Borderlands 4 Aims to Dominate Looter Shooter Genre

With explosive gunplay, an absurd arsenal of firearms to collect, and some of gaming's raunchiest humor, the Borderlands series has held a special place in my heart since 2009. As the franchise that pioneered the looter-shooter genre, it later struggled to keep pace during the RPG-infused multiplayer shooter boom. Borderlands 4 shows Gearbox making bold moves to reclaim its crown, delivering improved gunplay mechanics, revamped RPG systems, a fresh setting, new characters, and surprisingly, a more grounded narrative tone. My hands-on time left me convinced I'll happily return to this world of psychos and irritating robots.

I Need Guns

Among Borderlands 4's many innovations, its mobility enhancements immediately stood out. The game introduces at least five new movement options: double-jumping, aerial gliding, side-dashing, grappling hooks, and swimming (finally fixing those instant water deaths from older games). These mechanics transform arena navigation and combat pacing, though they do require some adjustment - I initially forgot half my movement options existed. By the demo's end, I'd grown comfortable weaving these abilities into my chaotic combat style, though mastering them will take time.

Borderlands 4 Switch 2 Screenshots

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True to franchise tradition, weapons remain central to the experience. While limited by my early-game demo, I discovered plenty of firearm insanity. New manufacturers like Ripper (similar to COV guns with wind-up mechanics) and Daedelus (Dahl-style multi-ammo weapons) join returning favorites. The only completely new type I encountered was The Order, featuring alternate fire modes - like a gravity well-generating pistol. With only one legendary drop, I expect more surprises await in later gameplay.

Get Built

The build-crafting system shows significant evolution, particularly with new Repkit healing items. These allow for strategic trade-offs between healing power and secondary effects - like one that triggered cryo explosions versus another offering double heals with longer cooldowns. This opens exciting possibilities for min-maxing players. The new Vault Hunters also impress: Vex summons magical NPC allies, while Rafa deploys tech like melee blades and automated shoulder cannons. Several perk trees show serious late-game potential, including one that converts Rafa's turrets into stationary emplacements.

Story Time

Borderlands 4 takes a darker narrative turn with its new Kairos setting, ruled by the cybernetic implant-wielding Timekeeper. While maintaining the series' signature humor and gore, there's a noticeably more grounded tone - particularly welcome after Borderlands 3's narrative shortcomings. The shift from Pandora and introduction of mostly new characters feels like a soft reboot, refreshing the storytelling canvas while keeping core Borderlands DNA intact.

This refreshed approach feels necessary. While I never want Borderlands to become another live-service clone, the genre has evolved significantly since 2009. Gearbox's willingness to take risks with Borderlands 4 suggests they understand the need for the franchise to grow.

That said, the game retains everything fans love. I still spent hours obliterating enemies who poured from spawn points, watching rainbow loot explosions, and roadkilling creatures with my new anywhere-summonable vehicle. Restricted from showing certain content, I'll only say the boss fights represent a major step forward - the one I battled repeatedly featured the most engaging mechanics I've seen in the series, boding well for the full experience.

After several hours with Borderlands 4, I'm optimistic about its potential to win back lapsed fans. Stay tuned for upcoming coverage featuring late-game content and the boss battles I've been grinding for better loot - because some gaming habits never die.