Borderlands

e.sport – tournament & show – Origin

Video Game / Links.

Not counting the original game, it’s a series of 3 video games originally designed by Gearbox Software – and then… it’s complicated.
Like a lot of video games, the action is set in the middle of the planets of a distant galaxy, and as always with more video games, it will be about fighting against alien baddies, against bad allies, against baddies in short, even against your friends who weren’t so much your friends, if you look closely.

So far – nothing extraordinary.

And then … in fact … yes.

The first point that will distinguish Borderlands from other games is the graphics.
The developers have very clearly taken the side of the comic book’s graphics – no question of immersion, that’s not the problem – and as long as they take this side, they have carefully laid out the contours with beautiful black lines.
They used a graphic palette that often brings them close to watercolor.
Then you look at the game and you think: “Well, that’s a nice one.“
And indeed, it is beautiful.

The second point…. then the second point, I got attached, me with my little girl’s heart.
The second point of attachment is Clap-Trap.
It directly wedges the game into the series of big, silly and funny games – while keeping a very serious, even difficult to do, adventure/action part.
But the little Clap-Trap robot is so crazy that it has become a cult.
He represents the series all by himself – even though he’s an ultra-second-rate character.

By his appearance: you see a failed robot? you’ve got it. A poor roulette wheel – an ill-defined shape, a failed rectangle – strange pincers and a voice … atrocious. In English and French – excellent French dubbing by the way.

By its replicas – this robot is completely unbearable.

He sends you on adventures from which you will not easily come back whole and he comments.
There is the same unbearable AI principle in Portal. In Portal, it is mean. But Clap Trap is just plain stupid – so it’s literally adored.

I can play Borderlands just to hear: Sbire, shoot the gate.
Don’t worry, sbire. (I know, I know, “sbire” is the french word )
STAIRS? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Sbire continues without me make your master proud.
I am designed to open doors
I hope you don’t care too much about your personal space.
At least I still have all my teeth …. etc.

Besides, the dialogues in Borderlands – in French – are absolutely mythical – not always of the highest class, it’s true, but that’s not the problem at all, to be class.

So inevitably, when I had thought of a link between games and shows and the link was: the Fool – inevitably, there was Borderlands, its crazy characters and its Clap-Trap.

Because, for example, in Borderlands 3, you can celebrate Broken Hearts Day – the principle is simple: there are hearts everywhere – you have to break them. That’s it. It’s a bit silly, but it’s still fun. Well, it’s mean.

So … of course … if there’s a game I could still work with for a few more hours – and kill myself (but : yes) looking for a show that would work with it for a nice fusion in e.sport, there’s a game called Borderlands.
And there will be stairs.
Because I love ClapTrap and stairs.

No ?

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Featured Image : The Handsome Jack – Borderlands – by Gearbox software