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Borderlands 1 vs. Enhanced Edition: What Are The Key Differences?

The primary difference between Borderlands 1 and Borderlands 1 Enhanced Edition lies in the latter’s substantial graphical and performance upgrades, along with the inclusion of quality-of-life improvements and all previously released DLC. The Enhanced Edition offers a superior visual experience, smoother gameplay, and a more comprehensive package overall, making it the definitive way to play the original Borderlands.

Diving Deep: A Detailed Comparison

While the core gameplay loop remains largely the same, several key differences make the Enhanced Edition a significant upgrade over the original Borderlands 1. Let’s break down the most notable changes:

Visual Overhaul

Improved Textures: The Enhanced Edition features significantly improved textures across the board. Environments, character models, and weapons all benefit from higher resolution textures, leading to a sharper and more detailed visual presentation.
Enhanced Lighting and Shadows: Lighting and shadow effects have been revamped in the Enhanced Edition, adding depth and atmosphere to the game world. Dynamic lighting and improved shadow rendering create a more immersive experience.
Anti-Aliasing: The addition of anti-aliasing in the Enhanced Edition helps to smooth out jagged edges and reduce aliasing artifacts, resulting in a cleaner and more visually appealing image.
HDR Support: For those with compatible displays, the Enhanced Edition offers High Dynamic Range (HDR) support. HDR allows for a wider range of colors and greater contrast, making the visuals pop even more.
Free Texture Pack: A free Ultra HD Texture Pack is available for download, further enhancing the graphical fidelity of the Enhanced Edition. This pack boosts the resolution of textures even higher, providing an unparalleled visual experience for PC players.

Gameplay and Quality of Life Improvements

Mini-Map: A much-requested feature, the Enhanced Edition introduces a mini-map in the corner of the screen. This helps players navigate the world more easily and find their way to objectives without constantly having to open the full map.
Shift Codes: Support for Shift Codes has been added, allowing players to redeem codes for in-game rewards such as Golden Keys, which unlock special chests containing powerful loot.
Character Customization Options: Additional character customization options have been included, giving players more control over the appearance of their Vault Hunters.
Automatic Weapon Pick-Up: The Enhanced Edition includes an option for automatic weapon pick-up, making looting faster and more convenient.
Inventory Management Improvements: While not a complete overhaul, some minor tweaks to inventory management have been made, making it slightly easier to organize and equip items.

Performance Enhancements

Increased Frame Rates: The Enhanced Edition generally runs at higher and more stable frame rates compared to the original Borderlands 1, resulting in smoother and more responsive gameplay.
Improved Stability: Bug fixes and optimization improvements have enhanced the overall stability of the game, reducing crashes and other technical issues.

Content and Availability

All DLC Included: The Enhanced Edition includes all four previously released DLC packs: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, and Claptrap’s Robot Revolution. This provides a complete Borderlands 1 experience right out of the box.
Free Upgrade for Original Owners (PC): PC players who already owned the original Borderlands 1 received the Enhanced Edition as a free upgrade, making it an incredibly generous offer.