Borderlands 4 review: A series back to its very best

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A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Although Borderlands has achieved significant success, the franchise faces an intriguing challenge: thirteen years ago, it launched a game so exceptional that it overshadowed every subsequent title in its genre.

In simpler terms, Borderlands 2 stands out as an exceptional video game. Unlike its subsequent editions, I’ve found myself returning to play it multiple times due to my strong affection for its setting, game mechanics, and notably, its narrative and characters.

With Borderlands 4, Gearbox has finally given us a game just as worthy of that love.

Stepping into a fresh chapter for this captivating series, I find myself departing from the unpredictable and vibrant landscape of Pandora to explore Kairos – a desolate, dystopian realm under the iron fist of an omnipotent ruler called the Timekeeper.

In a world where you find yourself stuck alongside the controversial Claptrap, your mission becomes crucial: rally multiple regional forces to join the battle for liberty, allowing us all to escape from this forsaken planet.

A significant amount of feedback towards the latest Borderlands games revolves around the style of their dialogue. The series has always been known for its goofy humor, however, starting with Borderlands 3, the humor has become more focused on crude or cringe-worthy bathroom jokes that often evoke a roll of the eyes.

The game brings us back to the golden age of humor, using sharp and amusing writing that even made me chuckle aloud at certain moments. It retains the familiar humor, but it’s not overused – too many Face McShooties in Pandora might have taken away from its charm.

As a seasoned gamer, I’ve got to admit, the humor in Borderlands 4 truly brought the characters to life for me! After struggling to connect with several characters from the newer Borderlands games, I found myself genuinely liking most of the folks I encountered in BL4. It really made my gaming experience more enjoyable!

These individuals are enjoyable, capable, endearing, and remarkably articulate. The tension in Kairos is significant, and although it leans heavily toward humor, everyone acutely feels the gravity of the situation.

Consequently, there are some remarkable scenes featuring characters who shine, either by making heroic sacrifices for the common welfare or showing determination and courage on the battlefield.

Borderlands 4 skillfully transitions from comedic scenes to dramatic ones swiftly, leaving an impactful impression. These instances display remarkable writing prowess, as the game manages to evoke genuine concern that a character developed over a short span of time could be at risk of peril. Such a game certainly demonstrates its worth in the gaming industry.

Similarly, the four Vault Hunters often provide witty remarks or comments in reaction to various situations that occur around them.

Among the Vault Hunters on launch, Rafa, who I found to be my preferred choice, was simply entertaining. He possesses an ideal blend of sophistication and brute strength that makes him a delightful character to control. Based on my initial encounters with the other Vault Hunters, it seems the quality of their writing is equally impressive.

So, the story, writing and characters are all great, but what about the gameplay?

It’s clear that players familiar with the latest Borderlands releases have likely noticed an ongoing enhancement in gameplay across each new edition. Much like its predecessors, Borderlands 4 (BL4) builds upon these improvements, introducing fresh mechanics such as double jumps and a glide, which upon use, often provoke a sense of wonderment – “how did I manage to play these games without these features?

In a straightforward and engaging style, it’s safe to say that gunfights remain thrilling. The addition of both novel and refined weapon manufacturers significantly enhances the gameplay experience. I had an absolute ball testing out various weapons in each fresh location.

Now, players have the ability to combine parts from different gun brands to construct unique weapons, each boasting the special features of multiple manufacturers. This allows for an unprecedented level of customization and versatility.

After the game has been released and the more innovative players reach the end stages, I’m eagerly anticipating discovering the incredible overpowered setups they will devise.

This game is remarkably tough, I must say. I encountered death far more frequently than in earlier versions, yet I was enjoying myself so immensely that the setbacks weren’t an issue at all.

As a seasoned gamer, I’ve gotta admit that the gameplay is top-notch overall, but there’s one area where I think it could use some polishing: the boss battles. Don’t get me wrong, the Vault bosses are absolutely fantastic – they push you to your limits and force you to master some intriguing mechanics. However, not all bosses in the main story seem to live up to that standard. They don’t always present a real challenge or make me feel like I’m part of something truly epic. But hey, it’s just a minor gripe compared to the rest of the game!

Although I’ve been quite effusive about various aspects of Borderlands 4 thus far, I haven’t delved into what I find most captivating about it – the intricately designed world that the game offers.

In contrast to the smaller, separate zones found in previous Borderlands games, Kairos presents a vast open-world environment for players to traverse without any interruptions.

A successful open-world game adopts a suitable strategy as well. Rather than cluttering the map with meaningless icons for content, it tends to follow the style of games like The Legend of Zelda, subtly guiding players towards intriguing locations visible from afar.

While navigating different villages and Psycho camps on your journey, you’ll come across appeals, radio broadcasts, and other communications that allow you to decide which missions seem intriguing enough to investigate further.

Occasionally, particularly with my now-outdated PC hardware, I encountered instances where the game would lag during the loading of new areas in this vast open world. However, it’s important to note that this only happened when I was moving quickly on a vehicle and never significantly affected the overall gameplay. Still, it’s something worth keeping an eye on.

Due to an upcoming deadline, my time was limited in dealing with this additional content, yet it doesn’t pose an issue since I’m already looking forward to replaying the game. There’s something special about a game when the immediate reaction upon finishing it is the desire to play it all over again.

A significant reason for my enthusiasm is that BL4 is an exceptional game. However, what truly excites me is the prospect of experiencing this game alongside my friends.

The vast, open environment encourages casual exploration in a group setting, allowing for playful interaction and pure enjoyment of the world’s beauty and the games various features.

The Borderlands series is notably characterized by various elements, such as gameplay, humor, and characters, but arguably what sets it apart the most is its exceptional multiplayer experience.

During my entire playthrough of Borderlands 4, a single idea consistently echoed in my mind – “I can’t wait to experience this game with my friends.

In many aspects, Borderlands 4 gets nearly everything spot-on. However, compared to Borderlands 2, it might not captivate every player equally – recreating the enchantment that a character like Handsome Jack offers can be challenging.

2025 games such as Expedition 33 and Death Stranding 2 provide an intense level of emotional and moral complexity. In comparison, the upcoming game is nowhere near offering that kind of depth.

While I acknowledge the points you’ve raised, personally, it doesn’t significantly affect me because Borderlands 4 stands out as chaotic, swift, and energetic, just like its signature blend of absurd yet realistic humor that initially captivated numerous fans of the series.

Occasionally, a game doesn’t require profoundness or intellectual stimulation all the time; what it truly needs is sheer entertainment value, and let me tell you, I haven’t experienced such enjoyable gaming sessions in a while as I have with Borderlands 4.

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2025-09-11 16:08