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When a game series hits its 4th entry, one expects it to be mature – but subtlety hasn’t been a word associated with Borderlands, the vibrant and performatively irreverent action RPG developed in the US. The franchise is defined by a pervasive and polarizing dose of unapologetically immature humor. However in the new game, studio Gearbox improved upon that issue: it includes several returning heroes in its plot, although in this installment they are noticeably jaded and less annoyingly wacky. Borderlands has finally matured, partially. And long overdue.

More Sophisticated Comedy & Beloved Gameplay

the game continues to hurl quips incessantly, and they are often hit-or-miss, yet thankfully its brand of humor is somewhat smarter than in past games. It keeps the iconic cel-shaded art direction and firearm and ordnance-heavy combat that fans have long appreciated. Indeed, it provides an expanded arsenal of guns over each of its earlier games, and through a bit of work curating your favorites, you’ll discover loads of absolute gems that help you battle hordes of straightforward opponents and challenging boss fights. A decent narrative develops following the formulaic opening act, later guiding you into some surprising, entertaining and at times gratifyingly surreal tangents.

Fresh Setting & Immersive Narrative

The action unfold on Kairos, a location introduced to the franchise, that comes across as better designed than any of Borderlands’ earlier locations. Kairos’s population are suffering under the oppressive yoke of the despot Timekeeper, and your goal is to mobilize the downtrodden locals to become part of your rebellion, liberating communities of folk by taking down the Timekeeper’s harsh henchmen and removing monitoring chips from their bodies. The deeper the game, the greater number of side quests and exploration are available, including dungeon-like dungeons full of rewards to environmental challenges.

Selectable Characters & Enhanced Mobility

You play as a quartet of vault-hunters – a Siren with phantom powers, an enhanced warrior, a melee-focused tank called a Forgeknight and a tech-wielding Gravitar class. Each possesses active abilities that are key when you’re up against it, enabling you the ability to summon deadly ethereal allies, defense systems, or energy domes. The expected excellent combat is present and correct, however navigation has been significantly upgraded: you gain access to a grapple, a riding vehicle and a massive enhanced jump option, all of which prove invaluable amid intense battle and while out exploring. These features translate well to the franchise’s popular multiplayer, that accommodates up to four friends.

Large Game & Existing Issues

This game is a large game – its primary storyline takes 20 to 30 hours to complete, with a lot to accomplish afterwards. It is not entirely flawless: at times you need to travel across vast areas in its quests, while the quest marker that guides you on your journey is unreliably erratic. And it has been unstable since release: playing on PC, it has occasionally crashed for users, even after a large fix, with some players have reported problems with stuttering and additional technical issues. Yet Borderlands needed to grow up a bit, which is exactly what it has done, without losing its core personality. Its excellent action gameplay might be comfortably classic, but it’s also much far from frustrating than it used to be.