Borderlands 4 Hands-on Preview
It has been quite some time since the last pure Borderlands experience. Sure, we have had a Borderlands adventure game and Tiny Tina’s spin on Dungeons and Dragons (which I really enjoyed), but it has been almost six years since the release of Borderlands 3, a game that didn’t quite capture the universe like the previous titles did. So with Borderlands 4, there is a lot at stake. Does the formula still resonate with fans? Can it evolve with modern times? Can the once great king of the loot-n-shoot reclaim its throne? Well, thanks to a generous amount of hands-on time provided by the good folks at 2K Australia and Gearbox, I have a much clearer picture of how all those questions are going to play out.
Let me get this out of the way right off the bat. If you didn’t like Borderlands before, I doubt that this one is going to change your mind. The core is the same as it has always been. Shoot weird enemies on weird worlds and pilfer cool weapons while sprouting one-liners that would make Arnie cringe. The same goes for the look of the game, which has clearly seen graphical improvements, but it is unmistakably “Borderlands.” The goal here has obviously been not to reinvent the wheel, but perhaps get it some new tyres and snazzy rims, which is something I can appreciate. The good news is that these evolutions to the formula, at least the ones I experienced, all seem well thought-out and implemented, and in some cases, long overdue.
The first, and most welcome of the improvements, comes with the combat. I immediately noticed that the gunplay felt snappier, more agile and closer to what you would expect from a modern FPS. This new mobility is only enhanced by a new grappling hook that allows players to scale heights and distances in an instant. It really adds a sense of verticality that Borderlands has never really had. I cannot stress how much better the combat feels, from lowly minions to big boss battles. I am not sure that gameplay videos really do these improvements justice, but it was instantly noticeable as soon as I picked up the controller.
The next big improvement is the addition of a fully open world. While some missions and story content are in separate areas, for the most part, the game plays out in a fully open world. This is such a smart move for mine and a significant advancement on the classic, smaller maps from the previous games in the series. It makes total sense and gives players a lot more options for exploration and adventure. I do worry that it may suffer from a lack of things to do in the open world, but that is something that concerns me with any game with this sort of open structure. Only time will tell on that part. A big open world is only fun if getting around it isn’t a chore, and Borderlands 4 has solved that issue with instantly summonable rides. In previous titles, players had to go to a collection point to summon a vehicle, but in B4, you can create one at the press of a button. It is a simple addition, but one that undoubtedly makes a huge difference when traversing the map.
The other improvement I want to make note of is the tone of the game. Borderlands games have been, let’s just say, juvenile at times. It worked in the first two games, but by the third, the schtick had worn pretty thin. Here, there is undoubtedly humour present, but it is, at least from what I saw, taking a more mature approach. No cheap jokes, no teenager snickers. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of silliness which I love (after all, what’s a Borderlands game without Claptrap?), but that silliness seems to have heart, not something I could say for the previous games. The main bad guy seems like a legit baddie in the vein of Darth Vader as opposed to the YouTube Streamers from 3 or the Ultimate Elon Musk, Handsome Jack from 2. It is an interesting change, and while I am not sure if it is the right move just yet, it is at least a refreshing approach.
The last thing I want to talk about is the playable characters themselves. During my time with the game, I got to play as two of the four final Vault Hunters. The first was the game’s Siren. Her name is Vex, and she is essentially a pet class who has the ability to summon magical creatures to do her bidding. The second was Rafa, who was a tech-based character that sports shoulder-mounted auto-targeting weapons and a range of gadget-based specials. In the small amount of time I had, it was hard to get a full read on how these characters will play out once their skill trees have been fully explored, but I have to say I enjoyed my time with both of them, and they show great promise.
Overall, my time with Borderlands 4 has shown me that Gearbox isn’t trying to change things too much, but what it is changing is both needed and considered. It very much feels like a game made for fans, both current and lapsed. A game that is looking to take a genre that the franchise helped pioneer and bring it to its peak form. For me, that is more than enough. Not every game has to be a groundbreaking piece of art; some can just take things we have enjoyed before and improve them. That is exactly what Borderlands 4 is setting out to do: take the stuff we loved to the next level, and I guess we will all find out for sure if the dev team were successful when the full game releases on September 12 for PC, Switch 2, Xbox Series and PS5.
