Borderlands 3 Vault Insider Program (VIP)

GearBox and 2K have opened up a Vault Insider Program that will allow fans to unlock in-game and other rewards.

A free-to-join program, fans will be rewarded for following Borderlands' Social sites, watching trailers among other simple activities.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Spring Fling Celebratory Skins

Wow they are still giving out new skins for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!

Spring Fling Celebratory Skins for the Vault Hunters!

Here's my Wilhelm donning the new outfit..

Don't forget to unlock the skins!

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Shift Codes with Exclusive Skins & Weapons

Can't believe they are still giving out Shift Codes for new Exclusive skins and weapons for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!

Went to take a look at all the exclusive theme-based items and there's a few, some of which I haven't unlocked myself. Hopefully, they are still valid..

Here's the list of all I could find..

If there's any more that I have missed, do let me know!

Will try redeeming them tonight to see if they are all still valid..

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Borderlands' Moxxi Statue up for Pre-order

Gearbox Software has a Moxxi Statue up for Pre-order at their Official Online Store.

 She looks gorgeous! Very vibrant colours bringing the statue to life!

This Moxxi statue is based on her Borderlands 2 look, and will cost USD$225 and will be limited to 1000pcs.

Not a bad decision to start with a popular character that most Borderlands players love. One of the playable characters might not adhere to certain fans who don't usually play that character.

However, this is the second statue that Gearbox has announced.. The first being the Zer0 statue.
But, that has been taken off the order page to be re-done. (Click the link above to see pics of it). Here's what the rep on the forums had to say about both statues..

Click to get a better view, of course..

This is 1 line of statues that I'm interested in but might not be able to afford. I might have to pick & choose though, which I absolutely hate doing. I'm the type of collector what would like to get into the whole line or not at all. So, I'll need to consider this carefully.. Especially with a new interest in some turtle collection ;) (Will talk about this in another blog post).

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Borderlands panel at PAX South 2015 - BL3, Pre-Sequel DLC and BL1 Remastered??

Lots of Borderlands updates from PAX South 2015..

The Pre-Sequel's new Playable Character DLC - Lady Hammerlock

You can plan your skill tree over here. 

I like her first 2 trees focusing on her Sniper skills and Cold damage. The last tree is unique with a 'Contract' that can boost you and an ally with different effects. Very interesting and seems very appropriate for her character.

DLC is free for Season Pass owners or can be purchased at the following PSN prices (US$9.99/£7.99/€9.99/AU$14.95/SGD$12.90)

The Pre-Sequel's future Story DLC

Not much revealed about the last piece of DLC for the Season Pass but it has to do with Claptrap, giving us a new perspective.

Borderlands 1 Remastered Edition

Based on IGN's article, Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Software, says the success of the Handsome Collection, which includes BL2 and BL: The Pre-Sequel will determine if we will ever get a Remastered edition for the 1st game.

I personally have played BL1 a shitload so at the moment, I'm not too interested in a BL1 remastered edition. There was a rumour going around about BL1 being remade using BL2's new interface. If that happens, it will be something to consider. Either way, it will be good for those who haven't played the first game.

I would rather have Gearbox start work on a BL3... which brings us to the last update.

Borderlands 3

Gearbox definitely wants to make BL3 but hasn't started work on it yet. So I don't think we will see that anytime soon. Good news for me though, I'll have ample time to play through the last 2 games, even trying out different characters.

While I have played the 1st game a lot, I didn't complete the 2nd game and I'm still playing The Pre-Sequel. Would want to catch up on my favourite RPG shooter, before moving on the next instalment.

Lastly..

If you are a fan of the franchise, you have to watch the full panel at PAX South 2015.

Lots of fun stuff where they talk about how Claptrap came about, the decision to change the art style very late into development, Lady Hammerlock game-play and even some voice acting from Randy and the team. I didn't know Crazy Earl was voice-acted by Randy himself! 




Good stuff!

It was inevitable.. Borderlands on the New Gen!

Alright so there were rumours of this..

It was quite inevitable that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel would come to the New-Gen consoles, then there were rumours of Borderlands 2 joining it.

There was even some talk about Borderlands 1 being given a make-over to enhance it to be similar to BL 2 and TPS's interface..

Not sure about the last one but here it is.. Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel together with all the additional content bundled together in what is called Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.

