Borderlands 4 Review: A Bold New Direction
After spending over fifty hours blasting through psychos and hunting for loot, I’m ready to say it: Borderlands 4 is a triumphant return to form. Gearbox has listened to feedback, taken risks, and delivered an experience that feels both fresh and familiarly chaotic. If you’ve been waiting for the series to reclaim its crown, this might just be it.
Let's dive into the Borderlands 4 Review and explore why this game is a must-play for looter-shooter fans!
A Truly Open World Pandora (With a Few Walls)
The biggest shift in Borderlands 4 is the leap to a fully open world. Gone are the segmented levels of past games; now you’re free to explore the diverse regions of Cairo’s at your own pace. With a grapple hook, a glider, and a summonable vehicle, getting around is more fun than ever. I spent hours just wandering, uncovering side quests, timed events, and collectibles.
However, this new freedom has one glaring flaw: invisible walls. Too often, I’d try to scale a cliff or glide over a ridge only to be blocked by an invisible barrier. It’s a frustratingly artificial limitation in a world that otherwise encourages exploration. While I eventually learned to spot "unclimbable" surfaces, it still breaks the immersion.
Combat & Movement: Faster, Smarter, and More Dynamic in Borderlands 4 Review
Combat has received a massive overhaul. The gunplay is the tightest and most responsive in the series, complemented by new movement options like a double jump, a directional dash, and yes, swimming (water doesn’t kill you anymore!). It took some time to master, but once I did, I was zipping around battlefields, dodging attacks, and chaining abilities like a pro.
Enemy design is also a highlight. You’ll face crystal-covered beasts that require you to shoot off their armor, mechanical spiders that reflect bullets, and floating orbs that demand quick target switching. Boss fights are a significant step up, often involving mechanics like throwing toxic bombs or grappling to avoid arena-wide hazards.
The Loot: Weirder, Wilder, and Wonderfully Customizable
The loot loop is as addictive as ever. The new Borderlands 4 License Part System allows weapons to roll with parts from different manufacturers, creating insane combinations. Imagine a Maliwan SMG with a Jakobs barrel that ricochets on crits, or a Torgue pistol that fires sticky explosives. The build-crafting potential is enormous, though it doesn’t quite reach the depth of games like Diablo or Path of Exile.
Each of the four new Vault Hunters feels distinct and viable for endgame activities. I spent half my playthrough as Vex, using spectral summons, before respeccing into a elemental DPS build after finding a killer legendary. The flexibility is fantastic.
Technical Hiccups & Co-op Concerns
Now, the downsides. Borderlands 4 is buggy. My co-op squad encountered lag, de-sync, enemies becoming immune to damage, and progress-wiping bugs. Solo play is smoother, but issues like framerate hitches and inventory bugs persist. Gearbox has a history of post-launch support, so expect fixes, but at launch, it’s rough.
Despite the bugs, I couldn’t put it down. The core loop of looting and shooting is so satisfying that I endured the technical headaches. The endgame grind, featuring weekly challenges, rotating bosses, and a hidden vending machine, has me hooked.
Verdict: A Must-Play for Looter Shooter Fans in Borderlands 4 Review
Borderlands 4 isn’t perfect, but it’s a breath of fresh air the series desperately needed. The move to an open world, the improved combat, and the insane weapon combinations make it an easy recommendation for fans and newcomers alike. If you can look past the technical issues, you’ll find one of the most entertaining looter shooters in years.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a boss to farm.
