Borderlands 4 entered the space and filled the void when the franchise needed something big to remind fans why they fell in love with the looter-shooter series in the first place, especially after a middling Borderlands 3 reception. The game doesn’t just move the needle; it resets the dial entirely.
Borderlands 4 launches players into the sprawling, ever-chaotic open world of Kairos. The fourth installment delivers a wild, sometimes uneven ride through more loot, more mayhem, and a story that ventures into a darker territory, unlike past titles.
Welcome to Kairos, a new open-world playground
Borderlands 4 ditched its predecessors’ setting in favor of an interconnected open world. Kairos involves four vastly different regions, and each is filled with secrets, side quests, and enemies both new and familiar, and each has its own local flavor. With hidden caves, abandoned labs, and outlandish side missions filled more often, it was much easier to get immersed in the environment, and I loved that.
It didn’t feel monotonous at all, so the open world felt more like a playground rather than a confined space with limited activities to do. If I had to choose one thing that amazed me, it was how much there was to discover on the map. Everywhere I looked, there was something new to find. The ability to leap from one zone to another using a grappling hook, double jumps, and smooth parkour-like movement brings a fresh feel to Borderlands.
But as beautiful as Kairos is, it’s not just a backdrop for chaos. The world feels alive and sometimes hostile, with invisible walls here and there that remind you this open world isn’t without rough edges. Still, when traveling through the varied terrain, be it from lush jungles to radioactive wastelands, I feel like a Vault Hunter on the edge of discovery rather than just a cog in a loot grind.
Meet the Vault Hunters and their rivals
When it comes to the characters, this new group of Vault Hunters is more like real people. My favorite was Levaine because their story showed both toughness and vulnerability. The story starts with your character waking up as a prisoner in a grim facility, immediately setting the tone for a darker narrative.
You get to choose from four new characters, each bringing their own unique skill tree and style, and they don’t just shoot. They talk, joke, and sometimes clash, adding a layer of personality. The side characters also had more time to shine.
Central to the plot is the villainous Timekeeper, a dictator who controls Kairos with an iron fist and a terrifying implant inside your character’s brain, allowing him to track and briefly control you. This plot hook drives most of the main quest, as you rally resistance fighters, take down the Timekeeper’s lieutenants, and slowly chip away at his oppressive regime. His addition made the story much more interesting and kept me hooked throughout.
There are betrayals, uneasy alliances, and a climax that forces you to confront the human cost of power and revenge.
The heartbeat of Borderlands 4
If you thought this franchise was all about humor and loot, Borderlands 4 will make you think again. While it keeps its signature wacky moments (Claptrap’s quips, robotic companions, and some truly bizarre weapons that talk back), the overarching narrative is gritty.
The Timekeeper’s hold on Kairos isn’t just physical control; it turns loyalists into mindless drones. You discover early on that the implant in your head isn’t just a tracker but a constant threat to your autonomy. With the help of a small robot companion that jams the signal, you regain enough freedom to resist, but the implant’s presence is a constant reminder that the fight isn’t just external but internal, too.
Fluid, frenetic, and rewarding gameplay
Where Borderlands 4 truly shines is its combat and progression systems. The new weapon wheel replaces clumsy tab cycling and allows seamless weapon swaps mid-fight. It was a game-changer when facing the tech marauders and the mutated monstrosities in Kairos.
Movement is faster and feels freer, with the grappling hook and dashes giving you the tactical upper hand. The newly introduced “Repkits” offer on-the-fly healing and gear buffs, easing some of the frustration that comes with tough boss encounters, especially in higher difficulties. And speaking of bosses, the Encore Machine system to reset and farm bosses adds fantastic replayability, perfect if you chase rare gear.
However, I found the scaling and pacing of the story to be the least appealing. The level system feels punishing if you skip side quests, as enemies quickly outlevel you. Some side quests are fun mini-stories, but others feel like a drag.
Performance issues
Though Borderlands 4 is beautiful, this ambition strains some systems. On PC, players have reported frame rate drops and bugs popping up, and I have faced that, too. In fact, turning frame generation on was necessary to get a smoother experience, which was not possible on my system otherwise. We can expect the performance to improve in the coming days as the devs actively release patch updates.
Occasional invisible walls and clipping glitches persist. Nonetheless, the soundtrack is stellar, mixing high-energy scores with moody themes that beautifully fit the game’s darker tone.
A redemption arc for Borderlands
Borderlands 4 lacks the polish of a flawless AAA release, but it delivers on some of the most important parts, such as offering thrilling gameplay, an expansive world, and a story that actually makes you care.
The darker story and serious tone might disappoint fans who want nonstop jokes, but these changes make the game’s emotions and stakes stronger than previous games. It’s a wild, rewarding journey across a beautifully chaotic world full of secrets, explosions, and loot that never quits.
Whether you play solo or with friends, Borderlands 4 reaffirms why this franchise remains a shining beacon in the looter-shooter genre, still messy, still loud, still totally and utterly addictive.
- An immersive map that feels alive, encouraging exploration with new movement mechanics
- A darker and grounded narrative with a compelling villain
- Improved combat and progression systems
- Supports both solo and co-op play
- The open world has rough invisible walls and some restricted areas
- Some side quests act as fillers
- Technical issues on PC and consoles hinder the experience, and lack the flawless AAA polish