And it's coming out 24/27 March 2015!! Holy Shit!!! I wasn't expecting it to be so soon!

And for the first time.. 4 Player Couch Co-op! Hmm.. time to re-think and re-negotiate with my wife about that gaming-cum-work room. Should have little less work and more gaming to that room!

For the hardcore fan.. The Claptrap-in-a-box edition!

Hefty hefty price at US$399 but that Claptrap! Limited to 5000 units worldwide, that's something to consider.

Oh man.. having barely played Borderlands 2, I was considering re-visiting it but looks like this is it... and several of my friends were waiting for the PS4 version of The Pre-Sequel so looks like it's time to have a roll-call of who's in.

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Source: Borderlands Official Site

What a disappointment..

With all that hype for the Big Alpha, it turned out to be 1 huge disappointment..

Turns out that the PS4 2.00 firmware update was causing issues for the Big Alpha and now the Big Alpha on PS4 has been postponed.

Sucks big time for us PS4 owners, but at least I get to focus on other Halloween gaming events.

Rockstar Games surprisingly put up a very late update on their Halloween event for GTA Online.

Will be playing this and Borderlands: TPS over the weekend then..

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Bloody Harvest Celebration on Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for Halloween!

It's that time of the year again. Ghouls and Demons come to play..

But more importantly for us gamers, a lot of games come out with special Halloween-themed content.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel has one..

Download the micro-patch and head on down to the Regolith Range and battle (Un)Deadlift for a chance at the Bloody Harvest Jack-o'-Cannon! There's also Candy Cash to collect at the Regolith Range.

Sucks that I'm only like level 8 so won't get the best version of this gun.. Still, I'll be trying this over the weekend.

But.. But.. There's the Evolve Big Alpha going on.. Which do you want me to play 2K??!

Source: Gearbox Software

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New DLC character for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel leaked?

Looks like someone has found some hidden files in an update which reveals a potential new playable character named Aurelia the Baroness.

The person also says, "The files and data for her is included in the next Borderlands Pre-Sequel update which is available on steam if you subscribe to the beta channel. While hidden until you purchase the DLC, its possible to force the game to play as her with some tinkering."

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's Season Pass does include new characters so it looks certainly possible that Aurelia could be one of them.

Plenty of female playable characters, don't you think?

Source: Se7enSins forums via Dualshockers

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Looking forward to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is out this week, most of you should know this even if you are living on the moon *wink wink*.

My plan on completing Borderlands 2 before this one releases has failed badly.. The group that I was in barely even had a few sessions together before they had other plans. So, it looks like I'm back to square one on Borderlands 2.. again.

Might have to stash Borderlands 2 for a while now. I really want to start on the Pre-Sequel early so that I will be on track for whatever DLC that comes out in the future. Since, this is essentially Borderlands 1.5, I guess I'll get to Borderlands 2 after this.

So.. once again, I'm looking for a team to play this with. I have always felt that co-op games are a lot more fun with friends, so that's why I keep trying to find a group rather than just taking the easy way by playing solo. 

Just in case, you are reading this.. and you don't know.. I live in Singapore! I'm usually on during weeknights so come on and join me!

Check out the launch trailer as well.. Coz any trailer with The Final Countdown as it's background music is just AWESOME!

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Not convinced yet? Come play with me and you will be..

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I went to the Friggin' 2K Asia's Office..

..and all I got was this stupid T-Shirt!

Yea I was just kidding.. Won this from a contest they had! Pretty cool! 

Might wear this to the upcoming GameStart Asia event next week! I'll update you folks about this GameStart Asia in the coming days.

Thanks again 2K Asia!

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My Gaming Schedule for the rest of 2014

Quite a pointless post to start off the week, but just sharing what I plan to play over the next few months.

29 September - 14 Oct 2014
Borderlands 2, Assassin's Creed Liberation & Assassin's Creed IV

Just trying to catch up with these series before the newer games come out. Can't seem to get a steady group of friends to play Borderlands 2 with me so it looks like I have to go solo if I want to complete Borderlands 2 and all the DLC before Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel comes out.

I'm taking my time exploring the world with AC IV and that's slowing me down but should be completing both AC games before Unity and Rogue releases.

