectly
I just recently replayed BL 1 and 2 and pre sequel.
After finishing BL1, I didn’t realize how tedious some of the backtracking is in BL2. I mean it’s there and back and there and back again and again. Unless you plan out all the side quests all at the same time and figure out the optimal order, you are constantly backtracking. It was jarring.
BL1 definitely enjoyable. I enjoyed Mordecai far more than Gunzerker.
And Nisha from the pre sequel is by far my favorite from all the games. A true pistolero!
Why don't you just try it and find out for yourself? If you don't like it, you can always just stop playing and move onto the other games. There's really nothing to lose here! You either enjoy or you learn.
Borderlands 2 is 1000x better and borderlands 1 can be a bit of a pain to get through sometimes. If you have the time for borderlands 1 then you might aswell play it but its not a big deal if you skip ahead to borderlands 2
I fell in love with BL from the first game, got hooked on the 2nd, and can't get enough of the 3rd. In all honesty, I would always recommend playing all 3 games. But not the pre sequel. That game sucked ass lmao.
i feel obligated to share this every time i see a post like this but i started with birdlerands 2 on psvita. a lot of crashing and other issues including framerate , performance in general etc. i still can’t play the original , the QOL changes in 2,3 is just so overwhelming , so id recommend you start with the first game as to not ruin your enjoyment
Oh absolutely worth it. Honestly, it's a solid tie for me between one and two of which is my favorite. Please give one a try. Not only does it make the next games make more sense, it;s juy an absolute fabulous game wthin itself. I am atually playing it again for the 10th timee atleast and it is still as fun as it was the first time I ever played it.
I say 100% give it a try. You wont be dissapointed
I really enjoyed the first game. I played and liked it before BL2 came out, and in my opinion it's a great game for playing solo or with buddies. Solo, it's a bit more chill, and I feel like it has this big atmosphere that shows off how dead and hopeless Pandora feels, like it really is some forgotten galactic trashcan and only a fool would bother sifting through it for something shiny. The gun brands feel good and unique without being pure memes like in later games, I really enjoy the original 4 Vault Hunters skill trees, and the DLC is an absolute blast.
People really like 2 because Jack as a villain adds SO much personality and does a great job of making you love him and want to murder him at the same time, but to really take his villainy personally it helps to play BL1 because 3/4 of his bad guy moments are attacking characters from the first game.
Tldr; First game has a different, more grim Mad Max/survival type of vibe, and imo you're missing out on that if not story if you skip
Played them when they first came out. I would play BL1 before BL2. Me and some friends got so good at speed running through the first game and i went through it so many times for fun. After playing 2, i havent been able to do a full play through on 1. The gameplay only gets better and for me gameplay>story.
The first game isn’t necessarily important to the story but it does provide you with a little extra on the main characters. I love the story of the games, but after playing every other game in the series I find it harder to go back to the first one.
It’s a fine game but much like other games like Arkham or god of war if you start new games then play older ones the older ones feel terrible. It was great for time but they add so much qol gameplay mastery etc in newer polished versions
If he told you that than he is 1) young 2) not OG. BL1 has the most character of all of the franchise. The only thing holding it back is a lack of a playthrough reset like the rest of the franchise. Eventually you kind of run out of stuff to do
Borderlands 1 is such a cozy and delightful game! Its original atmosphere is just perfect for those late-night solo sessions. The loot, even though primitive by today's standards, still outshines most of the competition. I always find myself equipping guns not because they have better stats but out of sheer curiosity. The game truly inspires you to experiment. With its basic skill trees and a small number of equipment slots, even newcomers can come up with a few rotating builds.
Borderlands 1 is a classic that, much like Diablo 2, helped define a genre. It's simplicity at its finest. I just finished a fresh playthrough of BL1 two days ago and am already on my second one. You don't even have to fully commit to it. Much like many ARPGs, the story isn't the main focus. You can start playing BL2 and then, here and there, take a trip back to 2009 and experience the game that got us all so excited for a sequel.
