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  • $$59.99
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Borderlands (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows)

common sense media says

Stylish but super-gory shooter where you kill with abandon.


parents & educators say
  • 57% say language is an issue
  • 40% say violence is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Borderlands is a very gruesome first-person shooter meant for adults only. Besides using strong language and mature humor, the game is quite violent. Players amass a large collection of weapons which they use to kill humans and creatures native to the planet they're visiting. When enemies are killed, blood often shoots in the air. In some cases, limbs fly off bodies and heads can be decapitated. Prepare for plenty of blood and gore. The game is also playable online, a feature Common Sense Media does not recommend for children under the age of 12.

Educational value: Not applicable.
Positive messages: Players pretty much kill anything and everything in their sights (with the exception of mission-providing humans, who cannot be hurt) without much consequence. Also, players can loot the money and possessions of others, even when the character is standing right in front of them, with no consequences.
Positive role models: Players assume the role of mercenaries on a search for a legendary vault while amassing as many guns and as much cash as they can get their hands on.
Ease of play: The game begins with a quick tutorial that helps players learn the shooting controls. As you discover new items, the game will explain what they are and how each is used. The game is good at offering instruction throughout the adventure.
Violence: Players will use a large array of weapons to kill both human and non-human enemies, including assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, sniper rifles and rocket launchers. Some weapons have elemental effects that deal more damage. For example, the bullets of some guns will set enemies on fire or electrocute them. Enemies scream after dying, with final attacks resulting in spewing blood, loss of limbs or decapitation. Prepare for lots of gore.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: The worst words used are "f-ck", "sh-t", and "p-ssy".
Consumerism: The game has fictional gun manufacturers that create the weapons players will use. However, you'll only notice this when you acquire a new weapon.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Borderlands

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about the game's artistic style, which gives it the appearance of a moving comic book. Do you think it enhances the experience? Do you wish other games used similar graphics?

  • Do you think the game's comic book aesthetic alters the depiction of violence in any significant way? Does it make the violence seem more cartoonish, and hence more tolerable? Or is it just as intense as the violence found in games striving for a more realistic look and feel?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Borderlands follows four mercenaries -- Brick the Berserker, Lilith the Siren, Mordecai the Hunter, and Roland the Soldier -- as they visit the planet of Pandora in search of a legendary alien vault believed to contain rare technology and infinite wealth. Guided by a guardian angel and the inhabitants of Pandora, players choose a character and begin their journey. The game is best described as a first-person shooter with some role-playing elements, such as gathering experience points and boosting specific combat skills. The story is open, so players can choose to take on quests linked to the main adventure or accept side quests to earn cash or experience. Players can tackle the adventure solo, with another player in split-screen mode, or in four-player cooperative action online.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Borderlands' big draw is its huge arsenal, which consists of thousands of guns randomly generated throughout its environments. The weapons feel quite different compared to other shooters and are really fun to use. Ammo contains elemental properties that can add acid, fire or electric damage. The urge to test out newly discovered firearms is often enough incentive to march through the lengthy campaign.

Complementing the unique arsenal is a vibrant world that employs a cel-shaded animation reminiscent of a comic book. The game features a wide variety of enemies, both big and small. They're not always very smart, however. While you would expect animals to run toward you without a thought, it's hard to watch human enemies present themselves as such easy targets. The game also includes an impressive, seamless online experience where up to three players can join your game at any time. Alternatively, you can join anyone else's game. Groups of players can also enter arenas for four-player competitive multiplayer, making it very easy to get lost in the world of Borderlands.

Online interaction: Players can join others games at any time in cooperative and competitive play, and the game includes open chat with others. That means the range of language and ideas (good or bad) that could be encountered online is unknowable.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows
Available online
Genre: First Person Shooter
Developer: 2K Games
Released on: October 20, 2009
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Strong Language
Screenshots

This review was written by Brett Molina
 
 

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What parents & educators say

12
Based on 30 parent & educator reviews:
  • 57% say language is an issue
  • 40% say violence is an issue
  • 27% say there are positive role models

Most useful reviews by all members

Playerdad
parent of 13 year old
 
Perfect for ages 12+
My son bought Borderlands the other day because all his friends had it. So while he was at school, i played it to see what it was about. Then i found that it is about 4 people who try to find gold and technolgy. I can't really find a fault in the game except that your child might play it alot but, hey thats normal.

fatherteacher
parent of 16 year old
 
ok
This gae is fine for mature 13-14 year olds to play. sure their is a little violence, but it isn't like these kids are now going to grow up and be mass terrorists when they grow up. hopefully this helps strict parents let their kids have a life and play vidio games.

 
i love the exploding sniper rifle my favorite weapon

Serious parent
parent of 13 year old
 
perfect for tweens who love comic book games
it is a great game and is appropriate for all ages 13 or older

Laura_M
parent of 8 and 13 year old
 
Great game fine for 12 and up!!!!!!!
In the beggining i didnt want to let my 12 year old son have this but i tried it with him and it wasnt bad mainly because it was cartoon violence and it has a good plot not a lot of cussing would not recommend for 10 and under or kids who get really scared because it can get scary at some parts.

thomas1foot
parent of 17 year old
 
NO KIDS
The Game With All Guns The game is fun to play but is incredibly gruesome and bloodthirsty.

