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How the Borderlands Series Does Diversity Right


Borderlands (2009), Borderlands 2 (2012), and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014) are games known mainly for their combat and their humor, but there is a third aspect that goes unrecognized: its writing. There are two fantastic elements to the writing in the Borderlands series: the lore, and the characters. In this article we'll be talking about the latter: the characters and their diversity.

The characters in Borderlands are some of the most diverse in modern gaming. From Sir (Alistair) Hammerlock, a disabled gay man who hates his older sister; Zer0, an assassin for hire whose true identity, species, even his name, is completely unknown; to Krieg, whose mental state is, well, unordinary. Hell, there's even an enemy class comprised entirely of "midgets."

And yet, throughout the series, none of the gratuitous diversity feels out of place. In this day and age of shoehorning and pandering, how do they manage to do it right?

First is the topic of visual storytelling. Take Sir Hammerlock for example: it's not mentioned explicitly that he's disabled, (he's missing his right arm and left leg), except through some specific quests. Instead, when we meet him we immediately see that he's disabled, and getting along just fine. The idea of letting players find out on their own and be immersed in the world on their own is one which not many can pull off well, but it's one of the most powerful in the medium. Visual storytelling can change a drawn out exposition into a short and sweet painting. You may think, however, that this subverts the need for writing, but that is incorrect. Writing works into this equation in a quiet but exquisitely poignant way. Without the writing of these characters, they wouldn't be nearly as immersive or interesting.

Every character in Borderlands is thought out and planned accordingly. Every quest provokes character development and expands at least some aspect of at least one character. Through this careful use of writing to build a diverse world, you don't need to force anything.

My tip for this issue: don't force it. Diversity is one of the most important things in our social structure today, but in the face of bad writing, take a step back and do it right.
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