Parents' Guide to

Borderlands

By Brett Molina, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

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

Game PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360 2009
Borderlands Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Borderlands Game: Screenshot #1
  • Borderlands Game: Screenshot #2

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 36 parent reviews

GamingMom51
GamingMom51 Parent of 10 and 14-year-old
November 17, 2013
age 13+

Phenomenal game for teens and adults

I originally heard about this game from my son who said he had a lot of friends who were playing it and said it's fun. I picked it up to play for myself before allowing him to play it. The vast majority of the violence in this game is against non-human enemies and there is not a ton of blood. The only tiny problem is that there is some language that I wouldn't want my kids using. But it isn't as if they haven't heard this language before at school or just out in public. And just because they're hearing the language, doesn't mean that they're going to repeat it. Overall, it's a really fun game that is appropriate for teens and adults.

This title has:

Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
videogamedad
videogamedad Parent of 12-year-old
November 10, 2012
age 12+

it a good game

It is ok for 12, they curse a few times but not really bad. There is not really any blood.
1 person found this helpful.
See all 36 parent reviews

What’s It About?

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?

Our review:
Parents say (36 ):
Kids say (71 ):

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended game lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate