Fallout 3 or Borderlands?

[natowarhead]

I've recently received a gift card to a local gaming store. I've been meaning to get another game for a while now. And I've had my eye on Fallout 3 and Borderlands for the PC.

I don't have much extra money these days and, to be honest, want to make a purchase worth my while. And there's just enough on the gift card to get either game, but not both.

I've read reviews and seen videos of both games but still am not able to make a decisions.

Any opinions on which one would be good? I'll take any comment into consideration.
I don't want to start a competition between the two games. Basically just looking for information that's not apparent from reviews or video clips on youtube.

Much appreciations in advance

P.S.

If it helps, my background includes:
- A LOT of World of Warcraft (quit it a few months ago after finally killing the Lich King)
- some Unreal Tournament (not good, but decent)
- A little Team Fortress 2 (I'm more cannon fodder than anything, but I like playing)
- A few Diablo clones ( I <3 RPG's)

[Azisien]

Fallout 3 is the superior RPG, Borderlands is the superior shooter.

Fallout 3 will probably last you longer, but it is single player. Borderlands is best played with 1-3 other buddies.

At the end of the day, both are pretty good. I'd go with Fallout 3 based on your "I <3 RPGs" comment though.

[BloodyMage]

I've never played Borderlands, but I have played and would recommend Fallout 3.

[Marc v4.0]

I have them both, and it can be a tough call.

Fallout 3 is worth your money more if none of your friends have Borderlands

Borderlands is much more entertaining and crazy then FO3 if your friends have it and you are playing with them.

[CABAL49]

Yeah, it really depends on if you prefer multiplayer or singleplayer. For getting Fallout 3 for PC all I can say is mods mods mods mods mods.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

Do what you want cause a pirate is free~

Anywho; Fallout Vegas is supposed to be coming down the pipeline soon. You might want to give that a check before taking the plunge.

Better still, if you're buying for PC normally Valve will put up some special offer for older games when the sequel gets to Steam. Look out for that.

[synkr0nized]

BOOOOOORDEERRRLAAAANDDDSSSSS



Both are good games, though.
Borderlands has a loot scaling system akin to WoW's, at least in the categories if nothing else, and is often marketed by people as a Diablo 2 style RPG merged with an FPS. If you go this route, make sure to get or plan to get as soon as you can the DLC, at least Dr. Ned's and General Knoxx [the former for being quite funny and well done and the latter for having more of that humor and the raised level cap/better loot].

Fallout 3 has, at least in my opinion, more open-endedness in the world and customization and can take much longer. It's also got a nice amount of DLC to explore and will definitely take your time and last you. This is where Borderlands could fall short -- some people don't enjoy playing it alone AND don't like dropping in on random games online, so they're kind of hosed/reliant on their friends if they have the game also. Fallout 3 is always there waiting. BUT on the other hand it lacks any multiplayer and exploration with friends.

[Aerozord]

I'd say both will eat up about as much the same time, and enjoyment depends on preferance. But while you can get just about all there is out of boarderlands in ten hours fallout3 is ALOT deeper. Boarderlands is, walk to point A, kill everything, repeat. I just like my variety too much to favor it.

Boarderlands is a game you pick back up every so often, Fallout 3 is a game I have 3 80-hour playthroughs already completed and thats before I got DLC.

[synkr0nized]

Borderlands doesn't keep you due to the time needed. It keeps you due to addiction to drops and hoping the RNG works in your favour whenever guns drop, chests are opened, and store supplies are refreshed. And the humor. Sure it's not new after the first time, but it's still fun. Then you can experiment with builds, try the other classes, try different class mods, and switch up your weapons. Just playing the story is only part of that.


OH MY GOD I NEED MORE GUNS PLEASE. You took away New Haven but gave me that whole armory. Mmmm.

And also driving your friends off of cliffs and other such nonsense 'cause you have more money than God and enjoy keeping them from finishing objectives. Why, yes, I do want to see what it's like getting smashed in the face by a drifter*! Oh, I'm sorry, gunner, did you not get a second wind after our car exploded? Also, the physics, or lack thereof, in the game engine make for a lot of... things that are silly and fun when playing multiplayer. Then there's the sabotage like blowing up vehicles before people get in them and making them walk. I'm a siren; I'm as fast as a car on foot anyway.


* I am the head of the Drifter Aeronautics Program. We have reached high into the sky in our quest to graduate ace pilots. Sadly, most applicants have not survived.



I suppose having good friends who like to play -- which we have been doing quite a bit of recently -- "correctly" and otherwise makes this much more appealing to me than wandering around chasing after my dad. That said, man, Fallout 3 is an amazing game and totally worth the hype it generated, and as Aerozord noted it can eat up huge chunks of time. I doubt the total time logged on any of my characters in Borderlands comes close to the played time for a single run-through.

EDIT: Also of note is that while there are arenas and duels and things set up for PvP in Borderlands it's really not balanced. And I'm not talking about going online and having a modder drop into your game; It really seems like I can kill anything without much effort as a siren or gunslinger with tresspass, but *shrug* maybe my friends just suck.

edit2: See below. That's kinda why I play F3 rarely. I have to have a nice bit of time just to progress little parts of the quests and story. I enjoy the NPC interaction and the different ways to level/build your character and even the combat system, for the most part, but the in-between travel, realistic as it may be, can get old fast.

[Kim]

Only get Fallout 3 if you like walking... a lot. Still good though.