It’s been six years since the last mainline entry in the Borderlands series. And it’s been a bumpy six years. The gaming landscape has shifted, the budget for the new instalment has doubled, and of course, there’s been some turbulence around the game’s pricing and Randy Pitchford being Randy Pitchford. But Borderlands 4, , developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K, has finally landed.
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So, is it a major step forward for the series and the looter-shooter genre it helped define? And were all the trials and tribulations worth the wait?
Landing It
You begin the game with a classic prison break. But before that, you must choose which of the new Vault Hunters to play as. Rafa, an Exo-Soldier; Harlowe, a Gravitar; Amon, the mighty Forgeknight; and Vex, this instalment’s Siren.
As in previous games, each character has their own powers and skills to suit different playstyles. From Amon acting as a tank and soaking up damage, to Rafa being a sharpshooter and adept with blades.
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The story takes place six years after the events of Borderlands 3, on the once-hidden planet Kairos, which has been exposed to the galaxy after Lilith teleports Pandora’s moon, Elpis, into its protective shield.
You’re rescued by the Crimson Resistance, a ragtag band of rebels aided by familiar faces such as Mad Moxxi, Marcus Kincaid, and Claptrap. This time, the main antagonist is the Timekeeper, who can control anyone on Kairos (except the Vault Hunters) and commands a deadly synthetic army. Your mission is straightforward: overthrow the Timekeeper and his forces, and uncover his hidden Vault.
Revisiting the Roots
The narrative is classic Borderlands. A mix of humour (which can be hit or miss) and more serious undertones. Gameplay-wise, it remains true to its roots, but introduces new layers and tweaks to skill systems and unlock mechanics.
Two of the most notable additions are the grapple and glide pack, which enhance traversal. The grapple, however, can feel slightly overused at times. Still, both tools improve exploration and add dynamism to combat scenarios.
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Then there’s the ever-evolving arsenal. With every loot box opened and boss defeated, you gain new weapons, some better, some not, leading to a bit of on-the-fly micromanagement. The variety of firepower is impressive. Assault rifles that convert into shotguns, guns that turn into grenades when discarded and then respawn in your hand fully loaded. The weapon design is wild and endlessly inventive.
Border World
Kairos itself is enormous, with diverse biospheres and a rare sense of being truly alive. The world seems to operate independently of your actions, making encounters feel organic rather than artificially placed.
There’s plenty to do and explore, with secrets, collectibles, and rare loot scattered throughout. Open-world activities include Bounty Boards for quests, ransacking Ancient Crawlers, and tackling Drill Sites and Abandoned Augur Mines for boss battles.
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And that’s before you even touch the side quests. It’s a content-rich experience, ensuring you’re never short of something to do, a genuine time sink.
Once you’ve completed the main story, you can dive into Ultimate Vault Hunter Modes, the endgame content where difficulty ramps up across the world. Two new challenges await: the weekly Wildcard Mission and Moxxi’s Big Encore, both offering increased difficulty and greater rewards.
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Visually, the game sticks to its cel-shaded roots and looks fantastic, maintaining its comic-book aesthetic across all environments. The sound design is solid, with a generally unobtrusive but often epic soundtrack, and excellent voice acting from the vibrant cast—including the ever-irritating Claptrap.
Borderlands 4 delivers more of what fans love, with plenty of refinements and additions to its unique brand of looter-shooter action. If you’ve been waiting six years for this, you’ll likely be thrilled. Newcomers, meanwhile, will discover a lush, vibrant, and often epic world to get lost in.
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