Borderlands 4 seems to recapture the series’ signature chaotic charm — a welcome return to its roots

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For nearly two decades, I’ve been keeping tabs on the evolution of Borderlands, ever since it was first unveiled as a gritty looter-shooter in Game Informer. Before the distinctive cel-shaded style we’re now familiar with became part of its identity. It goes without saying that I am an ardent admirer of this series.

I’m quite fond of this franchise, and playing Borderlands 3 left me with a slowly developing sense of void in me as I continued to play.

To be honest, it didn’t get off to a great start – it was average at best. The jokes were excessive, the rhythm seemed off, and there wasn’t much new in terms of plot development compared to what I’ve encountered previously.

Enter Borderlands 4

Upon stepping into the preview zone, a sense of apprehension washed over me. Yet, it wasn’t due to doubts about the game’s quality; instead, it was the nostalgic excitement I experienced with the first and second Borderlands that I yearned to recapture.

The story begins with an intense introduction. Without revealing crucial details, it’s safe to mention that you join forces with the Crimson Resistance, a group allied with the Vault Hunter. Together, you are engaged in a battle against Idolator Sol, one of the Timekeeper’s high-ranking allies. Now, your mission leads you to confront Sol within his fortress.

The action starts at the previously mentioned fortress. Defeat Sol, rescue the Fadefields’ Resistance, and that’s all there is to it.

I arrive as Rafa, formerly an exo-soldier now transformed into a Vault Hunter. My initial arsenal consists of sought-after weapons, their legends stemming from unknown escapades: a pair of legendary items form the foundation of my firepower – a shield and class mod are among them. This lethal combination promises to be comically devastating during confrontations with bosses.

Once in, you’re given explicit instructions from some of the resistance members.

Kill.

This is my Boom Stick!

As a dedicated researcher immersed in the world of Borderlands, let me express my unreserved enthusiasm. If you’re partaking in this gaming universe, it’s all about the firearms. Rest assured, Borderlands 4 exceeds expectations, delivering an exceptional experience that surpasses even the highest standards set by its predecessors.

In simpler terms, my weapon of choice fires small rotating discs that pierce the neck of opponents, causing fatal wounds until they expire. My shotgun, on the other hand, is a powerful, rapid-fire device that incinerates anything it hits, ignoring traditional elemental damage restrictions.

In simpler terms, using the fictional weapon “Peacemaker Arms,” I rained down a waterfall of bullets that only caused critical hits on Synths and Armature enemies. Not even when they were downed could they withstand my attacks; my weapons, quick to reload, would easily take out a training dummy, providing me a chance for resuscitation if needed.

The integration of weapons and enhanced character movement makes this Borderlands edition unrivaled in terms of gameplay. No other moment-to-moment fight compares, a fact confirmed after an hour of gameplay during the preview.

Revisiting Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands or my beloved Borderlands 2 again seems like a tedious task. It’s not because the gameplay has morphed into what seems like a Call of Duty-style experience for Gen Z, but rather because once you start playing, it offers an exhilarating sensation to handle.

Proficiency with the system will make you move, leap, and traverse as if gliding through the air, much like an agile Rakk. You’ll be harvesting experience points from those who hoard time, exposing them for what they essentially represent: mere XP farms.

Now, the weapon system has experienced significant transformations. Do you recall when rockets required designated slots? That’s no longer the case!

In simpler terms, you can equip an assortment of weapons such as grenades, throwing weapons, or explosives into your grenade slot. These can range from traditional explosives to futuristic options like rockets, lasers (just like Dr. Evil’s from Austin Powers), and other loud, splattering devices.

From now on, you won’t have to search for ammunition for your rockets and grenades any longer. Instead, their usage is regulated by a cooldown system. This cooldown period can last anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds or more. During this time frame, players can unleash a series of attacks as they cannot use these abilities repeatedly immediately.

Can you tell I love the combat in this game? What about everything else?

Atmosphere done right

Borderlands often navigates a delicate balance in its humor and narrative style. Characters like Handsome Jack have been particularly memorable, straddling the line between detestable and amusing, leaving an indelible impression on players’ minds.

