Borderlands

Seventeen years ago today, October 20, 2009, a certain brand of mayhem arrived on the Xbox 360 in the United States. This was the launch of Borderlands, a game that decided combining role-playing progression with the frantic action of a first-person shooter, all wrapped in a cel-shaded, post-apocalyptic package, was a perfectly sensible idea.

WHY IT STILL MATTERS

Set on the desolate planet Pandora, players took on the role of Vault Hunters, individuals drawn to the promise of riches rumored to be hidden within a legendary vault. The journey was less about finding treasure and more about surviving the bizarre inhabitants and ruthless bandits that called Pandora home. The game threw an almost absurd number of procedurally generated weapons at players, meaning you never quite knew if your next shotgun would shoot slugs, fireballs, or just a lot of sparks. It felt a bit like being handed a toolbox where half the tools were designed by a mad scientist.

This was a game that reveled in its own absurdity, a chaotic playground where the loot was as unpredictable as the enemy AI. It carved out a unique space, a precursor to a genre that would become a cornerstone for years to come.