The GOOD
First, let's talk about the graphics. The "realistic cartoon" style is gritty and fun. It keeps you in the feel of the post-apocalyptic world without having to devote too much processor time to make all the details look realistic. Frankly, the graphics rock. It is like playing in a graphic novel, but in 3D. It's good, but that just means it LOOKS different than other FPS games. There are bigger differences between Borderlands and other FPS.

For example, there is the quest/leveling style of the game. Unlike other FPS games, Borderlands actually adds an Role-Playing Game (RPG) element, and does it totally successfully. You can choose from 4 different "classes", or players. There is a sniper for ranged play, a siren for stealthy, sneaky play, a soldier for generally balanced offensive and defensive play, and a berserker for close-in play. You choose one, and start out at a level 1. You gain experience points from killing, from questing, and from completing accomplishments (ie: running over 50 bad guys with a vehicle). This is the biggest thing that makes Borderlands different from others. Instead of a single-thread campaign, the player is offered a wide array of quests, and it is up to the player in what order they do it, and how they accomplish it.

It is like combining Call of Duty with World of Warcraft. BRILLIANT!

Additionally, as your character levels up, not only do they get better and more powerful weapons (to face tougher opponents, naturally), but they get skill points to invest in talents that enhance the player's "special ability". (Each of the four player types has unique abilities that make them very fun to play.) Much like WoW's talent trees, in Borderlands you can choose how you want to customize your player, depending on your individual play-style and preferences.

Lastly, there is multiplayer. Allowing up to 4 players in co-op, the game scales the challenges accordingly, for example, by allowing a higher number of enemies to appear when there are more players. Team play is a ton of fun!

The BAD
There are not a whole lot of bad things about Borderlands, but there are a few.

First, the quests start to get a little tedious. This is only a minor annoyance...there are actually a surprising variety of quests, and many do further the overarching plot. But the "go kill x to collect y" quests are as annoying in Borderlands as they are in other RPG games.

Second, the AI of the enemies is kind of low. That's probably good or they would wipe the map with you. But sometimes it is a little too easy to just hide behind one little rock and stay protected. Rarely do the enemies flank you, so cautious play can get you very far in the game.

Next, there are very few customizable settings. You cannot turn off the language or the gore, so playing this game with the kiddos around is probably not the best idea. There is no tweaking of the difficulty either.

Lastly, multiplayer head-to-head is a little weak. It isn't bad, but it can be very unbalanced depending on the way that the players allocate their talent points.

But beyond that, the game is superb.

Conclusion
Overall, Borderland rocks. It is rare to find a game that offers so many entertaining moments, and wide open play that can be supremely challenging. I highly recommend playing it co-op with friends.

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If you compare it to the overall games availble to the Wii, it gets a mere 3-star rating.  If you are specifically looking for a non-competitive, easy-to-use, kid-friendly game, then Endless Ocean gets 4 1/2-stars.

Compared to all available Wii games:

Specifically for kid-friendly, non-competitive games:

Overview:  In Endless Ocean, you are a diver, helping to discover and catalog fish.  Along the way you help others by taking them diving and showing them specific fish, finding artifacts, or taking underwater photos.  As you add fish to your encyclopedia, you eventually unlock access to a large aquarium in which you can create your own environment, filling it with fish you have discovered.

The controls are simple.  It takes a bit to get used to at first, and sometimes the cursor moves a bit more quickly than I'd like.  But after a short while, the controls are second-nature.

The good:  Very relaxing.  No, seriously.  The music, the environment, the soothing colors, even the pace at which the character breathes helps you relax.  When my six-year-old son gets a little cranky because he keeps losing at Mario Kart, I have him put in Endless Ocean.  He is constantly finding new fish, and each one he discovers is exciting to him.  It is also a 'move-at-your-own-pace' kind of game.  If you want to complete the 'missions' (like taking someone diving), you can, whenever you want.  Or you can skip it and just go exploring.  It's up to you.  You're really on Island Time, mon!

The bad:  As mentioned, the controls in Endless Ocean are a little trick to learn at first.  Specifically, the cursor tends to move more quickly over the things you are trying to interact with.  It's almost like the creatures are 'slippery', and your cursor slips off of them easily.  In addition, this game can be very repetitive.  You dive, you explore, you interact with different fish to learn about them.  It doesn't seem to get boring for my son, but for an adult, it could get old.

Conclusion: If you like first-person shooters, games with crazy toons and lots of explosions, you will probably NOT like Endless Ocean.  If you want something different, fun, and relaxing, Endless Ocean is the Wii game for you!

Cute video review:

Available, discounted copies of Endless Ocean (Wii):

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