You’re standing on a cliffside in Southern Shelf, the wind is howling, and a midget riding a bullymong is trying to cave your skull in. It’s chaos. It’s loud. It’s colorful. Honestly, it’s exactly why we still talk about this franchise over a decade later. When Gearbox Software bundled everything together into Borderlands The Handsome Collection, they weren't just clearing out the closet. They created a massive, sprawling time capsule of the "Golden Era" of looter shooters.
It's weird. Most "remasters" or "collections" feel like a cash grab. You get a slight resolution bump, maybe some stable frame rates if the port team wasn't sleeping at their desks, and that’s it. But this package? It’s different. It includes Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, plus basically every scrap of DLC released for both. We’re talking hundreds of hours of content. If you tried to play through all of this in one sitting, you’d probably lose your grip on reality, much like the game's primary antagonist, Handsome Jack.
People forget how much this collection changed the value proposition for digital bundles. Before this, you had to hunt down Season Passes and individual character packs like Krieg the Psycho or Gaige the Mechromancer. Here, it’s just... there. All of it. From the moment you boot it up, you have access to the full breadth of the series' peak creativity.
The Enigma of Handsome Jack
You can't talk about Borderlands The Handsome Collection without talking about the man himself. Jack is arguably one of the best-written villains in the history of the medium. He’s charming. He’s funny. He’s a total psychopath who genuinely believes he is the hero of the story. In Borderlands 2, you see him at the height of his power, taunting you from his orbital space station. He calls you on your Echo device just to tell you about a diamond pony he bought named "Butt Stallion." It’s ridiculous, but it works because the voice acting by Dameon Clarke is so incredibly grounded in Jack’s own narcissism.
Then you play The Pre-Sequel.
This is where the collection shines. By putting these two games together, Gearbox allows you to witness the tragic, slow-motion train wreck of Jack’s descent into villainy. You see him as a low-level programmer named John who actually wanted to save Pandora. Sorta. Seeing his evolution from a well-meaning (if arrogant) guy into a genocidal dictator makes the ending of Borderlands 2 hit much harder. It turns a standard "kill the bad guy" plot into a character study. Most shooters don't have the guts to do that. They just give you a guy in a suit with a gun and tell you to shoot him.
Why the Pre-Sequel is better than you remember
Let’s be real: people hated on The Pre-Sequel when it launched. It was developed by 2K Australia, not the main Gearbox team, and it felt a bit like a glorified expansion. But playing it within the context of Borderlands The Handsome Collection at 60 frames per second changes the vibe. The low-gravity mechanics on Elpis—Pandora’s moon—actually add a verticality that the main games lack.
Slamming into the ground to freeze enemies with "Cryo" damage never gets old. It’s a mechanic that should have stayed in the series permanently. Plus, the character classes are way more experimental. You can play as Claptrap. Literally. His skill tree is a chaotic mess of "VaultHunter.exe" programs that randomly affect your teammates, sometimes helping them and sometimes making them jump uncontrollably. It’s frustrating. It’s hilarious. It’s peak Borderlands.
Technical Performance and That Art Style
One reason Borderlands The Handsome Collection holds up in 2026 is the art style. While other games from 2012 look like muddy brown soup now, the cel-shaded (technically "ink-shaded") look of Pandora is timeless. The heavy black outlines and vibrant colors pop on modern 4K displays. On a PS5 or Xbox Series X, the game runs like butter. We’re talking locked 60 FPS even when the screen is filled with elemental explosions, corrosive clouds, and psycho screams.
The collection also introduced four-player local split-screen. Remember that? Sitting on a couch with three friends and yelling about who got the "Legendary" drop? It’s a dying art form. Most modern shooters force you into separate houses with headsets. Having the option to crowd around a TV and argue over loot is a nostalgic trip that actually still functions perfectly.
- Resolution: 1080p on base consoles, 4K with the "Ultra HD" texture pack on Pro/One X/Series/PS5.