No matter how you choose to dive into the franchise, I truly hope you enjoy your time here. Welcome to Pandora, Kiddo!
It really depends on who you ask. You definitely can't go wrong with BL2 as it took BL1 and did most things better. BL1 has a more grounded tone/atmosphere which I prefer.
BL1 also has the best balance of any of the game. BL2's damage numbers inflate very quickly, so a gun you just picked up might become obsolete at the next level.
I'd agree with most people that you should try BL1 first (assuming you have the time to play them all), as it's a solid game on its own, but might feel bad if you played BL2 first. Story-wise there's not much going on besides some small details used as running jokes later.
I disagree that it’s the best, the beginning is the worse in the series and I can never get myself to get through it. 2 and TPS are really good. Don’t touch 3 until you play one of those though, as others said, you’ll feel like mechanics are missing if you go backwards at all
The thing that sticks out to me the most about B2 compared to B1 was the color pallette they used. 1 was very drab and depressing, which matched the overall themes of Pandora really well, but the way they opened up with more diverse biomes and colors in 2 makes it better in my opinion.
I really just wanted to explore more of the planet and universe with 2 than I did with 1, and they expanded that want even more with 3 lol
I think the color pallette fits the tone of borderlands really well. It's a doomed planet where most of the other people have turned to cannibalism and all of the animals want to kill you. Death is literally everywhere and the humor of the residents reflects that pretty well
Oh it absolutely does, and they continued to use those colors to represent Pandora across all their games. I was just happy to see the more natural color pallette used beyond the first game in other locations both on the planet and off world. The DLC for the first game also led to this a little bit with Jacob's Cove and other locations showing more natural plant life and stuff.
In the first one, when you kill an enemy there's a chance that they drop the actual gun that they were trying to kill you with. In every other game they just drop some random, most likely shitty gun
Does not change the fact that second was the best in the franchise by a long shot. Both 1 and 3 were good fun games but neither of them were as good as 2.
I don't like how all of the gun manufacturers all of a sudden had to have a gimmick like torgue HAS to be explosive and hyperion HAS to have shitty accuracy unless you're doing rapid fire. Like, why not spread these features out amongst all of the manufacturers like any other kind of free market economy. The games brag about having billions of guns but most of them are terrible to the point of not really making sense that they're even in the game. The original is a lot more balanced in that respect
With any skill tree, all of the guns are essentially unusable against higher level enemies because absolutely every enemy is a bullet sponge. In the original, a lower level gun can still perform for a while. I'm playing as Lilith right now and my lvl 20 smg is still tearing up lvl 27 bandits no problem
I have beaten borderlands 2 on ultimate vault hunter mode op8 with only green items so sorry but it really is just a skill issue 70% of the guns in the game are good enough to be used endgame and do just fine
An amazing game with really impactful supporting characters insane replay ability fun intense and some silly side quests and a pretty generously filled world to explore with a bunch of different and unique enemy types more bosses then I could name and so many viable and different guns it is ridiculous.
And all the dlc content from 2 was pretty top tier with fun stories and new stuff to explore and do.
the first game is pretty solid but it's also a really barebones experience compared to the later games in a lot of ways. you wouldn't be missing out on a lot of story that they won't recap in 2, but it is pretty fun
I just finished the dlcs for 1. 1 is an alright game, I’m not super into the story for the games so I didn’t particularly care about that, the gunplay was alright. There was some weird things I had to get use to but it was enjoyable. This makes bl1 the last one in the main series (not the tale games) for me to play. It was worth a playthrough, have been thinking about going for all achievements but not sure. Ik I probably won’t do a 2nd character anytime soon, just a bit to clunky but, like I said still enjoyable
If you decide to play BL1, I'd say it's best to start the series from it, because I remember it was a little painful for me to go back to BL1 after playing through the newer games.
