Borderlands 4 Review: A Fresh Open-World Take on a Looter-Shooter Classic
After a somewhat lackluster Borderlands 3, Gearbox has revitalized the series with Borderlands 4, introducing an open-world environment and improved gameplay mechanics that reignite the looter-shooter flame. While it has some technical hiccups and frustrating limitations, the game ultimately delivers a fun and engaging experience.
Looting, Shooting, and Laughing: The Borderlands Formula Returns
Borderlands 4 stays true to its roots, offering players an endless cycle of looting bizarre and powerful weapons to mow down increasingly weird enemies. The humor and over-the-top weapon designs remain a staple, featuring assault rifles that shoot rockets and grenades that scream absurdities. This iteration keeps the feeling fresh by cross-pollinating weapon manufacturers for unique outcomes.
A New World and a Touching Story
Beyond the lowbrow humor and graphic novel aesthetic, Borderlands has always surprised with touching story moments. Borderlands 4 ditches Pandora and its legacy characters, introducing a new world called Kairos, dominated by the malevolent Timekeeper. The story is a refreshing change of pace, focusing on freeing this planet and introducing memorable characters like Levaine while still bringing back favorites like Claptrap.
Embracing the Open World
The biggest change in Borderlands 4 is its shift to a proper open-world format, filled with side quests, timed activities, collectibles, and puzzles. Players can now explore Kairos's diverse regions using tools like a grapple hook, glider, and summonable vehicle. This open-world design allows for a less linear progression, encouraging exploration and discovery.
Open World Limitations
Despite the open-world ambitions, Kairos's terrain sometimes falls short. Invisible walls and awkward surfaces limit exploration, making it feel artificial. The lack of clear "out of bounds" warnings can be frustrating, as players discover the limitations of the environment.
Improved Combat and Enemy Variety
Borderlands 4 boasts tighter, more responsive gunplay and a host of new movement options, including double jumps, gliding, grapple hooks, and dashing. The game also introduces a diverse range of new enemy types, forcing players to adapt their tactics. Boss fights now feature unique mechanics, adding depth to the combat experience.
Endgame and Buildcrafting
As players progress, they'll encounter enemies with modifiers that change their behavior and abilities. While not groundbreaking, these modifiers add a layer of complexity to combat. Borderlands 4 also introduces a new batch of Vault Hunters, each with unique classes and skill trees, providing variety and customization options.
Co-op and Bugs
Although Borderlands 4 is enjoyable solo, it truly shines in co-op. However, the game suffers from numerous bugs, including lag, desyncing, enemies becoming immune to damage, and players losing progress. These issues can create friction and disincentivize teaming up. Gearbox will likely address these issues, but it may take time to iron them out.
Endgame Grind and Post-Launch Content
Borderlands 4 features an endgame grind with weekly activities and challenges. As players grind, they'll unlock advanced world tier difficulties and earn better loot. Gearbox has a post-launch roadmap with plenty of content on the way, promising long-term support for the game.
Final Verdict
Despite its technical flaws and frustrating limitations, Borderlands 4 is a worthwhile entry in the series. The open-world design, improved gameplay, and engaging story make it a refreshing and addictive looter-shooter experience. The Vault Hunters provide great value to players looking for characters with unique skills and the Boss Fights offer unique challenges to overcome. As a long-time fan, the new entry is a welcome breath of fresh air.
