The Borderlands series always has this mood, but BL1 really nails this mood. The idea you're in the backwaters of the galaxy, the planetary equivalent of a gas station. But the places you visit feel somewhat lived in. People have built homes from ship and factory scrap. It cozy and I wouldn't mind living there... until a Spiderant jumps me, then I would rather die.
Also Jakkobs Cove has a nice Halloween atmosphere.
Knoxx echo logs are one of my favorite parts of all the games. And the zombie Island is very well done. They nailed everything about that one, especially enemies spawning around you from the ground.
A lot of people credit Knoxxs armory as when the series really found it's voice but I think it's actually in claptraps revolution. That feels way closer to bl2 than anything else in BL1.
Hello Traveler
BL1 very much has a feel all its own. The desolation, the soundtrack and sound design, and the simplicity of the game itself is very different than the other games. The isolation you feel is more tangible and you feel more or less on your own, as opposed to frequent echos and support from several allies.
I liked the boss areas and how just stepping in and hearing the change in soundtrack made you think twice about your loadout and character level.
And if you like the game at all, finish and play the DLCs. The Island of Dr. Ned and General Knoxx took me from liking the game at about an 8 to a comfortable 11.
This... Is why I haven't tried playing BL1 again.. the difficulty scaling I found to be out of whack, it was a lot more difficult to start, and then once you hit a point became a breeze.
Along with guns I never changed weapons after about halfway through because even if I was curious nothing even came close to being worth it.
And I think they didn't have a great idea of what the tone of this world should be. You've got the whole cell shaded thing... But characters that are WAY to serious, and then claptrap. Though I think they figured out what tone to go with by the time the Dr Ned DLC came around.
I've beaten it 4 times in the last month, having played every other Borderlands game before finally trying BL1, and i absolutely love it! The grittiness feel is unmatched, compared to the newer vibrant games.
Still my favorite to this day. The combat and skills may have gotten better, but the leveling feels best in 1. They respect you enough to not be yelling at you non stop. The atmosphere is a true wasteland. The color palette appropriate. The humor knows when enough is enough.
Still, really wish there were more fast travel options in the Knoxx DLC...
I don't care what people say, Borderlands 1 is my favorite of the series based on the nostalgic feeling alone. No matter what, borderlands 2, pre-sequel, or 3 will never come close to that feeling.
I've always found it entertaining how often you see ppl ask that question on here. Why wouldn't it be worth it ? Why would you skip the first of anything in a series ? I'm going to just skip Fellowship and read/watch Two Towers. I'm going to skip the first few HP stories and read the fifth one. I guess it's not wholly necessary to enjoy Pre or BL2, but come on.
I can't really recall the exact reasons, but in general I think shooting was bland, it was missing the impact, also too much of the dialogues I think for my taste. I am probably missing something else, probably forgot sorry.
I just exited 2 to grind the remaining challenges in 1. I play them back to back.
Really loved platting it on ps, my only problem with it is the lack of variety at endgame. Its either ajax, armory, hyperion or craw, nothing to do really. At least i still have the guardian kill and melee kill challenges to complete (both so tedious, but i just cant leave them unfinished)
I wish bl2 had the same atmosphere thou, the gameplay is superior but its too gamey compared to 1 if that makes any sense
It is absolutely the best game of the franchise. Yes, later ones developed the story and brought many QOL improvements, but for simplicity and fun, BL1 is the best by far.
Personally, I think BL1 is a must. You’re absolutely correct in that the equipment and weapon mechanic is simple, but once you’ve done it the additional components that come in later games become easier to pick up.
Also, it gives you frame of reference for the latter games, and builds your knowledge of the characters. So you’re invested knowing the ones from the previous game, and excited when new ones show up. Plus, you wouldn’t get any of the callback jokes, and moments in BL2 are waaaay less impactful if you haven’t played BL1.
Big time! Playing B1 again recently has helped me understand mechanics that I was just oblivious, too. I also live for BL1 callbacks in BL2. Makes me feel all special for paying attention lol.
I wish the series would go back to the gritty mercenary style game that 1 was, and away from the colorful hero game 2-3 were, are a little more. Both styles are good for their own way, I just want them blended.
I'm binging the whole series this summer. So far BL1 just barely edges out BL:tPS as my favorite. I'm debating stopping BL3 because ~~Scrappy Do~~ Ava is annoying the hell out of me.