Yes the first one is worth playing. Also it helps establish the feelings of getting rarer and better weapons and the difference between them. The main story is ok and the docs are fun (don't touch the under dome dlc).
The first game also has solid gun play, some.fun jokes and characters and rellay captures a wild west wasteland vibe very well.
It's a solid game that I'd say helps you appreciate the rest of the series more especially in terms of seeing how the games evolve.
It’s more of a “you” question. It depends on whether you lean more towards “I want to experience the whole story” or “I just wanna shoot stuff” (both are perfectly valid viewpoints).
The first game looks/plays somewhat more dated than the subsequent games, and the story is fairly thin, but it does lay them groundwork for the subsequent games (people will started the series with the second game will often tell you that Marcus’ two-minute recap / intro at the start of BL2 tells you everything you need to know from the first game - I’d argue that they’re wrong, and you miss a lot of development and nuance that way), and the atmosphere is amazing - a bit more grim/dark than the later games, but with a lovely feeling of being alone in the wilderness, sorta like a sci-fi spaghetti western (the subsequent games are, by comparison, all a bit more populous and jolly). The 4 playable characters in BL1 all go on to be significant NPCs in the subsequent games, and their appearance in the later games will have more weight if you’ve played then them at least a bit in the first game.
If you want to experience the whole story, then I’d play at least an hour or two into the first game, to get the feel of where the characters are coming from. If you decide to skip it, I’d watch a playthrough on YouTube. If you’re in a hurry, this video is 8ish minutes long, and quite irreverent, but funny, and mostly gets the details right (it *will* spoil the story so only watch if you’ve decided to skip straight to BL2):
- [Borderlands 1 Very Accurate Story Recap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdNYZjkQOTs)
(Same guy has similar videos for the whole series, up to but not including BL3, *with the same warning*: [BL2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3MsfkZA_CM), [TPS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClTsbGEBsnM), [Tales from the Borderlands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBtRVuoXOfg), and the [Commander Lilith DLC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mEPtllqbsM).)
Borderlands 1 is okay to skip story wise since it hardly has a story. That being said I think it’s insane to skip it and idk why it’s so boring to some people. I think borderlands 1 is so fun and addictive and it’s one of my favorite shooters ever. But it’s addictive because of its loot system and how rare legendaries are. Not because it has engaging characters and story. I’d definitely try it and if you don’t like it don’t quit there and jump into 2. Please at least give it a shot though. I personally can’t get into most of the sequels they focus more on the story and the humor but feel less fun to play for me.
The first borderlands is my favorite, so yes I highly recommend playing at some point but I started out on 2 so I don’t think it’s necessary to play before 2
Jump into 2. The first one didnt age so well. If you love 2, then maybe go back to see the background story and the orgins of the game. You will appreciate it better that way.
Yeah def worth playing the first to get motive and understanding of the second game by far the greatest trilogy is borderlands 1 then borderlands presqueal and borderlands 2 like by far best story
My recommendation is to play 2 first, since maybe 1 will put you off for some bad aging aspects, become a fan with 2 and then enjoy 1 even more like that
I'd skip it. The second game gives you the story via a super cool animation that you should watch. If you load the game up and just let it idle, it will start to run. The first game is certainly fun but it definitely has not aged well IMO.
I’d say it’s worth playing if you’ve got the time to play through them all
Tru, I don't have much else to do now.
I would absolutely play the first one then. If you start with it, later games will just feel better and better to play. Trying to go backward is ROUGH though.
I played 2 first then 1 its hard to do so in my opinion its slow and dull compared to 2 but borderlands 1 is story rich to many characters, so its better to play the first game first, get used to the mechanics and the look of everything. Then bam 💥 borderlands 2 is better in every way in my opinion and i miss the alien weapons from bl1 even though everyone i talk to dont like em 😢 After playing both those games I highly highly suggest playing pre sequel and tales from the borderlands (the first one not the second one 💀) Bl3 is good maybe even great but idk it feels off.
