If you played the first Borderlands game around launch, you’ll remember how fresh it felt. A new mix of fast-paced shooter gameplay mixed with satisfying RPG character development mechanics. Like Terminator 2, Borderlands 2 perfected the new genre (the “looter-shooter”). It’s famous for its iconic villain, Handsome Jack, but it also tightened up the gameplay, characters, world, and variety.
Playing It Safe
A perfect sequel is a hard thing to follow up, so Borderlands 3 took the easy route of doing the same but a little different. It added mantling, new planets, and killed off another player character from the last game. They played it safe, rested on their laurels, and ended up with a disappointment that isn’t technically bad—it just doesn’t stand out enough to match the hype.
A Necessary Detour
Between Borderlands 3 and 4, Gearbox had the chance to experiment with Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. It’s about a couple of Borderlands characters playing Dungeons & Dragons, expanding on Borderlands 2’s most popular DLC, and giving the developers a chance to break from the usual recipe. They played around with grenade types (under the guise of “spells”), character creation, and overworld mechanics. Some ideas stuck, others didn’t, but it was a necessary step back to reevaluate the franchise.
Now they’ve taken what worked and added it to Borderlands 4—like expanding grenades into “ordinances.” The question is whether it’s enough to recapture the lightning in a bottle of the first two games. Not exactly, but that’s okay.
Open World, Open Potential
When it comes to pure gameplay, Borderlands 4 is the most refined entry yet. It’s got everything the previous games had (except slot machines), and it’s open world. Driving can still be tedious, but that’s an old Borderlands flaw. Thankfully, instant vehicles, jetpacks, and grappling hooks make traversal a joy.
Even so, in a world where even Fortnite could be called a looter-shooter, what makes Borderlands 4 stand out?
A Clean Slate
For fans, it’s always been about the world, the lore, and the characters. Over almost ten games, the franchise has built a colourful cast and surprising lore depth—but Borderlands 4 wipes the slate clean. Leaving Pandora behind, the game starts anew with new characters, stakes, and storylines that recapture the thrill of discovery.
That said, the new faces don’t quite land. You see one cold-scientist-type, you’ve seen them all.
Bugs, But Nothing Fatal
Despite being temporary, performance issues are worth mentioning. Even high-powered PCs struggle, and console splitscreen isn’t immune either. Bugs range from minor to mildly absurd, but Gearbox has promised fixes. It’s not ideal, but it’s also nowhere near the catastrophic launches we’ve seen from others lately.
A Solid Entry, Potential Classic
Borderlands 4: Overall, Borderlands 4 is a great game. If it’s your first Borderlands, it’ll likely be your favourite. Borderlands 2’s sharp writing and Handsome Jack’s charisma remain unmatched, but its gameplay now feels dated. Borderlands 4 modernises the formula with slicker combat, cleaner design, and welcome quality-of-life tweaks. With DLCs on the horizon, it might even eclipse the originals—but we’ll have to wait and see. – Branden Zavaleta