It’s finally happened. After a long wait and a very surprising new release date, we finally got an in-depth gameplay showcase for Borderlands 4, and in short, it’s everything we wanted and more. We all know how Borderlands 3 let down some fans, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderland, well, that’s its own story. But, as the younger generations say, “We’re so back.” If you thought this entry would be the same as its predecessor, that’s not the case. It is literally bringing the big guns better than ever, and it already looks like the looter-shooter that will sweep the genre in 2025.
Borderlands 4 Improves Upon Everything from Its Predecessor
In case you missed it, Gearbox hosted a lengthy gameplay showcase for Borderlands 4. In this State of Play, we got glimpses at some story beats, the game’s world, a few Vault Hunters, and that sweet gunplay we all love from the series. Most importantly, we finally saw that this entry was back on track. It has all the iconic things we’ve seen in Borderlands and Borderlands 2, and it fixes everything from Borderlands 3.
Traversal is also a key aspect now. You can glide, climb, jump, hover, and even launch yourself into the air to cover even more ground faster. But if going on foot isn’t your cup of tea, there’s a personal vehicle called the Digirunner, which you can customize to your heart’s content. On top of that, world activities look great, with quests being as chaotic as ever and events also spawning around the map.
If we were to compare this to something we have right now, in terms of world structure, Destiny 2 would come to mind. You can say whatever you want about Bungie’s legendary shooter, but it definetely nails the exploration aspect with random events popping up here and there, so it is nice that Borderlands 4 is aiming for that, too.
Guns That Matter
However, the biggest takeaway from the gameplay showcase was the gun system of Borderlands 4, which might be the best in the series so far. For starters, say goodbye to the clutter of legendary guns. Gearbox has made considerable changes to legendaries, and they’ll feel more impactful this time instead of feeling like a common item you get from a chest.
In terms of gun customization, we have eight manufacturers focusing on different playstyles. From fast-firing guns with low accuracy to black powder weapons, there’s an ideal gun for everyone. But if you’re not keen on that and prefer to customize them, you can do that as well. There are options to create a Frankenstein of a gun with parts from different manufacturers, which, according to Gearbox, can turn the simplest gun into a weapon of mass destruction.
While there are still many things to see, the developers promised a hands-on event for June 2025. Then again, the release date was moved to an earlier launch, so the wait is slightly shorter now. In any case, most Vault Hunters are glad with what was shown, and we couldn’t agree more. Borderlands 4 returns to its roots while also embracing the modern systems that worked in the latest entry. All of that pieced together looks like a looter-shooter hit we can’t wait to try.
