Borderlands 4 is both a homecoming and a much-needed course correction. After Borderlands 3 left many players (myself included) cold with its scattershot humour and lack of emotional weight, this new entry wastes no time reminding us why the franchise became iconic in the first place. Set on Kairos, a brand-new planet under the control of the sinister Timekeeper, this looter-shooter once again blends absurdity, spectacle, and… most importantly… a game loop that actually matters.
Bolted, not beaten
The story kicks off with your chosen Vault Hunter imprisoned by the Timekeeper, then forcibly “bolted” a literal apparatus embedded in your body that allows him to control you. It’s a grim premise that instantly raises the stakes and gives your struggle for freedom a personal hook. Salvation comes in the form of the Crimson Resistance, now reduced to almost nothing, and your journey quickly intertwines with their cause. Helping matters (or making them hilariously worse) is the one and only Claptrap, who once again chews every scene with his manic delivery. Balancing him is the ECHO-4 AI companion, a tool that guides, hacks, and shields you from the Timekeeper’s influence. From the outset, the writing strikes a better balance: the jokes are still there, but they no longer overwhelm the story or diminish the world’s gravity.
Pick your flavour
Your experience in Borderlands 4 hinges on which of the four new Vault Hunters you choose, and they are some of the most distinct the series has ever offered.
Vex the Siren carries on the mystical lineage of Lilith and Maya but twists it with a summoner’s flair. Conjuring spectral minions and detonating phase explosions, Vex blends strategy with raw elemental chaos. She’s perfect for players who want equal parts finesse and firepower.
Rafa the Exo-Soldier is a runaway experiment in a Deadframe exo-suit, essentially a one-man army. He shifts seamlessly from charged sniper blasts to midrange barrages to electric knife melees, and his Overdrive mechanic rewards constant aggression. He’s kinetic, adaptable, and a thrill to play.
Amon the Forgeknight feels ripped straight from Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. A warrior-poet wielding hammers, axes, and shields, he’s the tank of the group but surprisingly versatile thanks to his Forgeskill system. He can slam the ground for AoE destruction, shield allies with fiery barriers, or hurl frost axes for tactical control. He’s both protector and pulveriser.
Harlowe the Gravitar, my Vault Hunter of choice, is a gadget-obsessed scientist who thrives on battlefield manipulation. Freezing enemies, linking damage through Entanglement, and tossing out AoE flux fields make her as effective in support as she is in offence. Her kit encourages tactical thinking without ever slowing the action.
The revamped skill trees support creativity, encouraging hybrid builds and synergy rather than railroading you down linear paths. Each Vault Hunter feels like a genuinely different way to experience Kairos.
A bazillion guns
Weapons have always been the lifeblood of Borderlands, and Borderlands 4 finally restores that thrill. Unlike Borderlands 3, where most guns felt disposable until you landed a legendary, here even low- and mid-tier loot has weight and personality. Clever manufacturer traits make experimenting worthwhile, and having four quickslots unlocked early lets you swap between snipers, shotguns, SMGs, and more on the fly. That flexibility pairs beautifully with arenas designed for variety. Barrels to detonate, cover to duck behind, and ledges to leap from for ground-pound attacks. Looting is no longer just about chasing orange-tier drops… It’s about constant, meaningful upgrades that keep firefights fast, fluid, and fun. Clearing an area almost always leaves you with something worth using, and that’s exactly how a looter-shooter should feel.
Toned down
Let’s talk tone. Borderlands 3 leaned too far into non-stop gags and memes, which diluted its characters and story. Borderlands 4 dials it back just enough. The humour is still over-the-top and gleefully inappropriate, but it no longer drowns out the narrative. Claptrap remains the franchise’s loudest comedian, but moments with the Crimson Resistance and key allies provide gravitas that keeps you invested. This balance makes the writing sharper and more effective: the silly moments land harder because they’re not constant, and the serious beats carry weight because the world isn’t treated as a relentless punchline.
Worth getting lost
Kairos is also a big leap forward for the series. The cel-shaded art style is instantly familiar, but the sheer detail and variety of its biomes make the planet feel alive in a way Pandora never did. Every region feels fresh but still distinctly and unmistakably Borderlands. Best of all, it’s now a true open world. Seamless, with no loading screens between areas. Traversing the massive map feels natural, whether you’re tearing across it in vehicles or using new traversal tools like the glide pack and grapple. After 10+ hours of play, I’d uncovered barely five per cent, a clear sign of just how much this world has to offer.
And getting lost in Kairos is half the fun. Side missions are more than simple fetch quests; they’re fully beefed-out mini-adventures with their own arcs, characters, and sometimes even threads that carry forward later in the game. Add in bounties, challenges, and you’ll have a steady drip of XP, loot, and upgrades for your backpack and ammo slots, and it’s easy to forget about the main story for hours at a time. Borderlands 4 nails side content that feels meaningful. Although not mandatory I’d highly recommend taking it all in.
Synths, shields, and spectacle
Combat benefits from varied enemy design. You’ll face a blend of classic psychos and beasts alongside the Timekeeper’s synth-based soldiers. Encounter design often mixes enemy types, forcing you to prioritise targets, manage your cooldowns, and think tactically about grenades and Action Skills. Boss fights remain gloriously over-the-top. Giant health and shield bars demand patience, but the real trick is exploiting crit zones and elemental weaknesses. A well-timed cryo blast or incendiary shotgun can turn a drawn-out slog into a decisive takedown. Combined with the stronger weapon sandbox, these fights feel less like endurance tests and more like chaotic puzzles.
Smooth sailing on console
On Xbox Series S, performance has been flawless so far: smooth frame rates, no crashes, no stutters. The community, however, is buzzing about Borderlands 4’s steep PC spec requirements and occasional stability hiccups. I can’t confirm those personally, but it’s something to watch if you’re going the PC route.
Conclusion
Borderlands 4 isn’t revolutionary. It doesn’t reinvent the looter-shooter or radically redefine what this series can be. But honestly? It doesn’t need to. What it does instead is deliver exactly what players want from a Borderlands game: chaotic gunfights, a mountain of loot that actually feels fun to use, characters that make you laugh without making you roll your eyes, and a world that’s worth exploring for dozens if not hundreds of hours. After the stumble of Borderlands 3, this return to form is more than enough. Sometimes giving fans exactly what they’ve been asking for is the boldest move of all, and Borderlands 4 nails it.
