Borderlands 3 - Bounty of Blood - Review

The DLC’s for Borderlands have always added new flavours to the series and this is perhaps the most out-there one yet but is this a bounty that is worthy of taking on, or should you find an easier target to claim.

The story is very straight forward, the Vault Hunters have been told of a new bounty, that has been posted by a small town on the planet of Gehanna. The town has been besieged for years, by a fearsome group known as the Devil Riders, a band of outlaws that kept growing over the years and lately have kicked up their reign of terror. Landing on the surface of the planet, you meet Rose, a new character who tames creatures known as Devils, think velociraptors and you should have a good visual, after explaining a little about what the creatures are, the town and the people that are causing problems, she guides you into town. After being briefed by the towns sheriff, you have a simple goal, kill the leader of the Devil Riders, as well as any lieutenants and then the bounty will be yours.

The town of Vestige, where you are based out of, is very much a typical western town, complete with a saloon and drunks contained within. Outside of town, there are folks living in the Badlands, bandits roaming them and more and of course the Devil Riders and their large base inside of an abandoned bath house. The landscape is dotted with creatures that are cool looking, but mutated after some leftover experiments from the company, who you will hear spoken in a whisper a lot. There are even more creatures below the Badlands, but those are for you to discover and while cool, the location is more fun, especially when you are given a wicked upgrade. Bounty of Blood does add a little more variety to the gameplay, with jump pads, force punches and so, and while none are new to the series, they are just used in fun ways that make sense for the world. Of course, while the new mission is to hunt down the Devil Riders and take them out, there are a host of side missions to pick up, from helping someone stranded in a field, to taking a climb up a mountain, as advised by McSmugger… yes, that McSmugger.

If you burn through the main quest line, you are looking at 6-8 hours for the game, but add in some side missions and you can easily add another 4-5 hours, all of course depending on your skill level. While the length is not massive, it feels right for the story that is being told, especially as the story builds up and then takes a minor detour before coming to an end. The side quests are the standard fare by this point, help out this person, shoot that one and while fine, they are just sides to the main that is the main quest. The new characters that are introduced are good additions and with how the ending plays out, there is hope one might return later one, more so because I think there design is cool.

Speaking of design, lets talk presentation, the expansion takes you to the west, except this is more of the wild east than anything else, because while you can look at most anything and see the western motif, you can also see Japan in it. Heck, one of the locations is a former bathhouse, complete with baths, steam rooms and more, which just highlights the Japanese design choice. Even elements like the trees are shaped to appear like a bonsai tree, which help provide a more grounded sense, there are event little moments of zen around, with some smooth sand. Of course, the new critters are a highlight, I mentioned Velociraptors earlier and while the bulk look like that, there are a few variants of them as well, including a few that can camo themselves and some that spit fire. Once you head underground, you will come across, glowing alien deer like critters and they too are fun, the prime version you have to fight, not so much, but still fine all around; The expansion is really a Japanese Western starring Dinosaurs and that is fine be me.

On the audio side, there are a lot of drawls to be had, more so as there is a narrator who explains thing as you move around and like Bastion, he has the Texas style accent. The other new characters are a mix of southern and normal and while they are good, they are not much to write home about, the score is much the same. There are a lot more western tracks, but they feel more upbeat and rock than western, which is not bad, but I felt like they didn’t hit the mark exactly.

Bounty of Blood is a great addition to Borderlands 3, including another new planet and some interesting characters and a fun story to boot. The design is perhaps one of the most interesting in the series history, blending traditional western, with a touch of Japan and then filled with dinosaurs, there is nothing else like it. While not an extraordinarily long expansion, it does provide a solid afternoons worth of value and as most people will have the season pass, it more than justifies some of its cost.

The Score

8.5

Review code provided by 2K

The Pros

+A cool story that is more than just about trying to find another cache of treasure

+The design is amazing, with a real fusion of cultures that works

The Cons

+The music does not fit quite right, which can pull you from the experience

+Not the longest story around, which is a shame as the world seems perfect for exploring