14 Oct 2014- Nov 11 2014
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

If everything goes smoothly, I should be ready to start on the latest Borderlands game when it releases. But looking at the sheer number of DLC that is available, I don't see this happening. Plus,I don't want to be going back and forth between the games so I wanna finish BL 2 before starting on this.

Nov 11 2014 - Mid December 2014
Assassin's Creed Unity & Assassin's Creed Rogue

2 huge games that might take a while to complete, especially with the beautiful open-worlds to explore. Will want to explore these games thoroughly, before tucking them away on the shelves.

Mid December 2014
Far Cry 4 & Grand Theft Auto V

With GTA V coming out on the PS4 with extra content, I would love to get back into Los Santos again. Still got some way to go before I plat this game but I might push this back to next year if I feel I want to spend more time on the earlier games.

Far Cry 4 is also big on my list but I have yet to play Far Cry 3 so either GTA V or this might have to wait for the barren month of January.

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Nisha's Gameplay, Skill Tree Details and BL2 Nisha Costume Shift Code

Check out the Skill Tree of Nisha from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

Nisha's Skill Tree is shown in brief detail by Rev3Games.



Nisha's Action Skill is called Showdown, which gives her a huge boost in gun-play. No fancy summons or berserk modes here. When Showdown is activated, you will be able to Auto-aim while receiving boosts to Gun Damage, Fire Rate, Reload Speed, Accuracy and Bullet Speed on all gun types except Sniper Rifles and Rocket Launchers.

A little boring to be honest, but might be very handy for solo players.

One of her Skill Trees will be named Law and Order. Because Nisha's a Sheriff!

Law and Order are 2 skills in that Skill Tree as well.

Order is a skill that allows you to gain stacks every time you take 15% of your max health.

The higher the no. of stacks, the higher the chance to heal double the damage taken.

Law, on the other hand, increases your Shield Capacity and Melee Damage.

If you are going with the Order skill, you should also take the Discipline skill to fully benefit from the stacks.

Not only does the Order stacks help you with healing, but also with Shield Regeneration. Adding 5 stacks to the total, if you have more than 10 stacks, you will also gain improved Melee Damage, Gun Damage and Shield Recharge Delay.

Under the Fan the Hammer Skill Tree, you will see some Kill Skills.

One of the coolest Skills in this tree, or all the trees for that matter, is the One for Each of Ya.

Basically, this skills duplicates the current Pistol that you are holding, for the other hand. I love the Gunzerker (BL2) and the Berserker (BL) because of their dual-wielding abilities, so I love this skill as well. This will be fun.

Lastly, is The Riflewoman Skill Tree.

This Skill Tree allows Nisha to 'fire from the hip'. I'm not exactly how this works and the video doesn't really explain much either, but some of the skills here are extremely powerful.

One example is The Unforgiven..

This will allow all shots that hit enemies to ricochet during Showdown. And when Showdown ends, all enemies that have been shot will be hit with an explosion. I'm not sure if this includes enemies that have been hit with ricocheted bullets. That will be too awesome if it does!

Overall, I don't feel that Nisha's skills are as interesting as Wilhelm's and Athena's. There's not much crazy action but a lot of her skills focus on straight-up gun damage. Which can be a good thing for newer or lesser-skilled players. Sometimes, trying to handle too much can be a little overwhelming. 

That said.. her ability to dual-wield Pistols is making me lean towards her at this moment. It's too bad that the skill is so far down the Skill Tree. But, who doesn't like a woman with a whip?

IGN's Detailed Skill Guide lists down the stats for each Skill Tier.

Check out some game-play from Gamespot.



and more from Escapist News.




Don't forget to use the Shift Code to get a Nisha cosplay outfit for your Maya in Borderlands 2!

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Let's Play: Borderlands 2!

Yes, you read that right.. Borderlands 2!

The new Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is just over a month away so I'd like to complete BL 2 before that.

I did play quite a bit when it first came out, but lost track of it after a while. So now, I plan to re-start a new game and hoping for a couple of allies to join me in this. I'll be aiming for all trophies as well, so like-minded allies will be great. Also, planning to get all DLC if time permits.

So.. who's interested in joining me? I will be on PSN, just in case you were wondering.. Also, preferably Singaporeans or those who can be online during evenings at Singapore time. Sorry, my international friends... With, just a month time-frame, I would like to do this smooth and quick.

