I, like, a bunch of other folks worldwide, sat down for the Borderlands 4 State of Play last night. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect — just that mix of curiosity and, you know, the usual hype. And man, was it a buffet of new stuff. They’re mixing things up, and for some odd reason (maybe I’m just getting old), it reminded me more of Destiny 3 than the Borderlands sequel I was picturing last year. Wild, right? Bold. But hey, it might just be what the series needs.
Anyway, here’s my take. Borderlands is a two-note kind of beast. First off, it’s all about that killer FPS action. We’re talking looter shooter chaos—think guns that do unbelievable tricks. It’s like a zany playground for weaponry. Been that way since Borderlands 1, which, I might add, feels kind of tame next to the newer stuff. It’s nostalgic, ya know?
But then there’s this quirky humor thing. I don’t hate it, just saying. Like, Claptrap has fans — seriously passionate ones. And there’s the whole Spongebob boss in the Borderlands 3 DLC? Bonkers. But for every fan cracking up at these jokes, others are just… meh. Gearbox, though — bless them — saw a chance to shake things up with Borderlands 4. New era, people. And they’ve gone all in.
Okay, so about the tone. I counted — sort of — and I swear there were barely any jokes during the presentation. It was like, hey, we know when to hush. Just a quip here, a funny enemy name there. I mean, I was bracing for awkward memes, but instead, I’m left guessing. It’s kinda cool — a breath of fresh air.
Visually? Still wacky, but less in-your-face. It’s got this edgy vibe — less cartoon explosion, more subtle weirdness. They’re tweaking the format too. World exploration and vaults have evolved. It’s like someone snuck in a Destiny 2 playbook. World bosses just appear, events pop up out of nowhere. I used to think vaults were sacred—now they’re turning into dungeons. Bold, right? And now there’s a drone guiding you, vehicles on demand. I dunno, it’s like they mashed Destiny with that unique Gearbox touch.
Maybe it’s a risky shift. But Destinies — in more ways than one — are shifting. Bungie’s busy with Marathon, and Destiny 2 is kinda stumbling with updates. Newbies have a tough time getting in, and layoffs haven’t done any favors. A gap’s opened up, and Borderlands might just slip in nicely.
Speaking of Marathon — mixed reviews from Alpha testers. Not the knockout it needed to be — at least, not yet. So, while moving Borderlands up to September 23 might’ve looked strategic… now it feels like an act of mercy. I betcha Borderlands would’ve blown Marathon outta the water if launched simultaneously. Just saying.
All this is a swirling mess in my head, driving this insane excitement. Maybe that hype will dim down eventually, but right now, Borderlands 4’s got folks buzzing. Hats off to Gearbox for the bold move!
