Borderlands has long been a huge franchise, but missed the mark a little with the third entry. After Tina came along to distract fans for a little while, the fourth main entry is just about here, and both Matt Hewson and Jess Zammit have been playing to see if it is a redemption story or a further decline for the once great looter shooter.
Borderlands 4 Review - Mayhem for the Masses
Matt: So, Borderlands, to me, is really a love it or hate it franchise. It seems to really rub some people the wrong way, but for me, I have always had a blast. I’ve played through all of the games, and apart from the third entry, I have enjoyed them all. That said, I have to say I was worried if the franchise could keep up with modern times and keep audiences interested with the same old tricks. Now that I have finished Borderlands 4, I must say my worries were a little unfounded. How are you feeling about the path this fourth entry has taken, Jess?
Jess: Is it weird to say I feel sort of neutral towards Borderlands, generally? I’ve enjoyed playing with friends, and the base gameplay loop is usually satisfying, but I have somehow managed to historically feel neither love nor hate towards it. It is absolutely what it is always described as being – a looter shooter. But in the simplest terms, the fourth entry feels like… well, more Borderlands. Plenty of looting, plenty of shooting, and plenty of characters that are designed to be somewhat outlandish, and which sort of seem to hit and miss in equal measure. There are moments where Borderlands feels like it’s nailing its vibe, and hitting the comedic notes it’s trying to hit, and moments where it sort of feels (to me) like it’s trying too hard. But the gameplay loop that fans will expect is absolutely there, and it does feel like they’re redeeming themselves a little from the disappointment of Borderlands 3. Let’s start with the story, though – how did you feel about the narrative direction of this latest entry?
Matt: You are right, some of it is hit and miss, but I have to say I appreciated the tone much more this time around. It felt like they were aiming for Mel Brooks and not teen comedy like they did in 3, and, for me at least, the jokes landed better as a result. But as for the story, it was honestly odd. For a lot of the game, it is just a simple story about taking over a prison planet. The main baddie is appropriately menacing, the story beats are all pretty standard, and it gives off a comfortable, if predictable, feel. But at around the 2/3rd mark, well, the story suddenly goes from background character to a lead role. I was surprised at the turn it took, and I have to say, I loved the way it played out. Sure, it isn’t Shakespeare, but it was a thoroughly entertaining, if bonkers, tale. Old friends showed up, along with the new vault hunters, who are all wonderfully written. I mainlined Harlowe, an infectiously lovable scientist, but I did play with all the others for a decent period of time, and they all are easy to like. Who did you fall for, Jess?
Jess: It’s definitely bonkers, but I do agree that it’s mostly entertaining – and the moments where it leans more into that Mel Brooks style of humour are definitely where it shines. The villain, when you see what he’s capable of, is actually kind of terrifying – in a game less dedicated to maintaining that sense of light and absurdity, they could have gone to some truly dark places with his power. Here, they sort of do, but this isn’t a game that’s particularly keen on letting you linger in any gloomy feelings – with a few notable exceptions. As for who I fell for – like you, I was also drawn to Harlowe – partly because I can’t go past a lovable and enthusiastic nerd, but also because of her powers as a Gravitar. They largely revolve around being able to do area damage, or put enemies into stasis and take them out of action – both particularly useful abilities when you’re dealing with the game’s never-ending onslaught of enemies. I do feel like I’ll go back and give the other characters a bit more of a go, though, particularly Vex – who is a Siren with an incredibly cool aesthetic, and also animal companions, which is always a draw. Even sticking to the one character, though, there’s variation in how you can play. Each hero has three ‘action skills’, each with its own skill tree, allowing you to really find the one that works for you and funnel your points into perfecting the right build, which can take a little while, so I also appreciated the ability to shuffle points around. There are also some cool ways of interacting with the environment, like a grapple that can prove handy for grabbing makeshift grenades of sorts from a distance, but that also helps to fling yourself around the battlefield. And speaking of movement, I feel like we should talk about the new ways of getting around – that bike is pretty cool.