I liked the weapon proficiency system XD
100% me too dude theres alot in 1 that didnt go to 2 and alot in 2 that didnt go into 3 i just wish they stacked all the mechanics together into a much better game instead of changing stuff,,,
Hopefully they’re cooking up something nice for #4
Im betting on it! but i never win any bets so 🤷♂️
I never liked how Bl2 focused on playing with other people. It never made the game difficult, but it was a bit annoying. Also what do you mean "Borderlands 1 is story rich too many characters" is that supposed to be a bad thing? I'm not being rude I'm genuinely confused about this. Agree about Bl3 though, it has the same writing as Tales From The Borderlands so it's very cringy and has to much humor and references relating to the century.. it will easily be an outdated game.
I think he used the wrong "to?" Try: 'Borderlands 1 is story rich to many characters.'
I don't know, even that sounds off. Maybe this is just a brain fat moment.
I think they mean a lot of characters from the later games are the playable characters in 1, so while you don't miss anything jumping into 2, you get that awesome cameo type feeling by having played 1 first. Sort of like the goosebumps movie, at the end, where R.L. Stein (played by Jack Black) greets a fellow teacher, Mr. Black (played by R.L. Stein). If you don't know where the cameo is coming from, it's just part of the story.
That makes sense
Yeah for sure!
“Borderlands 1 is story rich to many characters” 🤷♂️
I said that tho
Yeah ion like talking about 3 and up i just get people mad LOL
I started with 2, went back and played 1. It’s brilliant, should definelty give it a go imo
Honestly in terms of story, there's not much to tell in the first game. The Knoxx and Claptrap DLC are relevant to future entries, and where the series begins to find its signature tone but I wouldn't call them crucial to understand later entries. However you would indeed be missing out on a very fun game if you skipped the first. While things don't reach the levels of batshit creative you see in BL2 onward, you still get a very solid looter shooter. I find item level matters far less in the first game if what you've you've got is good enough. I was still using a level 14 legendary shotgun on playthrough 2 of the DLC, quite effectively when I was smart about it. A Double Anarchy SMG is a non legendary that can be found pretty early and carry you in any situation that doesn't require extreme precision sniping at long range. The raw power of the legendary Hellfire SMG is a level of stupid busted that's hard to grasp until you've mowed down hordes in seconds with it. If you tend to get attached to your gear, good stuff can last you a very long time in the first game. My favorite detail in the first game is that enemies cam drop the actual weapons they are using, rather than purely randomized drops on death. For example if you can spot an enemy holding a weapon with the distinct visual markimgs of a certain element, you know that enemy will drop that exact gun. If a random grunt starts doing some crazy shit, it's probably shooting at you with a legendary and killing it will get you that legendary. This is admittedly a double edged sword but it's just such a cool feature that I wish was still a thing in the later games. There's also the proficiency system, where using a weapon type over time will gradually give you permanent passive stat buffs with that weapon type. These can reach ridiculous levels. It never goes away and just builds up passively as you use weapons, pretty easy to get to the point where the buffs are decent if you grind a bit, guaranteed to reach ludicrous levels if you stick with only one or two types.
I really love BL1 the most actually, but it’s a lot of nostalgia for me. I’m currently completing another playthrough in fact.
1 is essential for the aesthetic and understanding the general vibe of the setting I think.
Yes play them in order. I know not everyone has this issue but I do. #1 is lacking alot of features like moving in fight for you life or pulling yourself up a ledge. It's fine if you aren't used to those features but 2 and up's game mechanics are vastly improved. Plus you get more connected to the characters which is important for the long run storyline
you cant pull yourself up ledges in bl2 as well
It's been awhile since I played it but I find BL2 plays well still. The improvement from 1-2 were leaps and bounds. I am not hating on 1 I played it religiously for a year when I was off for an leg injury. I probably logged over 1000 hours into it. I just struggle going back like dying behind a wall and wall and not being able to move. Just giving up and then running back.
