#phase rants

[phaselockandload]

Everything about this line of casting for the Borderlands movie feels like they pitched the movie as "Jumanji but more violent" and not "Mad Max with aliens".

[phaselockandload]

RE: DLC 4 Krieg Teaser

Honestly, if they use Maya’s death to rehash the Tiny Tina BL2 DLC plotline with Krieg coming to terms with Maya’s death Gearbox really might as well admit they have no new ideas left?

Also, I know people love the Tina DLC but I feel like maybe the only person on the planet that noticed the resemblance of that story to the plot of the excellent movie The Fall (2006) where a precocious young girl is told a sweeping adventure story to help escape from her real life struggles. Right down to her very emotional breakdown near the end about mortality. Sure, Borderlands had become a pop culture reference machine at this point but I’ve never seen the comparison mentioned before & the pretty striking resemblance always undercut my enjoyment of this one.

I’m a little torn because Maya got completely thrown under the bus and her eulogy was turned into a social awkwardness punchline by Tannis. So her absolutely needless death is in desperate need of some real acknowledgment both by the characters that knew Maya best & for us as fans. I just don’t really trust GBX to deliver any sincerity at this point? They’ve forgotten that humor was a coping mechanism for the weight of this universe and not the driving force for everything in it. 

[phaselockandload]

I just finished the main story campaign for BL3 and my thoughts are an endless downward spiral of all the ways it failed. This isn’t the third game in a trilogy. It has no interest in the legacy of the games before it or in providing any kind of satisfying conclusion to the dangling story threads or established lore. It’s a poorly conceived tangent that feels creatively tapped for fresh ideas and gasping for air. Easily one of the most tragic cases of a studio not understanding what was good and what worked about their own franchise.

[phaselockandload]

So I had not played the free 'Fight for Sanctuary' BL2 DLC prior to starting 3. Not very far into it but it's in feels so good to be back in the familiar Sanctuary TBH. Also has a villain that isn't constantly screaming catchphrases at me and his voice has General Knoxx energy which already gives it like +900 points in my book.

[phaselockandload]

Finally getting back to finishing my BL3 playthrough and this game is testing me. Rarely have I seen a franchise that cares so little for the previous chapters that it feels like active contempt for it's own canon.

[phaselockandload]

BL3 Disappointment Journal : Day 108

I wonder what the Borderlands series might look like today if it had allowed the Vault opening to be a once-in-lifetimes event (as stated in the first game) and instead committed to focusing thematically on being a hellscape caused by unregulated corporate interests exploiting vulnerable populations who resorted to violent tribalism for survival?? Also aliens.

[phaselockandload]

Really want to talk about where I hope all the missing Borderlands characters are currently but also very fired up about what I would’ve liked to see everyone’s role in BL3 to have been (before we ended up with the story we’ve got). Suppose I need to start cracking on some more lists...

[phaselockandload]

I am maybe two-thirds of the way through the Love, Guns & Tentacles DLC and  am happy to report Borderlands is resuming it’s tradition of some DLC being better written than the main game. Wainwright and Hammerlock are two the best NPCs and the approach to their relationship feels organic and not without complications for them to work through. Very big fan of the Lodge and it’s Vincent Price send-up of an innkeeper. Love the cursed amnesiac detective and his backstory missions. Borderlands always at it’s best when it stops screaming and remembers to serve it’s characters first.