Borderlands 4 Review – Vaults Past Its Predecessor

Borderlands has long stood propped up by two core pillars: a shower of loot composed of millions of gun configurations and a blending of comedy and violence. While 2019’s Borderlands 3 delivered on the former, its hit-and-miss narrative and jarring meme-heavy humor felt like a misstep in comparison to the beloved Borderlands 2. With Borderlands 4, Gearbox has clearly pivoted following the feedback on the preceding entry, delivering a sequel that feels far less like a reinvention and more a return to form. The latest installment isn’t without its own faults, but the end result is more closely aligned with the series’ heyday than recent attempts.

Set years after the cataclysmic events on Pandora, Borderlands 4 whisks players away to the new planet of Kairos, a hidden world dominated by an authoritarian regime under the rule of the Timekeeper. Its inhabitants are in desperate need of a savior and, fortunately for them, they’re handed four foul mouthed heroes with a penchant for toppling formidable baddies. The high stakes are immediately established, delivering a necessary tonal correction that grounds the chaos this time around.

A Return to Form

This isn’t simply a new coat of cel-shaded paint; it’s the re-engagement of a classic structure, meaningfully tuned for a modern gaming landscape. Borderlands 4 excels in many ways because it embraces the template laid down by its most successful titles. It presents a singular, menacing villain whose influence is felt across the entire planet, giving the four Vault Hunters’ journey a sense of purpose. The Timekeeper is no Handsome Jack, but he’s far greater a threat (and general antagonist) than the Calypso Twins. Gone are the young, screaming meme-lords and in their place is a colder, calculating tyrant. The tonal shift also extends to the humor, which has been dialed into a more effective framework that isn’t wholly reliant on aging internet trends. There’s an effective flow between the main narrative’s dramatic tension and the bizarre side mission content, restoring the franchise’s lost equilibrium.

The planet Kairos itself presents one of the most significant gameplay evolutions. Built in Unreal Engine 5, the world is physically larger and, notably, seamless. There are virtually no loading screens to be found as Vault Hunters travel across the different biomes—the lush vibrancy of the Fadefields contrasts beautifully against the volcanic wasteland of Carcadia Burn. Transitioning smoothly between each area reinforces the sense of traversing a cohesive, lived-in environment, rather than hopping between hubs put forward as glorified shooting galleries. The exploration is further enhanced by a host of new movement mechanics, including a double jump, gliding, dodging and the use of a grappling hook. Combat and verticality achieve new heights (figuratively and literally) thanks to these additions. Tactical advantages can be sought by grappling or gliding to elevated ledges, and there’s little else as cool as performing a mid-air dodge to avoid incoming fire during combat. The freedom of movement on offer turns every firefight into a fluid, engaging ballet of bullets and bloodshed.

The new quartet of Vault Hunters—Amon the Forgeknight, Harlowe the Gravitar, Rafa the Exo-Soldier, and Vex the Siren—are the distributors of this kinetic mayhem. Each character manages to stand out from each other mechanically, reinforcing Gearbox’s doubling down on build depth, and boasts three distinct skill trees that highlight different playstyle. For example, Rafa can be built into a close quarters melee monster with the aid of his Arc-Knives or he can leverage customizable shoulder-mounted ordinance to supplement his firepower when seeking single or multi-target elimination. Countless hours can be invested in theory-crafting and experimentation with each character, pairing different skills and synergistic legendaries for truly eye-popping results. In terms of their personality, your mileage may vary. Personally, I find the bunch to fall behind some of the series’ iconic hero designs, but they aren’t entirely unappealing.

Gunning for Greatness

None of this would matter if the shooting didn’t feel right. Thankfully, the core loop is the best it has ever been. The staggering array of weaponry are incredibly punchy and exciting to use. The tactile feedback given from each of the manufacturers imbues meaningful personality to the Vault Hunter’s loadout. And there’s no shortage of loadout configurations due to the billions (seriously) of guns spilling forth in an endless stream of multi-colored loot. Not only does each manufacturer come packing their own signature vibe, but individual components on these weapons can come from a different manufacturer. This creates glorious combinations that turn classics into all-new beasts. A Vladof assault rifle can see an explosive boost if it’s sporting a Tediore magazine. Who wouldn’t want a full automatic rocket launcher? Even after many hours, the combinations stumbled across remain thrilling and have pushed me toward playstyles I wouldn’t have chosen otherwise. The weapon systems are further augmented by the new Ordnance slot that now covers throwables (e.g., grenades and throwing knives) and heavy weaponry. The latter includes the likes of rocket launchers and miniguns.

Underlining all of this, which I’ve loosely mentioned, is the loot chase. Borderlands 4 contains a stronger endgame that will have players squaring off with Vault monstrosities and tackling the increased challenges of Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode as they pursue those desired configurations and stat rolls. Although the early game felt like it was trickling loot, but the endgame is more generous with the loot showers.

Perhaps the most glaring issue facing Borderlands 4 stems from the regularly-problematic Unreal Engine 5. Performance stability drags down the experience because of its at-times dire state. The PC version struggles with hitching and and an inconsistent framerate, even on setups well north of the recommended specs. The technical shortcomings are notable hiccups in what is supposed to be a seamless flow of action and carnage. With this in mind, the developer is attempting to improve the situation, even if only marginally so far.

Borderlands 4 Review Verdict

[Editor’s Note: Borderlands 4 was reviewed on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]