In our look at the popular first-person shooter, the handheld port does well against the home console version in this Borderlands 2 Vita vs PS3 comparison.
With the release of Borderlands 2 on Playstation Vita, fans of the series are looking to find a comparable portable experience to the PS3 version. But can the tiny Vita reproduce the expansive first-person shooter? In this article, the Vita’s graphics, gameplay and performance of Borderlands 2 are compared to the PS3 experience.
Graphics
The Vita version of Borderlands 2 looks crisp despite the hardware restrictions. It’s true that the textures in the portable version are downgraded but the overall feel of the game remains intact. While guns and characters often look like duller versions of their PS3 counterparts, none of these changes detract from the striking visual style of the original.
Guns are a big part of the Borderlands 2 experience so any changes to the amount or quality of guns are a major no-no for a port. Thankfully, all the guns from the PS3 version are present, including special guns received from side missions.
The biggest changes to the guns are visual. Many guns lack the detail and worn-in look of the original game, though this is a minor complaint. The “inspect” mode still lets players take a closer look at your guns; this is typically where the differences between the two versions of the game are most apparent. Guns appear to be solid blocks instead of comprised of individual pieces and lack the dusty, second-hand details of their PS3 counterparts.
“The game still looks amazing and, once your eyes adjust to the smaller screen, it feels as though you’re wandering the same world as the PS3 version.”
Much like the guns, NPCs in the game are less defined, although it’s still clear who they are. While the blocky Claptrap may look almost identical to his PS3 self, Scooter and the Crimson Raiders end up looking almost like PS2 models with a bit more definition. Again, this doesn’t detract from the feel of the game, especially since the Vita’s screen is so much smaller than a TV. The graphical differences are minimal and easily ignored.
One of the biggest fears Borderlands 2 fans had was the potential downgrading of environment graphics as each area in the original game featured bright colours and dramatic landscapes. Thankfully, the detailed topography remains largely unchanged in the Vita version save for the slight texture downgrade that also effected the guns and characters.
Overall, the game still looks amazing and, once your eyes adjust to the smaller screen, it feels as though you’re wandering the same world as the PS3 version.
Gameplay
PS Vita Trailer
One of the biggest changes going from PS3 to Vita is the difference in controller layout options. While that may be a hurdle for some, the ability to cross-save your character and play online co-op from a portable device are advantage enough to overcome that obstacle.
The lack of L2, L3, R2, and R3 buttons definitely effect how the game is played on the Vita. The developers chose to make use of the rear and front touchpads to compensate for this change.
Players have the ability to map any function to any key, making the first hour or two of gameplay a bit of an experiment in what works best for you. While buttons like X and square can play identical roles to the PS3 version, things like sprinting, using your special skill, and using a melee attack will have to be fleshed out by the player.
PS3 Trailer
Once that initial barrier is surmounted, the game truly begins or should I say continues. A recent update allows players to cross-save one character between their PS3 and Vita meaning you can continue a game that you’ve been working on at home while you’re out and about.
“The quality of the multiplayer mode is excellent and, despite the lack of two other players, still feels like a cooperative experience.”
Seeing as how this was the biggest draw to the game for fans, it’s a good thing the system works perfectly. While you can only cross-save one character at a time, being able to continue where you left off does a good job of justifying the cost of paying for the Vita version even if they own it for the PS3.
Because of hardware limitations on the Vita, multiplayer has been reduced from four to two players. This doesn’t detract from the experience unless you rely on chaotic four-player battles to enjoy the game. The quality of the multiplayer mode is excellent and, despite the lack of two other players, still feels like a cooperative experience. The biggest change will be to strategy as now there are now less strengths and weaknesses to work with.
Performance
More so than the new controller layout, performance is the biggest challenge for players of the Vita version. The game is not broken by performance issues but when the action is building up to a climax and things start to get choppy it can be frustrating. Issues with sound and clipping are also present, along with a few UI glitches.
Lag has been the main concern for critics of the game. Due to the hardware differences between the two systems, the Vita suffers from noticeable lag during certain fights, usually the fights with numerous enemies and environmental objects.
Trouble with hitbox detection also plagues the Vita version, robbing players of more than a few headshots. Add that to the game occasionally cutting out aural gun feedback or ambient music and combat can prove to be quite frustrating at times. Hopefully small issues like this can be fixed in later patches.
There has also been the case of UI elements not disappearing when they should. On more than one occasion, the head icon of an Echo has remained on the screen long after the Echo has finished playing. Only playing another Echo has caused the head to disappear.
Despite all of these performance troubles, the game still plays smoothly. After getting accustomed to the new controller layout, moving from one system to the next feels seamless. Overall, the game deserves to be forgiven for its technical issues mostly because of the sheer volume of information Borderlands 2 manages to pack onto such a tiny system. If you are a fan of the PS3 version, the Vita version will not feel broken enough to ignore.
Conclusion
With 50,000 reported units sold globally, Borderlands 2 on the PS Vita is off to a good start considering the number of criticisms leveled against it pre-release.
While it might not be the paragon that counteracts dwindling Vita sales, it may be the game that shows skeptics what the platform is capable of. Packing all of Pandora into a tiny cartridge is no small feat and, even with the issues that have cropped up so far, the game deserves to be given the same amount of attention as the home console version.