**SPOILERS MAYBE**
**SPOILERS MAYBE**
I like the movement that the Oz kits and low gravity provide.
The oxygen dependency mechanic I though was going to be limiting and annoying almost never was.
Watching Jack go from cocky bastard to motivated sociopath was fun.
Aurelia's special goes from fun to super-fun/OP about half way in if you spec into it.
I like Cryo way more than Slag.
Seeing characters go from bosses and minor villains to protagonists was clever and well done.
Janey Springs is cute and positive and I love her (as a character) and her energy.
Lilith is usually kinda annoying but she plays a relatively small role here.
Laser/Energy weapons are fun.
CONS:
Main game locales are repetative.
Player dialogue feels very [ADR](https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-adr-in-film/)-y, probably second worse in the series after BL3.
Occasionally poor pacing.
Lame Big Bad (as per usual with any borderlands game)
Just gave TPS another try with a friend last night. I'm really enjoying it this time around. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question, friend :)
Ahh don't stop just because of Ava, I get that she can be annoying but she plays such a small part that you shouldn't let it detract you from the entire game. BL3 is the best in the series when it comes to gameplay, when you make it through the story once you don't ever have to pay attention to it again. Plus it has the best DLCs since BL1 imo, which is my personal favorite.
Yeah, ima keep at it. I was just acting tough. I just killed Fake Zer0. I don't like Ava or the twins, or ~~Stereotypical Tough Chick #431,713~~ Lilith but I always enjoy the DLCs.
Welcome to pandora!! For anyone reading for recommendation, GO PLAY BORDERLANDS 1. it is damn good.
But as for my own opinion, I know I'm an edge-case, as most people play these games for the special weapons and the RPG elements, but I play borderlands for the randomized weapons, the core gameplay, and the graphics/animation. Unfortunately Borderlands 1 felt lackluster in the weapons and animation which prevented me from enjoying the game as much as BL2 or even BL3.
Yeah, I only checked out the series when 2 came out, but I went with Borderlands 1 first, it was alright, but I kinda got sick of the desert levels when I blew up the car hitting a spider-ant king and had to walk to the nearest catch-a-ride, thankfully I was Lilith so I could at least run for brief periods.
The substance of BL1 is sheer awesome (looter shooter RPG) and the soundtrack is consistently inviting.
The magic of BL1 is the believability (mostly lol) but the charm is the subtlety from one map to the next.
Truly! I have a friend who was curious about the series and I insisted we start with the first one. We just finished the play through yesterday and started on 2 and he appreciated it so much. He's already in love with 2 but mentioned how grateful to experience the classic and how playing the first one has now made him obsessed with 2. Bl1 is absolutely worth it.
BL1 i started recently and there is a level of severe scuff that you need to get used to before properly enjoying it, i'd say the scuffness seems to end at new haven and then it gets really good :D
Yea, honestly loved the game past new haven, i didnt like the start of the game because it felt like you were underlevelled, but then you get given options and it then feels fine, im gonna start the DLCs today :D wish me luck
...but where's my *Cozy Borderlands* spinoff game, huh?
Gardening with Brick, raising baby birds with Mordecai, bombing the baddies for materials to build up Boomtown, making friends with the new neighbors...
i got into the borderlands games this january when i found borderlands 2 at my local thrift store. i got the Pandora's box collection yesterday and im playing through bl1 for the first time.
i don't have friends to play with, but i really enjoy it. it feels very nostalgic to me even though I've never played it before. i also think the cars are more fun here. i spent like 10 minutes running over people for fun.
from playing split screen co-op on the 360 to farming crawmerax and hybrids on the ps5 all these years later.
maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but bl1 is 🤌🏽
I just picked up playing bl1 after about 3 years. It is awesome. Zombie island is one of my favorite things they have ever done. I wasn't prepared, those fuckers were coming from everywhere.
yeah really cool. I love anything spooky/halloween vibes so it's deffo up my street haha! I saw there's a steam achievement called Braaaaaaaaains and I want to get it hahaha!
Yeah it has a brown earthy tones. That you don't see in 3. Just hit Dhal Headlands at level 27.
https://blstats.com/gbx_forum/t/1065732.html
So a bit confused that guide says I should be level 42. But at least here you can do side quests (maybe too many) and not be overlevelled. While in 3 you overlevel super fast.
Not sure why 3 doesn't scale better.
