In the Alpha and Beta, I really grew fond of Battleborn. But in the release version, it was a painfully familiar experience. Read here why.
In some films and books, there are scenes where a character joyfully greets an old friend after a long absence but instead of kind words, they first take a hit to the face. And that’s exactly what happened to me – in a figurative sense – with the release version of Battleborn.
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Just a quick round of play,…
But first, some background. I wasn’t in the country during the release week of Battleborn, but traveling in America, where I got to visit the Blizzard headquarters and admire the new heroes from Heroes of the Storm. Now, a flight to the States is not exactly a joyride and after over 11 hours in economy class and a time difference of 9 hours, I was quite groggy when I returned to Germany.
Nevertheless, I wanted to play a little and after some successful rounds with Tracer in Heroes of the Storm, I remembered that I hadn’t played Battleborn yet. After all, I still had very positive memories of the game from the last beta, as I explained in my 8 reasons why Battleborn rocks. So I logged in for “just one or two rounds”…
… forget about it!
… and experienced some of the most humbling defeats of my gamer life! Because Battleborn is not a game to play half-heartedly! Rather, it is the hero shooter version of the original WildStar, from a time when the developers still dropped the word “hardcore” in every second sentence.
I was taken out repeatedly in Battleborn like the last noob, shot down, shredded, and devoured. I only got my first level-up when the opposing team (and some from my group) had already reached level 5. Unlike in more beginner-friendly (*cough* casual *cough*) games like Heroes of the Storm, a bad player here is not just carried by the team. Those who fail are mercilessly left behind!
No pain, no gain!
After my terrible defeats, I eventually gave up and went to bed. And I did this over the next few days, as the jet lag was getting to me and I didn’t want to make a fool of myself again. Instead, I took a break and only started playing again when I was fit and well-rested. Suddenly, my performance was much better and I was at least back in the upper midfield.
Because as I said, Battleborn is not a casual game that you play intermittently. Instead, it is – especially in the PvE campaign – difficult and challenging but not unfair. You have to engage with the game, not the other way around. And therefore, it is just right for those who want to dive back into a challenging game and bring the necessary ambition!
What do you think? Is Battleborn a demanding title or am I simply a noob softened by casual games and is it all not that bad? Write it in the comments!