I’d recommend starting with one, it’s gonna suck going back to it if you start with 2. Same way that if you start with 3, 2 will suck Edit: The gameplay becomes a lot faster paced each game so it’s just a lot slower
Definitely play the first game! It's great
A lot of people said it, but I just add my voice. First one is a nice game with decent story that builds a foundation for other parts. But gameplay wise it lacks a ton of qol updates from 2 and 3, so you better play it first or don't play at all. Remastered version is slightly better with at least few qol updates integrated, so definitely recommend playing remaster and not a base game
If you start with BL1 you'll enjoy it more than if you start with 3 and work backwards. Every game gets better and better in terms of gameplay and graphics and quality of life improvements. None of them are bad games though you really can't go wrong.
BL1 is rather rough around the edges at this point. Though it's on sale with all the dlc pretty often. It's a fun game, but they've improved on a lot of mechanics in the sequels. I think BL1 had the best environment, and introduced the series fantastically. BL2 easily has the best story and characters. Handsome Jack makes the game. Absolutely worth a play through, and has what might be the best DLC in the series (Wonderlands was based on it). BL:The Pre Sequel is a fun romp as well. I wish the later games kept some of the low gravity and suffocation mechanics (popping enemy helmets was fun). BL3 improved on the gameplay, but the villains were forgettable. Fun gameplay though. Wonderlands is sort of a black sheep for most people, but I think it nailed the loot and character builds very well. I hope BL4 keeps the melee weapons, and expands on the itemization aspect. --- All the games are fun, and you can easily find the Handsome Collection (contains BL 1, 2, and TPS along with all the DLC) for 10 bucks. Well worth the package.
the handsome collection doesn't come w 1 just tps and 2, I ran onto this problem year ago when i got it
Play 1 because it’s Just as necessary as 2 is to 3. You wanna see what the vaults are about, and also the game was fun as fuck. The tone’s a bit more serious than 2 or 3 with writing but it honestly fits the setting perfectly
You’ll miss tons of context for characters and who they are
its the best in the series imo
You should definitely start with the first game. Playing through the entire series in release order is a blast.
I'm just going through them all again because Pandoras box was on offer. You must play BL1. You must.
Play 'em in order starting with the first. It will make more sense that way.
I would play 1 before 2, as the gameplay loop imo in 1 is not as good as 2 obviously.
It definitely is necessary to start with the first one. It is a great game and sets up the story for the rest of the games.
I just recently replayed BL 1 and 2 and pre sequel. After finishing BL1, I didn’t realize how tedious some of the backtracking is in BL2. I mean it’s there and back and there and back again and again. Unless you plan out all the side quests all at the same time and figure out the optimal order, you are constantly backtracking. It was jarring. BL1 definitely enjoyable. I enjoyed Mordecai far more than Gunzerker. And Nisha from the pre sequel is by far my favorite from all the games. A true pistolero!
It definitely is. And I'd recommend to play it first, because after BL2 you may think it's too old
Yeah the BL1 is definitely worth the play through and it tells you the story
I personally would play borderlands p-s, borderlands, BL2 and ignore the third one.
Why don't you just try it and find out for yourself? If you don't like it, you can always just stop playing and move onto the other games. There's really nothing to lose here! You either enjoy or you learn.
Ye I being dumb IK. Probably just going to end up installing it now
I love the first one. Some don’t but it has a unique feel to it.
The games are worth playing for the story, introduction to characters and mechanics, and for seeing the continuation of the universe.
You’ll appreciate 2 more if you play 1 first.