Matt: The fact that you can just summon it anywhere is certainly a bonus, doubly so in this massive open world. The old way of having to leg it to a station would have been a nightmare here. I, too, want to talk about the movement and how it plays into combat. In previous Borderlands games, the shooting has always been, well, fine. It did the job without being spectacular. But here is where I feel that Gearbox has made the biggest improvements. Everything feels much more in line with a modern FPS, from mobility to the guns themselves, and I have to say it goes a long way to making me enjoy my time.
I also feel that the move to the open world was a smart one. The old system of sectioned-off areas, undoubtedly due to technical limitations of the time, would feel pretty antiquated in this day and age. I loved exploring and often found myself distracted by some pretty interesting sidequests and activities. There is a little bit of Ubisoft-syndrome here, with tons of things to do, but I was more than happy to keep doing them, so I guess the balance was just right. Things like exploring mines, powering up old wrecked machinery and discovering lost caches never grew old, and there are even some pretty decent platforming puzzles thanks to the new movement mechanics.
Jess: There are! I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the first one, and it was great to see how they integrated the grapple into some basic puzzles, too. But yes, you’re right – I do think it was a case of adapting or being glaringly behind the times. The world feels just as big as it needs to be, and wandering off the path just a little to check out a question mark on my map led to side quests that ended up being some of the best moments of the game. Between the bike and the ability to fast travel, exploring the map feels like less of a chore, for sure. I also couldn’t help but treat the bike as a sort of makeshift tank – you can ride it pretty far into some battles, and it’s actually surprisingly effective at mowing down enemies, even if it is a little tricky to control.
So, the guns are better, the movement is better, the writing is an improvement on its predecessor – are there any areas where you think they’ve taken a step backwards, or has Borderlands really just returned to form?
Matt: For me, at least, I don’t think there have been any steps backwards. The Timekeeper, as a big bad, isn’t quite as memorable as Handsome Jack, but honestly, that is a tough act to follow, and he is certainly more interesting than the YouTube twins from 3. I managed to get a couple of co-op matches in, and they are as fun as always, and the set-piece missions and boss battles were all great. If I have one issue with the game, it is perhaps the lack of different environments. There are pretty standard snow, desert and farm areas for the most part, and they are things we have seen in Borderlands before. Sure, they look better thanks to advances in graphical tech, but there is nothing here that could be called wild or new, which is odd for a game that prides itself on being bonkers. The Order (The Timekeeper’s army) facilities all become very samey after a while, and that can make them feel like a bit of a chore to navigate. Some of the other areas in the map feel a bit like they have been put together with the same pieces I’ve seen a hundred times over, just in a slightly different fashion. It isn’t a major issue, but when you are spending 40+ hours in a game, a lack of environmental variety can get to you. What about you? Any major issues?
Jess: Mostly the same one – lack of variety, which for me didn’t take too long to set in, particularly when playing alone. While the overarching story was compelling enough to make me want to see it through to the end, there were times when I’d be hit with another group of the same enemies I’d just finished fighting, and it was hard not to feel a little exasperated at the idea of going through another round. That, mixed with the (admittedly rarer) moments where the dialogue still felt like it was trying way too hard to be funny, meant that I did spend a fair chunk of time rolling my eyes at the game generally. But overall – you’re right. It’s a fun experience, it’s got just enough new content in there to make it feel fresh, and just enough throwbacks to give longtime fans something to celebrate. A solid offering, and – I think – the return to form that Borderlands enthusiasts will be looking for.
Matt: You are bang on. This is Borderlands for better or worse, but it is the best Borderlands has ever been. I don’t think any people who didn’t like the previous games will be won over here, but those who did are in for a treat. If you are a lapsed fan or someone who stayed with the series for the whole ride, you will find a lot to love here, but if Claptrap and co have always pissed you off, well, there is no need to apply. Borderlands 4 is a game that aims to please its existing fanbase, and please, it does. Frankly, there is nothing wrong with that at all.
Borderlands 4 was reviewed on PC with code kindly supplied by the publisher