 
Borderlands a great FPS and RPG. Violence, OK the violence is a little rough. you can blow off bandits heads,cut mutated dogs with a machete. but its not something that will gross you out and not anything like Fallout 3. Language, There are are some F*** but not alot, the P**** word is really only used by Brick the huge one. and the are other words like D*** and S*** that are used throughout the game. nothing you dont hear on TV or at work/school. Really its a great game and not too bad for teens in my opinion.

Ghost Rider Sky
kid, 12 years old
 
this game is the best but it is not for kids 9 and under

 
Violent, but in a tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top, cartoonish, and silly way
I think the game is quite good, harking on many of the fun and rewarding game elements that I loved in the Diablo games back in the day, or that many people find in the World of Warcraft game, only with less online exposure. The game does have a bit of language, but nothing shocking or outrageous that a kid in their teens wouldn't face exposure to anywhere else. A curse here or there, nothing more. The violence, with decapitations, and body parts, and burning death screams, does sound quite gruesome on paper, but in practice, the caricature-ish manner in which the whole game, including the violence, is handled definitely reduces the impact. Even the human characters in the game are non-realistic enough to easily separate any tie to reality. I find Call of Duty to be much more suggestive in terms of violence. I wouldn't give this game to a kid under 10 or maybe 12, but any child in their teens, with enough supervision, should find a lot of safe enjoyment with Borderlands.

VForNoVendettas
kid, 10 years old
 
Fine for a older mature kid
I think that the game is perfect for kids 13+ and fine for mature 11+ kids, I do know there is a lot of gore as I have finished the game and almost finished the second playthrough, just don't get the zombie DLC with a lot of gore and it should be fine, the DLC should be for 16+ or mature 13+ teens. Also theres no F-bombs in this game but there is sh-t and pus-y, you see theres a confusion here, the bandits will some times say "Don't squeel when we cook you up!" that sounds like "Don't squeel when we fu-k you up!".

Striker101
teen, 15 years old
 
Fine for 13 and up

SlimeKing
parent of 18 year old
 
Just fine for tweens and older
I believe this game is fine for ages 12 and older. The blood is hardly a problem and language isn't very bad and can be muted when necessary.

drew812
teen, 14 years old
 
If they are a teenager let them have the game.
This is a great game. There is plenty of blood and gore but for kids 13 and up I think it will be fine. Also, if your kid starts cursing after you get him/her the game you should confiscate the game.

2good4u
parent of 13 year old
 
The blood isn't a problem. The only "Bad" thing about Borderlands is the swearing. 12+ can play it.

TheMovieKid
kid, 12 years old
 
ONE OF THE WORST GAMES ON XBOX360 HISTORY
Ok, I played Borderlands for about 5 minutes and I'm already bored. It has EXTREAMLY TERRIBLE CONTROLS and LAME gameplay. I don't have much to say about this game. And the suprising thing is, is that it is one of XBOX's TOP GAMES!!! There is either BUY, RENT, or PASS Borderlands and a... PASS.

Frostytehsnowman
kid, 13 years old
 
It's fun but really violent
i bought it for Mac and it's really really fun. It's really gory and people get blown apart and dismembered. There is a lot of stuff that isn't age appropriate, like references to parts of the male body and a DLC called Mad Moxxi's Underdome which is a somewhat inappropriate.

Ryan Beele
teen, 15 years old
 
Perfect for Tweens 12+
Borderlands has alot of violence in it but the blood looks kind've fake. the swearing is infrequent and not that bad it is pretty gory at times though. Borderlands is a fun game and i think its no worse than uncharted 2 or half-life 2 if you are 12 and up it should be okay.

Jasonr
teen, 15 years old
 
Very Hard
I realy can't get intovthis game reveiw too much because I barely played it. I. Throughout the game I heard common swears, sex jokes, and ball jokes. The games violence is cartoonish but still gory as you blow off limbs and heads. The big promblem with this game is that bosses are nearly impossible. I got past the first one okay, but the second one was so hard, I spent hours intil I realized that this was wasting my time so I quit.

txp2
kid, 12 years old
 

Gimmick
parent of 10 , 12 , and 14 year old
 
Borderlands
Borderlands is a fantastic game, and although your child will see a lot of violence and hear lots of bad language, it is not OTT things like black ops etc. Fine for 12+. Looking 4ward 2 borderlands 2!!!

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age