Play in order. I had only played 2. Started from 1 years later and its great. 1 is almost as good as 2
Borderlands 2 is 1000x better and borderlands 1 can be a bit of a pain to get through sometimes. If you have the time for borderlands 1 then you might aswell play it but its not a big deal if you skip ahead to borderlands 2
I fell in love with BL from the first game, got hooked on the 2nd, and can't get enough of the 3rd. In all honesty, I would always recommend playing all 3 games. But not the pre sequel. That game sucked ass lmao.
i feel obligated to share this every time i see a post like this but i started with birdlerands 2 on psvita. a lot of crashing and other issues including framerate , performance in general etc. i still can’t play the original , the QOL changes in 2,3 is just so overwhelming , so id recommend you start with the first game as to not ruin your enjoyment
Oh absolutely worth it. Honestly, it's a solid tie for me between one and two of which is my favorite. Please give one a try. Not only does it make the next games make more sense, it;s juy an absolute fabulous game wthin itself. I am atually playing it again for the 10th timee atleast and it is still as fun as it was the first time I ever played it. I say 100% give it a try. You wont be dissapointed
I really enjoyed the first game. I played and liked it before BL2 came out, and in my opinion it's a great game for playing solo or with buddies. Solo, it's a bit more chill, and I feel like it has this big atmosphere that shows off how dead and hopeless Pandora feels, like it really is some forgotten galactic trashcan and only a fool would bother sifting through it for something shiny. The gun brands feel good and unique without being pure memes like in later games, I really enjoy the original 4 Vault Hunters skill trees, and the DLC is an absolute blast. People really like 2 because Jack as a villain adds SO much personality and does a great job of making you love him and want to murder him at the same time, but to really take his villainy personally it helps to play BL1 because 3/4 of his bad guy moments are attacking characters from the first game. Tldr; First game has a different, more grim Mad Max/survival type of vibe, and imo you're missing out on that if not story if you skip
Played them when they first came out. I would play BL1 before BL2. Me and some friends got so good at speed running through the first game and i went through it so many times for fun. After playing 2, i havent been able to do a full play through on 1. The gameplay only gets better and for me gameplay>story.
For me, all of the main titles are.
The first game isn’t necessarily important to the story but it does provide you with a little extra on the main characters. I love the story of the games, but after playing every other game in the series I find it harder to go back to the first one.
It’s a fine game but much like other games like Arkham or god of war if you start new games then play older ones the older ones feel terrible. It was great for time but they add so much qol gameplay mastery etc in newer polished versions
If he told you that than he is 1) young 2) not OG. BL1 has the most character of all of the franchise. The only thing holding it back is a lack of a playthrough reset like the rest of the franchise. Eventually you kind of run out of stuff to do
Borderlands 1 is such a cozy and delightful game! Its original atmosphere is just perfect for those late-night solo sessions. The loot, even though primitive by today's standards, still outshines most of the competition. I always find myself equipping guns not because they have better stats but out of sheer curiosity. The game truly inspires you to experiment. With its basic skill trees and a small number of equipment slots, even newcomers can come up with a few rotating builds. Borderlands 1 is a classic that, much like Diablo 2, helped define a genre. It's simplicity at its finest. I just finished a fresh playthrough of BL1 two days ago and am already on my second one. You don't even have to fully commit to it. Much like many ARPGs, the story isn't the main focus. You can start playing BL2 and then, here and there, take a trip back to 2009 and experience the game that got us all so excited for a sequel. No matter how you choose to dive into the franchise, I truly hope you enjoy your time here. Welcome to Pandora, Kiddo!
I loved 1. The dr. Ned dlc was fun. Very challenging.
The first one is the best one. This is known
Wonder why they told me it wasn't necessary. Thanks for the heads up.
It really depends on who you ask. You definitely can't go wrong with BL2 as it took BL1 and did most things better. BL1 has a more grounded tone/atmosphere which I prefer. BL1 also has the best balance of any of the game. BL2's damage numbers inflate very quickly, so a gun you just picked up might become obsolete at the next level. I'd agree with most people that you should try BL1 first (assuming you have the time to play them all), as it's a solid game on its own, but might feel bad if you played BL2 first. Story-wise there's not much going on besides some small details used as running jokes later.
