Borderlands: Legendary Collection

Genre: Compilation / First-Person Shooter

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), 2-4 Co-Op (Online)

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Review:

(Note: This contents of this bundle are also included in Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box, along with Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition, Tales From the Borderlands, and New Tales From the Borderlands.)

Borderlands Legendary Collection is a compilation that includes Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition (originally released in 2009 on multiple platforms, with the remastered version originally released in 2019), as well as Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, itself a compilation that includes the remastered versions of Borderlands 2 (originally released on multiple platforms in 2012) and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (originally released on multiple platforms in 2014), with The Handsome Collection originally released on multiple platforms in 2015. This collection and its separate components finally made their way to the Nintendo Switch in 2020. This version of the games includes all of those games’ DLC content save for one exception – the Borderlands 2 DLC, Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary expansion, which ties into the story of Borderlands 3 (this has since been made available to Nintendo Switch players as $15 paid DLC).

However, just to make things more confusing, this is not the only Borderlands collection on the Nintendo Switch. This game was released side-by-side Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, which as I noted is included in this collection. However, The Handsome Collection doesn’t have Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition and is only $10 less expensive, so most people will find Borderlands Legendary Collection the much better package between the two.

For those unfamiliar with the Borderlands series, Borderlands and its sequels are First-Person Shooters that are well-known for having popularized the term “looter shooter”, as these games took that First-Person gameplay and added an open map (not quite open-world, but close), and a structure and gameplay loop closer to the likes of Diablo, where enemies drop all manner of various guns, each with its own unique combination of modifications and stats, resulting in literally millions of different weapons for players to discover and outfit themselves with. This combined with a comic book-esque cel shaded art style and a story and tone that combined a dark and gritty post-apocalyptic off-world dystopia with a tongue-in-cheek irreverent sense of humor to create an experience that was extremely unique and surprisingly compelling.

Here is what I thought of each game in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition	First-Person Shooter	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), 2-4 Co-Op (Online)	A-
tl;dr Borderlands is a First-Person Shooter that combines the genre with gameplay progression comparable to something like Diablo, and the result is one of the best co-op experiences you will ever find, both locally and online. While the Nintendo Switch version has some compromises made to its visuals and its split-screen co-op drops down from 4 players to 2, this game still plays great, and it’s an absolute must-have for fans of First-Person Shooters and especially for fans of co-op.
Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition	First-Person Shooter	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), 2-4 Co-Op (Online)	A+
tl;dr Borderlands 2 takes everything that was great about the first game and makes it even better – the visuals are more detailed, with environments that have a lot more personality, the level design is much more interesting, the enemy variety is greater, the variety of weapons is greater, and even the explosive personality is bigger thanks to the compelling new villain, Handsome Jack. What’s more, this game holds onto the original game’s absolutely superb co-op gameplay and extremely compelling loot-fueled gameplay loop, and the Nintendo Switch release loses very little in the way of visual quality, and actually has a smooth online experience too. If you want a great First-Person Shooter on the Nintendo Switch, you want this game. If you want a great co-op experience on the Nintendo Switch, you want this game. If you want a great pick up and play experience where you can raid a dungeon and grab some loot while waiting for the bus, you want this game. Only the lack of the Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary expansion holds this game back from perfection.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Ultimate Edition	First-Person Shooter	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), 2-4 Co-Op (Online)	A-
tl;dr Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel uses the Borderlands 2 engine but manages to be quite different in terms of its gameplay, with new elements such as areas with low gravity and limited oxygen, though it’s debatable whether this is an improvement. This game also gives a completely different and unique perspective into Borderland 2’s villain, as well as events that transpired between the first and second games. Overall, this is a solid entry in the Borderlands series, albeit one that’s not quite as good as Borderlands 2.

I make it no secret that I absolutely love the Borderlands series, and while the first Borderlands has aged somewhat, Borderlands 2 is every bit as compelling as when it first came out, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel has its ups and downs but is at the very least an interesting direction to take the series. What’s more, the ports to Nintendo Switch are surprisingly strong, even if they’re naturally not on par with the versions other modern platforms received.

In terms of specs (and thanks again as always go to Digital Foundry for these), the Nintendo Switch version of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition has a fixed 1080p resolution in docked mode (720p in portable mode) with that solid 30FPS framerate. I did notice a bit of texture pop-in when first entering an area, as well as some extremely noticeable aliasing and somewhat lower-quality textures overall, with less detail in the environments in things like foliage. However, all of these sacrifices feel relatively minimal, as the game still runs smoothly, even in two-player splitscreen, and the minimal drop in the amount of detail in the environments doesn’t do too much to detract from this game’s somewhat cartoony art style. In short, this is a game that takes a modest hit on a technical level in its transition to the Switch, but it weathers that very well thanks to its superb art style and focus on gameplay.

The resolution of Borderlands 2 is a solid 1080p in docked mode (720p in handheld mode) with a mostly steady 30FPS framerate, and while the Nintendo Switch version of the game has noticeable aliasing, it’s not nearly as bad as it was in the Nintendo Switch version of the first Borderlands game. It bears mention that particularly busy battles with a lot of explosions and effects can see these framerates take a noticeable hit. Digital Foundry noted the framerates also suffering from split-screen multiplayer play, but during my time with the game I didn’t notice this being too much of an issue outside of those busy areas that already hit the framerates in single-player mode (Digital Foundry points to the Boom & Bewm fight early in the game, and yeah, you can definitely see the framerate shudder when the explosions really get going). I should note that while these issues are definitely a point against the Switch version of the game compared to other versions, they only pop up occasionally, and do little to drag down what is otherwise a superb experience.