- Performance: 60 FPS is the standard here, which makes a huge difference in a game where you’re constantly twitch-aiming at charging suicide psychos.
- Load Times: On modern SSDs, the agonizing wait times between zones are basically gone. You can farm the Warrior or Terramorphous the Invincible in a fraction of the time it took on the PS3.
The DLC Problem (Or Why This is a Steal)
If you bought all the content in Borderlands The Handsome Collection individually back in the day, you would have spent well over $150. Easy. This bundle includes the "Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep" DLC, which many fans consider the best expansion in gaming history.
Tiny Tina is a divisive character, sure. She’s loud and erratic. But Assault on Dragon Keep is a deeply emotional story disguised as a Dungeons & Dragons parody. It deals with grief, denial, and the loss of a fan-favorite character in a way that feels earned. It’s not just "shoot the dragon." It’s "how do I process that my friend is gone?" It’s heavy stuff for a game that also lets you shoot swords out of a shotgun.
Then there’s the "Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary" DLC. This was a weird, brilliant move by Gearbox. They released it years after the collection came out to bridge the gap between Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3. It raised the level cap and added a new "Effervescent" (rainbow) rarity tier. It proved that the developers still cared about this specific era of the game. They knew this was the one people kept coming back to.
Farming, Loot, and the End-Game Grind
The "end game" is where Borderlands The Handsome Collection lives or dies for the hardcore fans. It’s all about the "OP Levels" (Overpower Levels). Once you hit the level cap, you head to Digistruct Peak. You fight through a gauntlet of bosses to unlock higher tiers of difficulty. It’s brutal.
But it’s rewarding.
There is a specific dopamine hit that comes from seeing a legendary orange beam of light shoot up from a pile of boss loot. Whether it's the "Unkempt Harold" pistol or the "Conference Call" shotgun, these weapons feel unique. They aren't just stat sticks. They have "red text" effects—hidden abilities you have to figure out yourself. One gun might fire in a heart pattern. Another might scream at you while you shoot it. It’s this personality that makes the loot grind feel less like a chore and more like an experiment.
Misconceptions about the "Grind"
A lot of people think you have to spend 400 hours to have fun. You don't. You can play through the story, enjoy the jokes, and move on. The "grind" is entirely optional. However, if you want to dive deep, the complexity is there. From "slagging" enemies to maximize damage in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode to perfecting your "Melee Zer0" build, the skill ceilings are surprisingly high for a game that looks like a cartoon.
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Players
If you’re picking up Borderlands The Handsome Collection today, don't just rush the main story. You'll get under-leveled and frustrated. Pandora is a place that rewards exploration and side quests.
👉 See also: The Block of Sky Recipe Most People Mess Up
- Pick the right character first: If you like traditional shooters, go Axton or Maya. If you want a challenge and weird mechanics, go Zer0 or Krieg. Krieg is particularly insane—he thrives on taking damage and lighting himself on fire.
- Don't ignore the Golden Keys: Shift codes are still being released occasionally (even in 2026). These give you keys to a chest in Sanctuary that always contains purple-tier gear scaled to your level. It’s a lifesaver if you feel stuck.
- Save the DLC for later: Specifically, don't start the DLC until you've finished the main campaign or are at least level 30. The scaling can get wonky, and you don’t want to spoil the story beats.
- Check your "Badass Rank": This is a profile-wide stat boost system. It’s a small 1% or 2% buff to reload speed or gun damage, but over time, it adds up significantly across all your characters.
- Play with friends: While the game is perfectly solo-able, it scales enemies based on how many players are in the lobby. More players mean better loot. It’s simple math.
This collection is the definitive way to experience a series that defined a genre. It’s loud, it’s crude, and it’s occasionally annoying, but it has more heart than almost any "Live Service" game released in the last five years. It’s a complete package in an era of half-finished releases. Honestly, if you haven't played it yet, you're missing out on a foundational piece of gaming history. Go find a "Bitch" SMG, kill a giant raid boss, and enjoy the madness.