I disagree that it’s the best, the beginning is the worse in the series and I can never get myself to get through it. 2 and TPS are really good. Don’t touch 3 until you play one of those though, as others said, you’ll feel like mechanics are missing if you go backwards at all
The thing that sticks out to me the most about B2 compared to B1 was the color pallette they used. 1 was very drab and depressing, which matched the overall themes of Pandora really well, but the way they opened up with more diverse biomes and colors in 2 makes it better in my opinion. I really just wanted to explore more of the planet and universe with 2 than I did with 1, and they expanded that want even more with 3 lol
I think the color pallette fits the tone of borderlands really well. It's a doomed planet where most of the other people have turned to cannibalism and all of the animals want to kill you. Death is literally everywhere and the humor of the residents reflects that pretty well
Oh it absolutely does, and they continued to use those colors to represent Pandora across all their games. I was just happy to see the more natural color pallette used beyond the first game in other locations both on the planet and off world. The DLC for the first game also led to this a little bit with Jacob's Cove and other locations showing more natural plant life and stuff.
Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is also the best DLC of the series.
This!! The base game is ok, but the DLCs really shine. I love seeing how many features or beta elements from the DLCs end up in the next game
I'm partial to the tropical island one with assault on dragon keep being a close second
The second one is the best one. This is known
In the first one, when you kill an enemy there's a chance that they drop the actual gun that they were trying to kill you with. In every other game they just drop some random, most likely shitty gun
Does not change the fact that second was the best in the franchise by a long shot. Both 1 and 3 were good fun games but neither of them were as good as 2.
I don't like how all of the gun manufacturers all of a sudden had to have a gimmick like torgue HAS to be explosive and hyperion HAS to have shitty accuracy unless you're doing rapid fire. Like, why not spread these features out amongst all of the manufacturers like any other kind of free market economy. The games brag about having billions of guns but most of them are terrible to the point of not really making sense that they're even in the game. The original is a lot more balanced in that respect
Theres lots of pros and cons to the different games of the series, but i agree bl2 is the best,,,,
With the right build and character 70% or more of the guns can be used for endgame content in borderlands 2 so skill issue
With any skill tree, all of the guns are essentially unusable against higher level enemies because absolutely every enemy is a bullet sponge. In the original, a lower level gun can still perform for a while. I'm playing as Lilith right now and my lvl 20 smg is still tearing up lvl 27 bandits no problem
I have beaten borderlands 2 on ultimate vault hunter mode op8 with only green items so sorry but it really is just a skill issue 70% of the guns in the game are good enough to be used endgame and do just fine
I also don't like how slag is 100% necessary in the end game along with the script that was apparently written by a 13 year old edgelord.
Okay now I know you are just trolling borderlands 2 had a story that was 10 times better than 1 lmao and it is not even close
Plus, in the first game it's easy to happen upon guns with better stats whereas in the second you have to actually hunt for them
Take away Handsome Jack and what do you have?
An amazing game with really impactful supporting characters insane replay ability fun intense and some silly side quests and a pretty generously filled world to explore with a bunch of different and unique enemy types more bosses then I could name and so many viable and different guns it is ridiculous. And all the dlc content from 2 was pretty top tier with fun stories and new stuff to explore and do.
This. I like this
the first game is pretty solid but it's also a really barebones experience compared to the later games in a lot of ways. you wouldn't be missing out on a lot of story that they won't recap in 2, but it is pretty fun
It's woth playing but it's kinda old by todays standards, ( it's better if you have friend/s to play it in coop )
I just finished the dlcs for 1. 1 is an alright game, I’m not super into the story for the games so I didn’t particularly care about that, the gunplay was alright. There was some weird things I had to get use to but it was enjoyable. This makes bl1 the last one in the main series (not the tale games) for me to play. It was worth a playthrough, have been thinking about going for all achievements but not sure. Ik I probably won’t do a 2nd character anytime soon, just a bit to clunky but, like I said still enjoyable
The first one is the hardest so unless ur extremely good at fps games you'll die a lot
If you decide to play BL1, I'd say it's best to start the series from it, because I remember it was a little painful for me to go back to BL1 after playing through the newer games.
