Blimey what the bloody hell's going on?

Having suffered the barely-comprehensible introduction (something about the last star left in the universe and a scuffle between species for its favour), Battleborn's first action of the day, the Prologue, only serves to further muddy the puddle.

Angry girl with gun teams up with second angry girl who's equally nippy in battle. Subsequent levels unlock a bushel of different alien species, each of which can be used to beat the plop out of enemy hordes without really knowing why.

Clearly the story isn't Battleborn's strong point, which is mystifying considering developer Gearbox's pedigree involves the sensational Borderlands series, the influence of which is writ large in the script and graphics here.

A word of warning for the loner, Battleborn is a big sack of tedium wearing Impossibly Difficult pants. Your online chums not only ensure progression but also ramp up the enjoyment factor. The roster of 25 wildly different species offers a wide array of assault options and comedy lines. And happily split-screen co-op is parcelled up too.

But once you've smashed the story and handful of multiplayer modes, Battleborn rolls over spent. Some requisite DLC is coming, offering additional story bits in exchange for your monies, but it's hard not to feel a little ripped off that this meat has been stripped off before release.

Battleborn may be a confusing runt of a game, but it's a blast while interest remains. Once you've ridden all the outrageous characters into battle, the light dims.