Borderlands 4 comes out at an interesting point in the game's franchise. When the first Borderlands debuted in 2009, it changed the looter first-person shooter genre. Now, every game strives to be like Borderlands. The sequel, Borderlands 2, did really well and included a Telltale spin-off. Gearbox Software hit a bit of a snag with Borderlands 3. Critics and fans found Borderlands 3 for cringey humor and repetitive gameplay.
Things really took a turn when the Borderlands movie came out in 2024. The Borderlands movie got such a bad reception that it had a 0% at one point on Rotten Tomatoes when it came out. Now, Gearbox is trying to win back fans with the release of Borderlands 4. Fans looking to enjoy more of what they love most about the franchise will be pleased wth how efficiently Borderlands 4 trims the excess off the previous game. At its best, Borderlands 4 reminds fans why they fell in love with the Borderlands series in the first place.
Borderlands 4 Addresses a Major Fan Complaint About Borderlands 3
Borderlands 4 centers around a Vault Hunter captured by the Timekeeper on the planet Kairos. It's up to them to fight against the regime and defeat the Timekeeper. The story is a hit-and-miss because this is a response to criticisms of Borderlands 3. They decided to do a 180 by trimming off the fat from the humor and getting rid of annoying Borderlands characters. Gearbox kept true to their word and didn't incorporate "Skibidi Toilet" references or other meme humor into this game. It's a big deal as having humor that doesn't focus on current jokes while making this game hopefully more timeless. A lot of the toilet humor from the recent entries is now gone, and instead has given way to a drier wit.
These changes feel natural and work to the new game's advantage. Although some alterations are bound to catch players off guard, that often serves as the best kind of delivery. Regarding the story as a whole, Borderlands 4 is on the bland side. Besides the thrilling opening hour, the story of the new Borderlands game simply rolls along with nothing about the main plot compelling enough to continue. It's not until the beginning of Act 3 that things finally start to pick up.
Borderlands 4 Promises "Skibidi" Won't Be Said In The Game
Borderlands 4's trailer had fans pretty excited about a possible new art direction. It seems like the humor is changing too.
Thankfully, elements like the open world and gameplay keep the story more lively. The side characters also provide some flavor to the story with entertaining side quests. Several major Borderlands characters also return to join the fray. Claptrap returns as everyone's favorite annoying robot, and it's good most of the time when his jokes land. Considering the game's weaknesses, the gameplay is the shining light of Borderlands 4.
Borderlands Makes Big Upgrades & Keeps What Fans Love Most
The gameplay for Borderlands 4 might feel similar to previous games, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Exploring different loot and experimenting with various weapons for the player's Vault Hunter is still very enjoyable. Every Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter feels unique and carries potential for playthroughs. Rafa, Vex, Amon and Harlowe stand out from each other and make a potential new save even more enticing. In short, players get plenty of options to select the right Vault Hunter for their Borderlands 4 playthrough.
The amount of mayhem and crazy combat skills in Borderlands 4 is mind-blowing at times. Experimenting with different actions and buffs adds variety while taking out camps. It's a huge upgrade that shows why it got featured in a lot of Borderlands 4 marketing. Everything else is mostly the same, but that feels like the intention. Gearbox took the approach of if it's not broken, then don't fix it. The formula of looting feels mostly the same, and getting new and creative weapons is always a standout part of what makes Borderlands games so satisfying to play.
This 2024 Box Office Flop With 10% on Rotten Tomatoes Has a Surprising Chance to Make Movie History
Borderlands hearkens back to the days of poor video game adaptation. It has a chance to do something no video game adaptation has done.
Gearbox added a bunch of enhancements to the overall feel of the Borderlands world. The different options for traversal are vast and new for the series. Climbing, grappling to other points, and gliding down make the world much more enjoyable as we can explore it better. Especially gliding to your location, as that never got tiring. The new movements can also be used during fights, making the already fun gameplay even more exciting.
Regarding the performance, playing Borderlands 4 on a base PlayStation 5 mainly felt smooth. Unlike the numerous issues that often arise on a PC, running it on a base console was a good experience. It's confusing why Gearbox didn't include a FOV slider in the settings, but it's not the biggest issue. The frame rate drops significantly when a lot is happening all at once, such as during boss battles with numerous minions. The whole affair becomes distracting and turns the fun into a frustrating experience, especially when players die not because of skill, but due to stuttering caused by frame rates.
Borderlands 4 Is The Game That Jaded Fans Have Been Waiting For
If players feel jaded over the Borderlands franchise, then Borderlands 4 will likely win them over again. Borderlands 4 goes back to the core of what made Borderlands fun in the first place. The looting never gets old, as all the new weapons and gadgets are not only amusing but also fun to use during the game. The amount of customization Borderlands 4 players can use for whichever Vault Hunter they pick will keep the fun going. Even now, frame-rate drops will occur when multiple events like busy boss battles with multiple enemies co-occur.
The worst that can be said is that the story is on the bland side, and the Timekeeper doesn't help. Most gripes with Borderlands 4 are saved by the third act, with many thrilling surprises awaiting fans there. Fun side characters and inside jokes sprinkled into the game show how much passion developers poured into the game to make Borderlands 4 a success. Even with a sea of new game releases, Borderlands 4 should be on every gamer's radar.
Borderlands 4 is now available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC. Borderlands 4 will be released for Nintendo Switch 2 on October 3.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82/100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Looter Shooter, Action, Adventure, RPG
- Complex skill tree & weapons
- Visual flair
- Humor more timeless
- Great Vault Hunter selection
- Open-world element
- Frame-rate issues
- Boring story
This review was written with a review code of Borderlands 4 for PlayStation 5 provided by Gearbox Software.