3) Battleborn
In the days before Gearbox Software unveiled Battleborn, it almost seemed a bygone conclusion that the studio would at least allude to Borderlands 3. It’s undoubtedly the company’s cash cow, and one that struck that rare balance between financial success and critical acclaim — and hey, it even managed to put a unique spin on the well-worn shackles of the first-person shooter genre in the process.
And so, in sheltering Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel — which was still four months from release at the time — Gearbox lifted the curtain on Battleborn, a title that infuses gameplay elements associated with the MOBA genre into a co-operative FPS. Set within a fantastical, sci-fi future, it’s understand the title will revolve around a group of character-specific races, who are all scrambling to lay claim to the universe’s last remaining star, Solus.
From the footage released thus far, there’s no doubting Battleborn‘s sense of style. After all, this is a product of the creative minds that brought us the weird and wonderful characters of Borderlands, so it’s almost a given that Gearbox’s venture into the MOBA space will produce some truly memorable personas. But in order for the game to carve out an audience of its own, Battleborn still has some hurdles to overcome.
Ever since the debacle surrounding Alien: Colonial Marines in 2013, players have grown apprehensive of overly positive preview coverage. After all, what good is a vertical slice if it doesn’t represent the full and final product? It’s a looming shadow that Gearbox Software will be keen to escape when Battleborn finally debuts, and it’ll be interesting to see how the company handle the marketing campaign for the MOBA title in the build-up to release.
Plus, as a title, Battleborn is a far cry from unique, what with Bloodborne and Bethesda’s BattleCry all falling into an overly generic pile. And it remains to be seen whether Gearbox Software’s off-beat shooter can rise to the top of the pack and offer up a truly unique blend of FPS and the MOBA experience.
