Borderlands 4 Previews Laud Gameplay Improvements and More Mature Tone

Borderlands 4 Early Previews Point to Enhanced Gameplay and a Mature Shift

With Borderlands 4 set to launch next week, select journalists and content creators have shared their initial impressions after experiencing a closed demo. The previews suggest that Gearbox Software has delivered a game that not only refines the series' beloved looter-shooter formula but also shifts towards a more grounded narrative tone, garnering significant praise.

In Borderlands 4, players will venture to the planet Kairos, taking on the roles of a new team of Vault Hunters. Their mission is to traverse diverse regions as they confront the tyranny of the enigmatic Timekeeper.

Key Takeaways from the Previews:

• Demo Experience: The demo offered roughly four hours of gameplay, allowing players to test core mechanics through a mission focused on confronting one of the Timekeeper's lieutenants.
• Humor Refinement: A notable change is the reduced emphasis on crude humor. Unlike Borderlands 3, which some found excessively comical, the developers have reportedly toned down the jokes, aiming for a more balanced atmosphere closer to the series' earlier entries.
• Improved Loot and Weapons: Reviewers consistently praised the enhanced loot system and the vast array of weapons. These weapons come with diverse modifiers that boost their effectiveness and offer unique synergies with each playable character's abilities. As Paulo Kawanishi from Polygon noted, the focus is squarely on the "pleasure of shooting," with character designs built around this philosophy.
• Deep Character Builds: The character progression system allows for extensive customization. For example, the character Rafa can utilize three specializations, each with its own skill tree and an ultimate ability. Kawanishi highlighted how Rafa's shoulder turrets could be optimized for increased uptime on critical hits, with his shield regenerating upon enemy kills, making him incredibly effective. This depth encourages players to experiment with builds and weapon combinations.
• Dynamic Movement and Verticality: A new grapple hook adds a fresh layer to both exploration and combat. Players can use it to traverse locations and even in battle, such as latching onto explosive barrels and launching them at enemies. The increased verticality of the game's maps complements this new movement tool.
• Challenging Enemies: Opponents are described as agile, well-coordinated, and capable of dealing substantial damage. Some journalists even reported dying more often to regular mobs than to bosses, indicating a heightened challenge.
• Co-op and Solo Play: While co-op play is highlighted as the best way to leverage characters' complementary skills, the robust build options ensure that solo players can still create incredibly potent combinations of skills and weapons.

A Return to Form?

Many reviewers are not shying away from calling Borderlands 4 a potential peak for the series. This sentiment stems from the improved gameplay and the intertwining mechanics, alongside well-designed locations brimming with valuable loot. The plot, naturally, couldn't be fully assessed in a four-hour demo, but previews suggest its mood aligns more with the first two Borderlands titles rather than the "controversial" third installment.

Michael Hoglund of Windows Central expressed, "Weaponry combined with updated movement mechanics have made this game the pinnacle of everything Borderlands is. Nothing in the series can compare to the dynamic combat of this installment, and I realized this after just an hour of playing the demo." He added that the gameplay was so smooth, returning to games like Tiny Tina's Wonderlands or Borderlands 2 felt challenging afterward. Hoglund also highlighted changes to the weapon system, such as rockets no longer occupying a separate slot and their ammo automatically replenishing over 10-20 seconds.

Regarding the atmosphere, Hoglund observed, "Borderlands always balanced on the edge of humor and serious narration. Borderlands 3 was more like that high school guy who tried too hard to be funny but just annoyed everyone. In the fourth installment, the developers returned to their roots."

Borderlands 4 is slated for release on September 12th for PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is planned for October 3rd. The game will include Russian text localization.