Got a couple of friends who are interested already and if all goes well, we can start this weekend. Join me!

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Season Pass teased!

Once again, we will have a Season Pass for a Borderlands game. No complaints from me, I have always enjoyed the games long after completing the initial game. 

The usual awesome-ness: New Characters, New Challenges and Missions, and New Experiences - possibly with the different settings and themes.

No details on what we can expect but that's too early anyway. Let's enjoy whatever's packed in the retail game first.

Of course, do expect more DLCs after all these are out, if the Season Pass sells well and the Vault Hunters are hungry for more.

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Wilhelm's Gameplay, Skill Tree Details and BL2 Wilhelm Costume Shift Code

Now for some info on Wilhelm in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.

Rev3Games has a video detailing his Skill Tree.



His action skill is Wolf and Saint where he deploys 2 drones named Wolf and Saint. Wolf attacks while Saint stays back and heals you.

The Cyber Commando Skill Tree is more than just a skill tree. It is made up of Skills that transforms Wilhelm into the Cyborg that we see in Borderlands 2.

Power Fist gives Wilhelm a cyborg arm that can be used as an explosive melee punch.

Vengeance Cannon looks badass. Firing lasers along with whatever guns we have equipped will cause some heavy damage.

First to Fight will be very crucial in deciding how you play as Wilhelm, I feel. That is if you want to take full advantage of the benefits of this skill.

The Hunter Killer Tree focuses on improving Wilhelm's offensive skills and the Wolf Drone.

Lastly, there's the Dreadnought Skill Tree, which has some cool co-op skills and skills focusing on the Saint drone.

What's a Cyborg without some robotic skills?

Termination Protocols replaces "Fight for your Life" where you can still walk around doing some damage. And if the timer runs out, you release a Nuclear Explosion. Pretty awesome!

There doesn't seem to be any jump-slam skills for Wilhelm so that's a little disappointing. So, it looks like certain characters can use the jump-slam for added effects but not for others.

Looking at IGN's detailed skill guide, there's also 2 skills to ensure the drones don't go out quietly. If their summon duration ends, gets recalled or die, Wolf will dive-bomb enemies with an explosion, while Saint deploys a Healing Zone.

Wilhelm looks really fun. I always enjoy a character that has some summons. Plus the Cyborg-side of him has some nice, fun skills. As of now, I just might choose Wilhelm as my character. We'll see...

Let's check out gameplay by Gamespot..



and some more by Escapist..



and of course.. The Shift Code for Salvador to play dress-up as Wilhelm..

Stay tuned for the rest of the characters..

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Athena's Gameplay, Skill Tree Details and BL2 Athena Costume Shift Code

Let's take a look at some info regarding Athena in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.

Here's a vid by Rev3Games detailing Athena's Skill Tree.



The Kinetic Aspis power is going to be very fun with the right tactics and is mostly supported by the Phalanx Skill Tree.

Clear! will be very very awesome in co-op.

I hope whoever is playing as Athena in my co-op team will make good use of this, because I tend to die often... coz I'm usually the one in the frontline!

Return Fire will be a must have skill if I'm playing as Athena. 

I just love the skills that power up the Action Skill..

Wrath of the Goddess will be another cool skill to power up the Kinetic Aspis..

The other 2 Skill Trees - Xiphos and Ceraunic Storm also have plenty of cool skills and generally I feel that players would choose 1 or the other, to pair with the main Phalanx Tree. 

Xiphos Tree consists a lot of Melee Skills and Bleed Effects, while the Ceraunic Storm is all about Elemental damage.

It's also great to see that there are several Skills that will enhance the use of the "jump-slam" action. So the "jump-slam" could be a important part of your arsenal and not just a gimmick behind the moon environment.

Here's a detailed guide by IGN, listing all the Skill tiers and the stats for each Skill.

Gameplay action by Gamespot..

Cool new vehicle at the 6min mark!

More Gameplay from Escapist..



Pretty cool stuff.. Very similar to the previous Borderlands games but the new features look fun.

Lastly, if you can't wait for the release.. you can play as Athena right now! 
Ok.. not really.. but here's the Shift Code for Borderlands 2 where Axton to cosplay as Athena.

Not sure when this code will expire, so better to get it redeemed quickly. There's going to be more Shift Codes released in the coming weeks, for the different characters. So stay tuned!

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