In the realm I’ve observed, I found the duo from Borderlands 3 akin to that overzealous classmate in Junior High who was striving excessively to be amusing. Despite their menacing demeanor, they strikingly failed to recapture the charm of the original character, Handsome Jack, leaving them as an unremarkable chapter in my beloved book series.

That’s where the villains, thus far, come in at a different angle.

Instead of attempting any form of humor, Sol’s demeanor is one of stern command. His gaze exudes contempt and openly questions the strength of the vault hunters.

There’s no joke or punchline, just pure hatred for anyone standing in his way.

In my observation, it appears that Borderlands 4 is gearing towards a more somber and ominous portrayal for some of its antagonists. The specifics about what we can expect are still unclear, but one thing is evident: the creators at Gearbox Studios aren’t shying away from presenting some serious challenges with less humor this time around.

As a tech-savvy individual, an unyielding sense of urgency washed over me as I breached the digital fortress. It swiftly became apparent that the Crimson Resistance depended on my skills; if I didn’t act, they and hundreds more would be at risk of dire consequences.

Rest assured, the humorous aspect of Borderlands hasn’t disappeared. After my demise, Rafa jokingly commented, “What did I do wrong?” – a phrase often used without expecting an answer. He made this comment in a completely empty room.

Time after time, the humor was spot on, never feeling contrived or excessive. It seemed like the jokes were organically developed, maturing alongside their audience, delivering laughs effortlessly.

Boss and loot

To begin with, let me clarify something. I encountered Sol twice – first time during my initial playthrough, and second time utilizing the previously disclosed Mad Moxxi Encore mode.

Sun (Sol) will prove a tough opponent, wielding an invincible defense that players must counter with items they can attach and hurl back at him. As his defenses weaken, his shields will disappear, leaving him exposed to any type of harm.

As a game analyst, I found myself engaged in combat with this character on two occasions. Similar to earlier Borderlands installments, certain builds had surpassed the designer’s initial vision, leading me to easily defeat Sol in a single strike, an unexpected outcome that caught me off guard.

Instead,

By blending together my character’s skills in a specific way-using a class modification that resets grenades upon ability usage, combined with an ability modifier that refreshes the ability after each kill-I ended up creating a never-ending supply of grenades.

Initially having just one powerful homing grenade, they multiplied up to as many as my grenade key could generate without me being incapacitated. These grenades had an expansive blast radius that annihilated everything within range, including myself on occasion, and were remarkably potent, much like some of the top-tier build guides suggest for characters like Sol.

I decided I’d rather find out what the fight actually was by running it again!

In my second attempt, I opted not to handle grenades, which made the gameplay much more enjoyable from a mechanical standpoint.

In the style of a mini-boss fight in Destiny, Sol featured several phases requiring a combination of mobility and environmental interaction.

Initially, he charged towards my character and simultaneously threw down destructive staffs across the area. Grabbing the final one, as I had mentioned before, made him vulnerable to harm.

During the second stage, there were recurring assaults, accompanied this time by an electrical storm that necessitated avoiding electrified areas within the arena to avoid being struck. Remaining stationary would have been perilously risky. Additionally, these attacks inadvertently claimed the lives of his own troops, rendering a strategy called Second Wind untenable.

A culmination of everything followed, and once mastered, so did the loot.

In my viewpoint, the world of Borderlands feels like a vibrant kaleidoscope. Spotting a burst of purple or even a flash of orange instantly captures my attention, overshadowing everything else in the game, guiding me towards it regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

Although legends are said to be less common in recent versions, I was able to score one and the excitement it brought was more intense than any hilarious Claptrap joke has ever made me feel. I thrive on such moments.

It ended up being for a different freaking class!

Based on my current observations, I’m feeling quite reassured. I can certainly cope with a few underwhelming loot finds if it turns out that this game is indeed the reigning champion of the looter-shooter genre once more.

Just make sure you’re a real fan!

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2025-09-04 15:18