I, like thousands of other folks across the world, watched the Borderlands 4 State of Play last night. It was a feast of new information, packed with new gameplay changes and additions that harkens back to the original Borderlands more than any of the newer stuff. It’s a new approach that seems, to me, closer to a Destiny 3 than the Borderlands 4 I had in my head a few months ago. This, while certainly bold, is the right move for the series.
Here’s the thing. Borderlands has gained a reputation on two fronts. The first, and most importantly, is the awesome FPS action the series is known for. A looter shooter, or schlooter, or untold combinations of weapons that fire all manner of weird and wacky projectiles at people. It’s great! It’s the foundation that the series was built around. Even with Borderlands 1, a game that seems somewhat tame these days in comparison to sequels, this was a major draw.
But there’s also the reputation for a particular style of “contemporary humour” that may not have grown to be as much as a boon to the series as the gameplay itself. Look, I’m not going to say there isn’t a passionate community that loves Claptrap, that giggled when they fought the series’ own twisted depiction of Spongebob in the Borderlands 3 Krieg DLC, or whatever. But for every person who didn’t mind this tone, there were others who’d inevitably be put off by it. With Borderlands 4, the talented folk at Gearbox identified the opportunity to make major changes and kick off a new era for the franchise, and it looks as though it’s been grabbed with both hands.
Let’s start with that tone. I could have counted the number of jokes muttered by characters in the Borderlands 4 State of Play on one hand. What humour there is knows exactly how long to sit out there without overstaying its welcome. A quip or two, an enemy with a funny name. That’s it. I had assumed the chances of a ‘Sigma’ joke in Borderlands 4 would be a tragic 100%. Now, I’m blissfully uncertain. It looks like a whole different monster, which is refreshing!
This newfound sensibility fits the new visual aesthetic of Borderlands 4. It’s still ridiculous, of course. But it’s less saturated, less cartoony. Still weird, but less absurd. The game itself updating the format of exploring the world and tracking down vaults – something I had previously considered sacrosanct – and morphing more towards the sort of game we’ve seen Bungie known for. World bosses and other events that spawn organically? Sure, that’s a modern update that does no harm. Vaults now acting as dungeons (dare I say rather than a boss and a deluge of loot?). Now we’re getting brave with these changes. A drone that points you towards quest objectives, and vehicles you can summon at will? It’s Destiny 2! This is a bizarre cocktail of Destiny and the Gearbox attitude the company has fostered over the years.
In some other timeline, this could be seen as a strange move. But right now, Bungie has its focus on Marathon, while Destiny 2 shifts to smaller updates. Destiny 2 has, for years, been inaccessible due to the decision made to phase out content, and Bungie has historically struggled to get new players invested. Suits at Bungie have also laid off Destiny 2 staff en masse over the years, which y’know, doesn’t help. With Destiny in the state its in now, there’s a big gap for a new AAA game to fill the gap.
On the other hand Marathon, Bungie’s main focus, is getting a mixed reception from Alpha players. For many, it doesn’t have that punch it needs, it doesn’t feel quite ready. Before the State of Play you could have argued that Borderlands moving forward from September 23 – was a strategic move (even if Randy Pitchford said it wasn’t). Now? It feels like a merciful gesture. I can’t help but feel like Borderlands 4 would have blown the legs off Marathon if it released on the same day.
All of these factors are bouncing around in my head, kicking off my brain with such vigour that I can’t help but believe this is an exciting new direction for Borderlands 4. Maybe, in time, the excitement around this shift will fade, but in this important period of pre-launch hype it’s done a lot of get people interesting in Borderlands again. Good call!