More Borderlands

After 11 or so hours of playtime, my hunter (named Gaiden, because I had a copy of the DS game Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword on my desk while thinking of a name) is now level 21 and has completed a few quests in the Dahl Headlands. He's settled into a routine of using a sniper rifle, revolver and shotgun in a 3-weapon rotation. The sniper rifle has fire-elemental power (x3), which is great for added damage on fleshy beasts and raiders. The revolver has explosive ability (also x3) and a zoom feature, which is almost as effective as the sniper rifle at range. There's nothing more fun than headshots with a Dirty Harry gun from 90 yards. The shotgun is effective for really close range combat, meaning keeping skags at bay when they charge me.

One thing this game does very well is make you keep searching for that perfect gun. Every drop from a raider, every gun chest, every undigested bit of loot from the belly of a skag could be the ONE, the weapon that makes it all worth it. I've visited areas multiple times, just to try my luck at getting a decent drop. Right now I feel pretty comfortable with the loot I have, but I'm always on the hunt for a better shield. For some reason I have a requirement for healing in my shields, which doesn't roll around all that often, so I'm hoping for some luck in a drop or a vending machine soon. It must be said that I have transfusion grenades that, if used properly, could take the place of the healing requirement, thus allowing me to use a different type of shield. Too many bad experiences with no healing leaves me hesitant to pull the trigger on that one, but we'll see.

While I'm writing this, Dragon Age: Origins is downloading in the background. Between that and Borderlands, not to mention a copy of The Witcher I haven't yet started up, my winter is shaping up with lots of RPG goodness, in several different flavors. Last year at this time, my free time was consumed in Fallout 3, and this year looks like my attention will be split. It's a good thing, though, to mix a bit of high fantasy into my gaming, as Borderlands and Fallout 3, even though the stories are very different, share a somewhat similar 'feel'. The raiders in both games are reminiscent of each other, and the settings are similar (desolate, not a huge amount of variety, run down buildings, an atmosphere of civilization's decay), although Fallout 3 is a bit grittier than Borderlands, probably due to the art style.