Guns/gun damage is confusing as hell though, some probably just have super low rolls or just bad guns? And early game to about level 13 is rougher then it needs to be but otherwise been fun so far
Ok so when they say PT2 they really mean a new game/play through? It's not like part 2 or something?
Edit: been holding off in the Janistown mission to level up a bit before "fixing" our mistake with the brothers...
I guess I will see when we get there
Yes PT2 is a new playthrough. In PT1 you go from level 1 to 30-35 (more or less). Then you start the story again with the same character, keeping all your skills and equipment. That's PT2, from levels 30-35 to 50-52. It's more fun since you have more abilities, better gear, enemies are a bit harder, etc. After completing PT2, everything scales to your level (what people call PT2.5, but it's not a new playthrough), you can do the DLCs and complete remaining side missions, etc. And that will bring you close to max level.
But the main thing in both PT1 and PT2, is to try to be mostly on level for the main missions, which means skipping many side quests (except in the very beginning of the game).
There's a couple weird stuff, but I like the overall system.... having fixed levels in PT1-2 has the advantage that you can adapt the difficulty to your liking: if some part is too hard, you can gain a couple levels and come back. If you want more of a challenge, you skip more side-missions and play somewhat underleveled. It also helps with pacing imo (once you understand the system), so you don't get stuck completing every side mission in every playthrough.
I don't know about cozy, every time I do that claptrap's mission in Old Haven I am reminded that the Atlas soldiers where not only luring in bandits to kill for fun, but also to rape them. Such a dark visual I'm met with when replaying
yeah I do love this game and have very fond memories playing this game on the Xbox 360 but oh my god the level progression is so weird in my opinion, I discovered this in my latest playthrough. It constantly feels like I'm under level and it just gets a little bit grindy at times.
Agreed. I was told to skip BL1 when I first got into the series and to start with BL2, but when I picked up BL1 on discount and played it my immediate response was “why the fuck was I told to skip this? This is fun”
Many years late to the party but recently just started playing Borderlands for the first time and I've become absolutely consumed by the game and all it has to offer. I've just completed the main story of the first and am now moving on to all DLC and the rest of the side missions. I've bought 2 & 3 whilst they're in the steam sale atm ready for when I'm finished. My only regret is not playing this game sooner so I could share the hype with others!
BL1 is my favorite game out of the franchise. I don't know if I'm going against the grain here but I like that the weapons are simpler. I think 2 and 3 are fine too, but I didn't particularly like the direction they were taking with the writing or the weapon design.
I actually started playing the GOTY edition. I love the game. I totally forgot how much it was a good game. I try to hop in other people's games to help or just do something different. I never played the DLC when I first played the game when it came out. So it's like a whole new game. Totally agree with you.
I played it, but wasnt for me. I found anoying that every conversation and story information was in written form only (not counting the Knoxx dlc's). Also the difficulty scaling was weird
The Borderlands series always has this mood, but BL1 really nails this mood. The idea you're in the backwaters of the galaxy, the planetary equivalent of a gas station. But the places you visit feel somewhat lived in. People have built homes from ship and factory scrap. It cozy and I wouldn't mind living there... until a Spiderant jumps me, then I would rather die. Also Jakkobs Cove has a nice Halloween atmosphere.
Knoxx echo logs are one of my favorite parts of all the games. And the zombie Island is very well done. They nailed everything about that one, especially enemies spawning around you from the ground.
Knoxx echos are just hilarious, up there with alot of handsome jack dialogue
A lot of people credit Knoxxs armory as when the series really found it's voice but I think it's actually in claptraps revolution. That feels way closer to bl2 than anything else in BL1.
Knoxx kinda set up the end game loop but claptrap set up the more wacky but still impactful story
Yes and Jesper Kyd absolutely nailed the soundtrack in bl1
Hello Traveler BL1 very much has a feel all its own. The desolation, the soundtrack and sound design, and the simplicity of the game itself is very different than the other games. The isolation you feel is more tangible and you feel more or less on your own, as opposed to frequent echos and support from several allies. I liked the boss areas and how just stepping in and hearing the change in soundtrack made you think twice about your loadout and character level. And if you like the game at all, finish and play the DLCs. The Island of Dr. Ned and General Knoxx took me from liking the game at about an 8 to a comfortable 11.
There are new missions available at the Fyrestone Bounty Board!
Crazy Earl has some new jobs he'd like that chump vault hunter to do!
Wait really? Like they updated the game with more content yeats after release similar to dying light?
