Battleborn - gamescom Preview

Before seeing Battleborn at gamescom this year, I believed it to be a MOBA. With a staggering range of characters, a fast progression system and multiplayer that mixes AI and online opponents, Battleborn shares a number of features with the genre. After coming away from a hands- on gameplay demo however, my thoughts on the game were entirely changed as Battleborn appears to have more in common with Borderlands.

Battleborn is Gearbox Software’s newest IP, and much like Borderlands, it features a rich and unique universe, a wealth of crazy characters and a bucket load of charm. There’s clear passion for the new world Gearbox Software are building, as I noticed whilst listening to their presentation. The universe was heavily emphasised and the reason behind characters fighting each other is well thought out, if being staggeringly ridiculous in parts.

Battleborn sees a number of different races all heading towards Solus, the last star in the universe. The universe is in fact dying and as it grows smaller, people, aliens and more wonderfully strange entities are being forced to flee their home planets in order to survive. As everyone congregates towards Solus, opposing factions are being formed. These factions however must put aside their differences to fight an unstoppable evil, in order to survive.

Each group represents a particular type of faction and will no doubt be one of the driving influencers in character selection. There’s the United Peacekeeping Republic, who believe in the use of force to help protect Solus. There’s the Eldrid, who act as the elves in Battleborn, and are nature loving folk who can also wield magic. The Rogues are a group of smugglers, pirates and salvagers that have no order to their group. The Last Light Consortium, comprised mostly of robots, are a faction who profit off of wars, selling weapons to any who will buy them. Lastly there is the Jennerit Empire, who are obsessed with power and immortality. They have been described as space vampires and seem to have a focus on melee combat.

During the presentation Gearbox Software revealed four new characters, with each looking as stylish and unique as the last. Considering there will be 25 characters in total, players are going to have a varied selection to choose from. The four new characters are:

Reyna – A Rogue pirate captain who dishes out damage with a laser pistol and uses a command glove to support allies.

Mellka – An Eldrid assassin who lost her parents at a young age. She is part of the Eldrid’s black ops and intelligence bureau and utilises a TMP pistol and a powerfist as her weapons.

Ambra – Once part of the Jennerit Empire, Ambra is a Sun Priestess who was betrayed by her people. She focuses on close range damage and can conjure spells; one in particular dealing massive AOE damage as a meteor strike.

Benedict – A birdlike humanoid who is part of the Peacekeepers and is very outspoken. Benedict has a rocket launcher and can use his flying capabilities to soar through the sky, avoiding enemies and traversing the map easily.

After the presentation I was offered the chance to play the game as part of a co-op campaign mission. I chose to play as an elf character called Thorn. She wields a bow and can use magic to damage multiple enemies. Thorn has no shield, so to compensate for this I stayed back, using my bow’s range to attack enemies and provide support for my teammates.

We all quickly found our roles within the mission and this is where Battleborn appears best. The varying characters mean that they can all work well with each other, providing tank classes, healers, supports and more for players to work as. You’re never tied down to a character’s abilities though and upgrading your character is easy and fast using the Helix system. With a single button you bring up the helix and then by using the triggers, choose which path you want to upgrade. The in-game levelling means that you can constantly try out different upgrade paths and if you aren’t happy with a choice then it’s not saved forever. The mission had us fighting through a snowy tundra environment against waves of enemies. Towards the end of the level we had to guide a robotic tank to a certain destination to help us progress further. Story elements were played out through the level and the mission ended with a cutscene, showing the reveal of a monstrous boss, which we sadly didn’t get to fight.

I didn’t get to play any multiplayer modes but from what I saw of the campaign, Battleborn is going to be a broad and inspired game. Gearbox Software said that it’s an extension of past franchises but Battleborn certainly feels fresh enough to mark an impression. The varying characters, which are sure to offer countless hours of replayability alongside an impressive universe and tight, responsive controls, makes Battleborn a game to look out for.

Battleborn is set for launch February 9 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.