Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is finally available, bringing two of the better games from the series – Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel – to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Not only will players get to experience these full adventures either on their own or with friends, but they’ll also be able to check out EVERY piece of downloadable content released for both games, including all the expansions.
Are you new to the Borderlands universe, or perhaps just need to be refreshed in how it works? Here are some general tips that will help you get through these adventures in one piece.
Your Health and Shield
When you first get started in either Borderlands game, you’ll become equipped with a shield – although you’ll need to keep close tabs on it when you’re battling enemies. Its energy level is listed in the bottom left corner of the screen, accompanied by your health meter. The shield is capable of taking a few hits – even more if you level it up at one of the vending machines in the stage – but once you lose it, it’ll shatter around you, and your health will start chipping away.
In this scenario, the best thing you can do is get out of the open and try to recover your shield. Failure to do so will leave you on the verge of death, and that’s not a good thing, as enemies continue to pound down on you, speeding you that much closer to your demise. Try and hide, if you can.
If you are on the verge of death, you have a chance of earning a “second wind” by killing an enemy. You can still crawl around and shoot your enemy for a few precious seconds, and this may be all the time you need to recover. However, try not to do it if you’re surrounded, because his or her adversaries may be pounding on you anyway, making it that difficult to recover. At that point, you may want to just respawn, which will cost you a few bucks and take you back to an earlier point in the level. It may be worth it, though, as you’ll be refilled on weapons, including your guns and grenades. The choice is yours, of course.
Remember, fight on the best you can, but keep a close eye on your shield and health. It makes all the difference.
Get the Most From the Bazilliondier Guns
One huge aspect to both of the Borderlands games is that you’ll have access to guns – lots and lots of guns. Borderlands 2 has a “bazilliondier” count in itself, and if you add on the hundreds available in Pre-Sequel, you’re bound to find a favorite somewhere in the flood of ammunition.
However, keep in mind that you can only carry so many within your bag. There’s a limited capacity for your weapons, and while it’s great to switch out to more powerful shotguns and sniper rifles from time to time, some, like the numerous Repeaters you pick up, just aren’t worth it.
Fortunately, you can do something good with your ample supply. There are a number of vending machines scattered across both Pandora and the Moon, and here, you can sell any unneeded weapons you don’t want. Cash comes in handy, as it allows you to fill up ammunition on your favorite weapons, while also buying new ones and having enough Insta-Healths to keep from succumbing during battle. Make sure you visit the shops often, and buy what you need.
Also, just because a weapon is outside of your level range doesn’t mean it won’t come in handy. You may be at level 2 and find a gun that can only be used with level 3, but it doesn’t take too long to earn a new rank in this game – and then you can try out the weapon and see what it does for you. If it doesn’t fit, hey, sell it and shop around for something that does. That’s the magic of the Borderlands games – you can fit your arsenal to however you see fit, and it’ll work for you with barely any problems to speak of.
Oh, and try to keep weapons with “secondary” effect, like freezing bolts and incendiary fire. They deliver additional damage to enemies, and although they may be limited in ammunition, they pack a punch – especially on bosses.
Bring Some Friends, But Don’t Be Greedy
Yesterday, we covered co-op tips for Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, as four-player teamwork is probably one of the greatest aspects of the game, either locally or online through PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. We say this because the more people you have on your team, the more damage you’re able to dish out to enemies, especially larger bosses (like a sandworm) that can take forever to bring down on your own. It’s better to do things in numbers.
As we mentioned in yesterday’s article, spread the wealth. Everyone likes looting after an enemy is defeated, but there are some folks that need health more badly than you, as well as cash and ammunition to restock their supply. You don’t need to get every little thing that drops on the ground – although new weapons can be worth fighting over, depending on the punch they pack.
Your best bet is learn to work as a team, bring down enemies, and then try to divvy up the goods fairly. Sure, you may be fighting over a weapon or two down the road, but the bottom line is that you’ll work better as a squad, and keep things enough in balance to stay alive for the next section of the game. That’s what counts – not what loot you score from a previous battle. (Although, again, some guns are rather sweet…)
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is available now for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Published: Mar 25, 2015 05:00 pm