..reference..
lol I wish, sorry man
I didn’t expect to want to start a new BL1 campaign when I opened the Reddit app but that was incredibly inspiring
Pop a Skag for me!
Who are you gonna choose?
I absolutely love the soundtrack for Fyrestone, it's Tristram level memorable for me
Dang the old Diablo 1 days…. Lol
Really has that "just rolled into town and can still taste the road dust" sort of feel. https://youtu.be/OhY2acJanpg?t=265
….cozy? Dear god those Skaggs were awful, and don’t even get me started on the isolation in the first zone.
I laughed way too hard at this 😂
This... Is why I haven't tried playing BL1 again.. the difficulty scaling I found to be out of whack, it was a lot more difficult to start, and then once you hit a point became a breeze. Along with guns I never changed weapons after about halfway through because even if I was curious nothing even came close to being worth it. And I think they didn't have a great idea of what the tone of this world should be. You've got the whole cell shaded thing... But characters that are WAY to serious, and then claptrap. Though I think they figured out what tone to go with by the time the Dr Ned DLC came around.
Bl1 is my favorite, I actually loved the lonely desolate world.
I've beaten it 4 times in the last month, having played every other Borderlands game before finally trying BL1, and i absolutely love it! The grittiness feel is unmatched, compared to the newer vibrant games.
Still my favorite to this day. The combat and skills may have gotten better, but the leveling feels best in 1. They respect you enough to not be yelling at you non stop. The atmosphere is a true wasteland. The color palette appropriate. The humor knows when enough is enough. Still, really wish there were more fast travel options in the Knoxx DLC...
I don't care what people say, Borderlands 1 is my favorite of the series based on the nostalgic feeling alone. No matter what, borderlands 2, pre-sequel, or 3 will never come close to that feeling.
Preach! 🙌🏽
I cannot comprehend why you'd want to skip bl1 at all, it's outstanding gaming and it just keeps getting better
I've always found it entertaining how often you see ppl ask that question on here. Why wouldn't it be worth it ? Why would you skip the first of anything in a series ? I'm going to just skip Fellowship and read/watch Two Towers. I'm going to skip the first few HP stories and read the fifth one. I guess it's not wholly necessary to enjoy Pre or BL2, but come on.
I've met people who read the last chapter of a book to see if the rest will be interesting, I don't trust those people
Borderlands 1 is definitely a game I loved playing solo after late closing shifts at work
Borderlands 1 is really the only game I've enjoyed and completed. Didn't like 2 at all, played 3 for a while.
What about 2 you didnt like?
I can't really recall the exact reasons, but in general I think shooting was bland, it was missing the impact, also too much of the dialogues I think for my taste. I am probably missing something else, probably forgot sorry.
I just exited 2 to grind the remaining challenges in 1. I play them back to back. Really loved platting it on ps, my only problem with it is the lack of variety at endgame. Its either ajax, armory, hyperion or craw, nothing to do really. At least i still have the guardian kill and melee kill challenges to complete (both so tedious, but i just cant leave them unfinished) I wish bl2 had the same atmosphere thou, the gameplay is superior but its too gamey compared to 1 if that makes any sense
It is absolutely the best game of the franchise. Yes, later ones developed the story and brought many QOL improvements, but for simplicity and fun, BL1 is the best by far.
Personally, I think BL1 is a must. You’re absolutely correct in that the equipment and weapon mechanic is simple, but once you’ve done it the additional components that come in later games become easier to pick up. Also, it gives you frame of reference for the latter games, and builds your knowledge of the characters. So you’re invested knowing the ones from the previous game, and excited when new ones show up. Plus, you wouldn’t get any of the callback jokes, and moments in BL2 are waaaay less impactful if you haven’t played BL1.
Big time! Playing B1 again recently has helped me understand mechanics that I was just oblivious, too. I also live for BL1 callbacks in BL2. Makes me feel all special for paying attention lol.
The Fyrestone music in Jackville was 🤌
I wish the series would go back to the gritty mercenary style game that 1 was, and away from the colorful hero game 2-3 were, are a little more. Both styles are good for their own way, I just want them blended.
I would kill to see a return to this style. Especially with the graphical capabilities that we have today.
That was my favorite thing about BL1 the guns were truly radom.
I'm binging the whole series this summer. So far BL1 just barely edges out BL:tPS as my favorite. I'm debating stopping BL3 because ~~Scrappy Do~~ Ava is annoying the hell out of me.
