"Borderlands 4": Fortunately humor-free
In "Borderlands 3", Gearbox overstepped the mark with controversial humor. Fortunately, "Borderlands 4" concentrates more on the core business: shooting.
(Image: Gearbox)
There are few games that are really fun even in a short, sterile Gamescom demo. "Borderlands 4" is one of them. This is mainly due to the fact that you immediately know what to do: there's shooting. It feels as good as ever.
The "Borderlands" series is known for its crude humor, countless weapon combinations and fast-paced gameplay. Part 4 doesn't throw any of this overboard, but it does develop further. The shootouts are supplemented by an expanded course system, for example. You can now double jump, swiftly dodge to the side and slide across the ground.
"Less borders, more lands"
A grappling hook also provides more mobility when moving through the now more open game world, but is also used in battles: we have to attack a boss enemy with grappling hooks to uncover his weak points. All of this feels fluid as usual and, together with the fireworks of the gun battles, is reliably fun.
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"Less Borders, more Lands" – is how Gearbox developer Jason Reiss describes the internal philosophy behind the development of the game world. In addition to curated missions, "Borderlands 4", which is set on a new planet for the first time, also features dynamic world events and small side quests in the open game world. They are designed to ensure that there is always something to do. Whether the "open world" formula will really do "Borderlands 4" any good remains to be seen – the Gamescom demo still had a classic linear structure.
Gaga humor is toned down
The gameplay in "Borderlands" has always been beyond reproach. Part 3, however, sabotaged itself by subjecting players to a constant barrage of annoying dialog. Constant interruptions to the flow of the game in the form of half-baked story sections made "Borderlands 3" the most controversial shooter in the series to date. Sometimes less is more.
Borderlands' humor may once have been fresh. But Gearbox overdid it with jokes and transparent pop culture sideswipes. The flop of the "Borderlands" film released last year at the very latest shows that pervasive gags on a continuous loop are not enough. Even many fans of the series want the fourth installment to be more humorous – more shooting, less eye-rolling.
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Gearbox is aware of this criticism. At Gamescom, Director Anthony Nicholson promises that the humor will be toned down. Humor is part of the "Borderlands" identity and should be retained, but should emerge somewhat naturally from the gameplay and be administered less in forced pauses with a sledgehammer. The tone should be more in line with "Borderlands 1" and "Borderlands 2" than the third part.
And indeed: in the Gamescom demo of "Borderlands 4", not a single thigh-slapper could be heard through the roar of the weapons, explosions and screams. This is something to build on. "Borderlands 4" goes on sale on September 12 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 5 and Switch 2.
(dahe)
