I’ve spent 27.9 hours in the past two weeks playing Borderlands for the first time. A few hours in, I got the hang of the gameplay, realizing how to manage items, skill-points and quests. It was a lot like Diablo II, only in this futuristic, mystical landscape called Pandora.

As with most works, be it films, books or whatever, I have a very close-minded approach. I make effort to know as little as possible beforehand, achieving an experience that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Rather than a third party, I let the developers tell me what kind of a game it is, through the game.

Once I got the hang of the gameplay, I quickly realized what made it such an addictive game. It carefully balances challenge with reward, making both you and your enemies stronger. You create a character of godlike power, while maintaining a fair level of difficulty.

I obviously enjoyed the game for the characteristics mentioned above, but what really intrigued me was the story and the artwork. Pandora is a lawless world, full of adventure and mystery. There are few humans, and Earth as we know it seems to be a long since abandoned or destroyed (or even forgotten) homeworld. The main interest on Pandora is a so-called “vault”, full of countless treasures of some sort. While I thoroughly enjoyed the quest for the vault, what did it for me was the setting; exploration on this barren wasteland, far removed from mankind, in the depths of space and in the distant future. Listening to the logs of Patricia Tannis, a human faced with solitude in this distant world, I really got the feeling of immersion into this unique world; into Pandora. It was mine to explore and I had all the time in the world, or at least, the time my mortal form would allow.

This brings me to another point that hit me only once I finished the main story of the game, and that is that this vault only can be accessed every 200 years. So whatever is guiding you, obviously has some way of surviving for several of these cycles, awaiting access and/or control of the vault. My first thought was, that this probably was some future sentient being, capable of rejuvenation or cryopresevation, but only when I saw that cut-scene of the satellite peering down on Pandora, did I think AI.

Immortality.

The reason why I decided to write about this, was that I was feeling kind of low. I knew that the odds of being able to explore a planet, like Pandora, and going on a quest like the one I experienced through this game, were very much against me. This game gave me a glimpse into a reality that I honestly believe I would prefer over what I have. It saddens me that it is not real, and even if it were, it is grossly out of my reach, or the reach of technology as we know it in this day and age.

So yeah, I don’t want to end on such a depressing note, but this game really is that great. Only 27 hours in and I realize that it is so good, it makes me depressed to compare it with real life. Borderlands: Only 27 Hours.