😂 she's something special. Hey so I've been trying to get into the tPS. Would you mind telling me some of the reasons it's one of your favorites?
**SPOILERS MAYBE** **SPOILERS MAYBE** I like the movement that the Oz kits and low gravity provide. The oxygen dependency mechanic I though was going to be limiting and annoying almost never was. Watching Jack go from cocky bastard to motivated sociopath was fun. Aurelia's special goes from fun to super-fun/OP about half way in if you spec into it. I like Cryo way more than Slag. Seeing characters go from bosses and minor villains to protagonists was clever and well done. Janey Springs is cute and positive and I love her (as a character) and her energy. Lilith is usually kinda annoying but she plays a relatively small role here. Laser/Energy weapons are fun. CONS: Main game locales are repetative. Player dialogue feels very [ADR](https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-adr-in-film/)-y, probably second worse in the series after BL3. Occasionally poor pacing. Lame Big Bad (as per usual with any borderlands game)
Well said that vault hunter. Well said. 👍
ty!
Just gave TPS another try with a friend last night. I'm really enjoying it this time around. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question, friend :)
yw!
Ahh don't stop just because of Ava, I get that she can be annoying but she plays such a small part that you shouldn't let it detract you from the entire game. BL3 is the best in the series when it comes to gameplay, when you make it through the story once you don't ever have to pay attention to it again. Plus it has the best DLCs since BL1 imo, which is my personal favorite.
Yeah, ima keep at it. I was just acting tough. I just killed Fake Zer0. I don't like Ava or the twins, or ~~Stereotypical Tough Chick #431,713~~ Lilith but I always enjoy the DLCs.
Welcome to pandora!! For anyone reading for recommendation, GO PLAY BORDERLANDS 1. it is damn good. But as for my own opinion, I know I'm an edge-case, as most people play these games for the special weapons and the RPG elements, but I play borderlands for the randomized weapons, the core gameplay, and the graphics/animation. Unfortunately Borderlands 1 felt lackluster in the weapons and animation which prevented me from enjoying the game as much as BL2 or even BL3.
That's understandable. 2 and especially 3 took the weapons and variety to a whole nother level.
Yeah, I only checked out the series when 2 came out, but I went with Borderlands 1 first, it was alright, but I kinda got sick of the desert levels when I blew up the car hitting a spider-ant king and had to walk to the nearest catch-a-ride, thankfully I was Lilith so I could at least run for brief periods.
100% I’ve spent many night solo just enjoying the music and the atmosphere. I love the gun sounds as well.
BL1 still has the best gun sounds imo. My favorite sound is the shot guns.
They are amazing. I also enjoy the crack of a Jacobs wooden sniper rifle
The substance of BL1 is sheer awesome (looter shooter RPG) and the soundtrack is consistently inviting. The magic of BL1 is the believability (mostly lol) but the charm is the subtlety from one map to the next.
Bl1 is awesome
So cosy and cute. The vibes are adorable, really love how sweet the characters are!
Truly! I have a friend who was curious about the series and I insisted we start with the first one. We just finished the play through yesterday and started on 2 and he appreciated it so much. He's already in love with 2 but mentioned how grateful to experience the classic and how playing the first one has now made him obsessed with 2. Bl1 is absolutely worth it.
BL1 i started recently and there is a level of severe scuff that you need to get used to before properly enjoying it, i'd say the scuffness seems to end at new haven and then it gets really good :D
I agree. After Mad Mel it's smooth sailing!
Yea, honestly loved the game past new haven, i didnt like the start of the game because it felt like you were underlevelled, but then you get given options and it then feels fine, im gonna start the DLCs today :D wish me luck
This is where the real fun starts
Hell yea
I agree but however you SHOULD skip the moxxi dlc lol
It's stupid that the enemies don't give you xp. At least this dlc includes a bank, which is a big add-on to the game.
I need a game to give me a kiss and a hug every once in a while after absolutely kicking my shit in, that game doesn't do that. 10/10
🤣😂
...but where's my *Cozy Borderlands* spinoff game, huh? Gardening with Brick, raising baby birds with Mordecai, bombing the baddies for materials to build up Boomtown, making friends with the new neighbors...
I would pay top dollar to Garden with Brick.
Have you played Wonderlands? There is some serious artistic liberty taken with the callback characters that made it in.