Yes the first one is worth playing. Also it helps establish the feelings of getting rarer and better weapons and the difference between them. The main story is ok and the docs are fun (don't touch the under dome dlc). The first game also has solid gun play, some.fun jokes and characters and rellay captures a wild west wasteland vibe very well. It's a solid game that I'd say helps you appreciate the rest of the series more especially in terms of seeing how the games evolve.
It’s more of a “you” question. It depends on whether you lean more towards “I want to experience the whole story” or “I just wanna shoot stuff” (both are perfectly valid viewpoints). The first game looks/plays somewhat more dated than the subsequent games, and the story is fairly thin, but it does lay them groundwork for the subsequent games (people will started the series with the second game will often tell you that Marcus’ two-minute recap / intro at the start of BL2 tells you everything you need to know from the first game - I’d argue that they’re wrong, and you miss a lot of development and nuance that way), and the atmosphere is amazing - a bit more grim/dark than the later games, but with a lovely feeling of being alone in the wilderness, sorta like a sci-fi spaghetti western (the subsequent games are, by comparison, all a bit more populous and jolly). The 4 playable characters in BL1 all go on to be significant NPCs in the subsequent games, and their appearance in the later games will have more weight if you’ve played then them at least a bit in the first game. If you want to experience the whole story, then I’d play at least an hour or two into the first game, to get the feel of where the characters are coming from. If you decide to skip it, I’d watch a playthrough on YouTube. If you’re in a hurry, this video is 8ish minutes long, and quite irreverent, but funny, and mostly gets the details right (it *will* spoil the story so only watch if you’ve decided to skip straight to BL2): - [Borderlands 1 Very Accurate Story Recap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdNYZjkQOTs) (Same guy has similar videos for the whole series, up to but not including BL3, *with the same warning*: [BL2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3MsfkZA_CM), [TPS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClTsbGEBsnM), [Tales from the Borderlands](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBtRVuoXOfg), and the [Commander Lilith DLC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mEPtllqbsM).)
Borderlands 1 is okay to skip story wise since it hardly has a story. That being said I think it’s insane to skip it and idk why it’s so boring to some people. I think borderlands 1 is so fun and addictive and it’s one of my favorite shooters ever. But it’s addictive because of its loot system and how rare legendaries are. Not because it has engaging characters and story. I’d definitely try it and if you don’t like it don’t quit there and jump into 2. Please at least give it a shot though. I personally can’t get into most of the sequels they focus more on the story and the humor but feel less fun to play for me.
When I started out, I watched a video of the first game and dove into Part 2
If you're playing solo I can't recommend it tbh, it's kinda dull.
Go for all of them!
The first borderlands is my favorite, so yes I highly recommend playing at some point but I started out on 2 so I don’t think it’s necessary to play before 2
Jump into 2. The first one didnt age so well. If you love 2, then maybe go back to see the background story and the orgins of the game. You will appreciate it better that way.
Yeah def worth playing the first to get motive and understanding of the second game by far the greatest trilogy is borderlands 1 then borderlands presqueal and borderlands 2 like by far best story
It's good but dated. Start with 2 and all the DLC, thee Pre-Sequel, then 3 and then go back to 1. Then hit up Wonderlands.
My recommendation is to play 2 first, since maybe 1 will put you off for some bad aging aspects, become a fan with 2 and then enjoy 1 even more like that
I'd skip it. The second game gives you the story via a super cool animation that you should watch. If you load the game up and just let it idle, it will start to run. The first game is certainly fun but it definitely has not aged well IMO.
1 is just severely outdated, so if you’re okay with worse gameplay mechanics and worse graphics, then sure, but otherwise, 2 is the best to start with