As for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, this game has a dynamic 1080p resolution in docked mode with that resolution dropping as low as 810p in busier areas, and with the game playing at a dynamic 720p resolution in handheld mode that rarely drops too far from that mark, and this time in all cases staying at a steady 30FPS framerate. Also, this time around the Nintendo Switch version features anti-aliasing as well as some depth-of-field effects that were stripped from the Nintendo Switch versions of Borderlands 1 & 2, though whether the latter is an improvement or a downgrade is entirely a matter of opinion – personally, when it comes to depth-of-field effects in the Borderlands games, I can take them or leave them.

Also, all of the games in this collection drop the local split-screen multiplayer down to two players from the four-player split-screen of other versions of the game, while maintaining the online 4-player co-op play. While of course not ideal, given just how much these games manage to accomplish on the Nintendo Switch, this modest cut back seems understandable, and still preserves most of the game’s signature co-op gameplay. In the end, what this all amounts to is this – the Nintendo Switch versions of these games clearly make cuts to the visuals to get them to work on Nintendo’s hardware, but they’re generally pretty carefully-considered cuts, and they do little to mar the experience of these games. So while the Switch versions of these games is decidedly less visually adept than the versions on other platforms, you’re not missing out on too much in this regard.

Beyond the technical details, while the Nintendo Switch versions of the Borderlands games is missing the Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary expansion to Borderlands 2 (though Nintendo Switch players can now pay $15 extra to purchase this DLC), the rest of the content here is all intact, and in addition to this the Nintendo Switch version adds gyroscopic motion controls to all of the games in this collection. And while the first Borderlands game on the Switch had a few minor issues with setting up a multiplayer co-op game online (though nothing insurmountable), this does not appear to be the case with Borderlands 2 or The Pre-Sequel, which both made matchmaking super-easy and online gameplay super-smooth. Make no mistake, this collection is an absolute must-have for those wanting an excellent co-op experience on the Nintendo Switch, whether you play the game in split-screen, online, or both.

There is two final things I’ll mention here before wrapping up – as I mentioned early into this review, the Legendary Collection is one of two Borderlands Collections to hit the Nintendo Switch, and as I said before, that extra $10 for the first Borderlands games makes this the far better deal, on top of what was already an excellent deal in The Handsome Collection. In short, the Legendary Collection’s offer of $50 for three solid ports of three of the greatest co-op First-Person shooters of all time is an outstanding deal.

And lastly, for those considering buying the physical version of Borderlands Legendary Collection, be warned that playing Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel require a digital download, so bear that in mind when deciding which version of the game to get.

I cannot stress this enough – Borderlands Legendary Collection is an excellent, satisfying trio of First-Person Shooters, an amazing co-op experience both online and locally, and an incredible value. And the Nintendo Switch versions of these games, while clearly downgraded to fit onto Nintendo’s under-powered hardware, sacrifice little to do so, and actually gain a bit with gyroscopic motion controls and of course the ability to play these games in portable mode, which Borderlands is extremely well-suited to thanks to the ability to enjoy brief spurts of the game and take care of a few loot raids.

In short, this is an absolute must-have collection of games that truly shines on the Nintendo Switch. They are an absolute must-have if you want a great First-Person Shooter on the Nintendo Switch, a great co-op experience on the Nintendo Switch, or a great pick-up-and-play experience on the Nintendo Switch. If you haven’t already played these games to death on other platforms, do not miss this collection.

tl;dr – Borderlands Legendary Collection is a compilation of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, all phenomenal “looter shooter” First-Person Shooters that combine the genre with loot-collecting mechanics of games like Diablo. These are also some of the best co-op games ever made, and the Nintendo Switch versions make careful cuts to the bring the game to the Nintendo Switch mostly intact. On top of that, this is an outstanding value at $50. Unless you already have these games on another platform, consider Borderlands Legendary Collection a must-have on the Nintendo Switch.

Grade: A+

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2020 Game Awards:

Winner:

Best Compilation/Collection – I absolutely love the Borderlands series, and I could not be more overjoyed at this quality collection of the first three games in the series that packs in so much value into a $50 package. This is a trio of some of the best co-op games ever made, and it is a part of the reason that I think we can no longer say the Nintendo Switch is hurting for top-notch First-Person Shooters.

Best Multiplayer – There were a lot of strong contenders in this category this year. On the one hand, you have excellent co-op experiences in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and Vitamin Connection. On the other hand, you have a fantastic Party Game in Hidden in Plain Sight. And then there’s the huge megahit phenomenon that is Among Us. But in the end, I still have to give it to Borderlands Legendary Collection. As I’ve said just a few paragraphs ago, this is a collection of some of the best co-op games of all time, and unlike every other game on this list, it is outstanding both online and in couch co-op. There are very few games I have enjoyed in multiplayer as much as the games in this collection, and it is a joy to have them on the Nintendo Switch.

Runner-Up: Best Port/Remake, Best Value

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