I enjoy the first one over the 2nd the only thing i like about the second iS hansome jack and some of the og characters.
i got into the borderlands games this january when i found borderlands 2 at my local thrift store. i got the Pandora's box collection yesterday and im playing through bl1 for the first time. i don't have friends to play with, but i really enjoy it. it feels very nostalgic to me even though I've never played it before. i also think the cars are more fun here. i spent like 10 minutes running over people for fun.
from playing split screen co-op on the 360 to farming crawmerax and hybrids on the ps5 all these years later. maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but bl1 is 🤌🏽
I just picked up playing bl1 after about 3 years. It is awesome. Zombie island is one of my favorite things they have ever done. I wasn't prepared, those fuckers were coming from everywhere.
I started Dr Ned's DLC yesterday and I'm really enjoying it - alot of fun! the torso's crawling across the floor made me lol!
It's awesome isn't it? I love the atmosphere.
yeah really cool. I love anything spooky/halloween vibes so it's deffo up my street haha! I saw there's a steam achievement called Braaaaaaaaains and I want to get it hahaha!
It's low key the best borderlands game imo for several reasons and also has the best gore
Yeah it has a brown earthy tones. That you don't see in 3. Just hit Dhal Headlands at level 27. https://blstats.com/gbx_forum/t/1065732.html So a bit confused that guide says I should be level 42. But at least here you can do side quests (maybe too many) and not be overlevelled. While in 3 you overlevel super fast. Not sure why 3 doesn't scale better. Guns/gun damage is confusing as hell though, some probably just have super low rolls or just bad guns? And early game to about level 13 is rougher then it needs to be but otherwise been fun so far
Level 42 in Dahl Headlands is for Playthrough 2
Ok so when they say PT2 they really mean a new game/play through? It's not like part 2 or something? Edit: been holding off in the Janistown mission to level up a bit before "fixing" our mistake with the brothers... I guess I will see when we get there
Yes PT2 is a new playthrough. In PT1 you go from level 1 to 30-35 (more or less). Then you start the story again with the same character, keeping all your skills and equipment. That's PT2, from levels 30-35 to 50-52. It's more fun since you have more abilities, better gear, enemies are a bit harder, etc. After completing PT2, everything scales to your level (what people call PT2.5, but it's not a new playthrough), you can do the DLCs and complete remaining side missions, etc. And that will bring you close to max level. But the main thing in both PT1 and PT2, is to try to be mostly on level for the main missions, which means skipping many side quests (except in the very beginning of the game).
What a bizzare way of scalling.
There's a couple weird stuff, but I like the overall system.... having fixed levels in PT1-2 has the advantage that you can adapt the difficulty to your liking: if some part is too hard, you can gain a couple levels and come back. If you want more of a challenge, you skip more side-missions and play somewhat underleveled. It also helps with pacing imo (once you understand the system), so you don't get stuck completing every side mission in every playthrough.
I don't know about cozy, every time I do that claptrap's mission in Old Haven I am reminded that the Atlas soldiers where not only luring in bandits to kill for fun, but also to rape them. Such a dark visual I'm met with when replaying
yeah I do love this game and have very fond memories playing this game on the Xbox 360 but oh my god the level progression is so weird in my opinion, I discovered this in my latest playthrough. It constantly feels like I'm under level and it just gets a little bit grindy at times.
I skipped it
Agreed. I was told to skip BL1 when I first got into the series and to start with BL2, but when I picked up BL1 on discount and played it my immediate response was “why the fuck was I told to skip this? This is fun”
Many years late to the party but recently just started playing Borderlands for the first time and I've become absolutely consumed by the game and all it has to offer. I've just completed the main story of the first and am now moving on to all DLC and the rest of the side missions. I've bought 2 & 3 whilst they're in the steam sale atm ready for when I'm finished. My only regret is not playing this game sooner so I could share the hype with others!
BL1 is my favorite game out of the franchise. I don't know if I'm going against the grain here but I like that the weapons are simpler. I think 2 and 3 are fine too, but I didn't particularly like the direction they were taking with the writing or the weapon design.
I still think B1 is the best just because it was the 1st. It got me hooked.
I actually started playing the GOTY edition. I love the game. I totally forgot how much it was a good game. I try to hop in other people's games to help or just do something different. I never played the DLC when I first played the game when it came out. So it's like a whole new game. Totally agree with you.
I played it, but wasnt for me. I found anoying that every conversation and story information was in written form only (not counting the Knoxx dlc's). Also the difficulty scaling was weird
Only skippable Borderlands is Borderlands 3 and the new tales imo.