BorderStrain

About

Explore the world of Pangea as you embark on your adventure in this Open-World 2D ARPG. Follow and unravel the fate of the Firstborne or craft your own destiny alone or with friends. BorderStrain is based on a custom built OpenGL game engine and delivers a procedual world full of loot and adventures! Customize your character by leveling and allocating skill-points in any of the 4 unique skill-tre…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

56%

Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews

gameplay3 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

The game features a unique blend of influences from titles like Notrium and 3089, offering an interesting gameplay experience.
The AI companion is high quality and informative, enhancing the overall experience, and the game includes multiplayer options.
The graphics are praised for their beautiful 2D top-down style, and the game offers a large open world with crafting and character development elements.

Players frequently encounter infinite loading screens, making the game unplayable and frustrating to start.
The controls are clumsy and poorly mapped, with issues like an unintuitive inventory system and unbalanced combat mechanics.
The game suffers from a lack of variety in biomes and is described as buggy, leading to a perception of low quality and a lack of updates.

story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users express frustration with the story mode, noting that it feels disconnected and lacks essential features like a quest compass, which would enhance navigation and engagement. Overall, the storytelling aspect appears to be underdeveloped and in need of improvement.
- “Sandbox and story mode did not work either.”
- “If there is one thing I would like to see, it is a quest compass.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has received consistent feedback regarding its stability, with multiple users reporting significant bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience.
- “I'm pretty sure I also remember the game being generally buggy as hell.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Character development in the game is described as engaging, with a clear progression system that does not allow for skill reversal, adding a layer of strategy to player choices. However, players face a significant experience penalty upon death at higher levels, which can make advancement challenging. Overall, the character development mechanics complement the expansive open-world gameplay and encourage players to invest in their characters.
- “Character development is neat, and there's no reversal in skills you pick, which adds a layer of strategy to the gameplay.”
- “The experience penalty can be harsh at higher levels when you die, making each decision in character development feel significant.”
- “I love how the game allows for unique character progression, encouraging players to invest in their skills without the fear of losing them.”
- “Character development is neat, but there's no reversal in skills you pick, and the experience penalty can be harsh the higher level you get when you die.”
- “The character development system feels restrictive, as once you choose a skill, you can't change it, which can lead to frustrating gameplay if you make a mistake.”
- “While the game has potential, the character development lacks depth and flexibility, making it hard to adapt your playstyle as you progress.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The gameplay is immersive and initially confusing, set in a visually impressive alien world that encourages exploration and combat against various creatures. Players can develop their characters with a unique skill system, face penalties for dying, and build their own headquarters, enhancing the experience with co-op play and extensive open-world editor tools for creating custom content. Overall, the game offers a rich and engaging ARPG experience.
- “This game is really confusing at first glance because you begin in an alien/unknown world, which is awesome and interesting. The weather effects of the world are very impressive, and I began killing the alien creatures and finding better gear, which is ARPG style. Character development is neat, and there's no reversal in skills you pick. The gameplay is very nice, and it has co-op. The game offers a huge open world with editor tools to make your own expansions and maps, which is cool!”
- “The gameplay is very engaging, with a unique blend of exploration and combat. The character development system is well thought out, and the harsh experience penalty adds a layer of challenge that keeps you on your toes. Building a small HQ with turrets and setting up teleporters adds a strategic element that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The open world is vast and filled with opportunities for exploration. The ability to create your own maps and expansions using the editor tools is a fantastic feature that adds replayability. Overall, the gameplay is immersive and offers a lot of depth.”