So, Borderlands 4 is finally here, and I’ve just put in over 150 hours, and I think I’m Ready, I think that’s more than enough time for me to finally talk about this game. 

The Borderlands series has been with us for over a decade now, and with every entry it’s had to fight against its own shadow. The first game felt like lightning in a bottle an RPG shooter with irreverent humor and a loot system that hooked players instantly. The second game doubled down on everything and became a cult classic. The third? Well, it landed with mixed reception. Fun gunplay, yes, but many felt the story was overcooked, the humor too forced, and the characters lacking the bite that had once defined the franchise. So where does Borderlands 4 fall? 

Borderlands 4, in terms of its place within the Borderlands series, is the best Borderlands game that we’ve got. The pacing, the story, the characters, everything that’s been delivered by Gearbox here is top tier Borderlands. And even after 150 hours of play, I still feel like the game has More to give. Not to say the game is perfect. I don’t really think Many games coming out today are and with some performance issues aside, Borderlands 4 is pretty close. It feels like Gearbox took on board all the criticisms and all the problems that everybody had with Borderlands 3 and just went to work. And it feels like nothing got more love and work and the story.  

The most immediate thing I noticed is how much more grounded the story feels the story is strong, a lot of the side quests are memorable and fun. The writers clearly wanted to give the Vault Hunters more personality and the narrative more weight, and it works. The humor is still there but it doesn’t overwhelm the main plot the way it used to Instead, the game’s story takes some surprisingly heartfelt turns, especially in the later chapters. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say the ending had more emotional punch than I was expecting from a Borderlands game. The campaign deals with themes of legacy, betrayal, and survival. The villains are more nuanced this time around. Instead of cartoonishly evil caricatures, they have motivations that, while twisted, actually make sense within the world.

 It’s the first time in a while I found myself genuinely interested in the antagonist’s perspective rather than just waiting for the next boss fight. Borderlands 4 takes place on the planet Kairos six years after Borderlands 3’s Moonfall event, with a new generation of Vault Hunters arriving amidst a revolution against the planet’s tyrannical dictator, the Timekeeper. The Timekeeper, who wields control over the planet and its people through implanting “Bolt” devices, captures the Vault Hunters and forces a Bolt onto them, trapping them on Kairos. Players must work with or against revolutionary factions like the Crimson Resistance and the outbounders to take down the Timekeeper’s forces and uncover the secrets of the planet’s vault. 

The world itself feels vast and alive. The map is massive like Huge, cleverly designed to minimize loading screens outside of special areas like boss arenas, and dense with super memorable side quests, collectables, and points of interest. It rewards exploration in a way Borderlands 3 often failed to. 

The addition of grappling to preset grapple points, double jumping, wall climbing and a glide pack all pair incredibly well with the amazing boss fights and their arena designs. These additions have revamped the combat in the borderlands franchise, and I think they make for some thrilling engagements. 

Vehicles now summon instantly a divisive idea before launch, but a welcome convenience given the map’s scale. Driving physics remain a weak point, however, with vehicle jumps feeling oddly heavy. Safe houses act as puzzle-like fast travel points, offering a mix of clever design and potential frustration. 

Loot remains the heart of Borderlands, and BL4 revamps the formula in meaningful ways. Legendary drop rates have been dialed back dramatically from Borderlands 3 Thank God, making blues and purples valuable once again. Some legendaries feel powerful and inventive, others more gimmicky, but the chase for gear feels rewarding and fun. 

The new licensed parts system lets weapons cross-pollinate manufacturer traits, meaning a Maliwan weapon can have the critical ricochet from Jakob’s weapons and trust me you want that Jakob’s part. This helps create builds that can shred enemies when paired correctly. Meanwhile, “Firmware” introduces a new layer to non-weapon gear. Rolling on shields, ordnance, class mods, and more, Firmware comes in tiered set bonuses that encourage both mixing and stacking. With up to five slots available, and the ability to transfer perks endgame (at a cost), this system deepens the endgame grind and opens the door to highly customized builds. Like right now I’m rocking a Rafa build where when my Peacebreaker Cannons are active I don’t even have to fire my gun. 

Enemies are smarter, too. Gone are the days where mobs simply rushed you in waves. Now they flank, take cover, and force you to think about positioning. This is especially true on harder difficulties, where one wrong move can leave you surrounded and scrambling. 

The new skill trees are another highlight. Rather than being funnelled into narrow archetypes, I felt encouraged to mix and match abilities to build something that truly suited my playstyle. For example, I experimented with a crit-focused setup that turned every encounter into a fireworks show of glowing numbers. Later, I shifted into a more support-oriented build when playing co-op, buffing allies and weakening enemies. The flexibility here adds a layer of replayability that was missing from earlier games. 

Boss fights deserve a shout-out too. They’re big, bombastic, and most importantly memorable. Each major boss feels distinct, with unique mechanics that force you to adapt instead of simply emptying magazines until a health bar disappears. 

These are all clever additions that keep the loot loop fresh well past the main campaign. 

Visually, the cel-shaded style continues to shine. Environments are more varied than ever, ranging from neon-soaked cityscapes to desolate wastelands that feel truly lived in. The art team deserves credit for pushing the aesthetic without losing that instantly recognizable Borderlands identity. Paired with a surprisingly solid soundtrack and punchy sound design, the presentation goes a long way toward immersing you in the mayhem. 

Borderlands has always been at its best when shared with friends, and Borderlands 4 is no different. Playing co-op adds an extra layer of chaos and fun. The scaling feels more balanced this time around, so solo players aren’t punished, but groups still feel like they’re getting a unique experience. 

Replayability is also strong. With multiple characters, branching skill trees, and loot that practically begs experimentation, I can already see myself running through the campaign again with a different build. Endgame content leans into this as well, offering challenging dungeons and rotating events that keep the loop fresh. 

For all its strengths, Borderlands 4 makes some puzzling omissions. LAN play, dueling, trading (beyond manual drops), photo mode, emotes, trinkets, slot machines, auto-sell on pickup, and text chat are all gone. Co-op also has what we’ll call quirks: fast travel triggers a countdown for all players which feels weird in a massive load screenless map, and in some cases, map progress like unlocking safehouses saves only for the host which just sucks. 

Now the elephant in the room Yes, there are launch bugs and the occasional crash I played on PS5 and was lucky enough to have next to no problems That said, optimization is badly needed and it appears Gearbox are well aware as we have a few updates since launch that seem to have made strides in fixing the game on PC.  

Borderlands 4 is arguably the most ambitious entry in the series, with a memorable story, rewarding loot chase, and evolved combat systems that breathe fresh life into the formula. It’s also rough around the edges, relying too heavily on frame generation for performance and trimming away features fans expected. 

Still, after 150 hours, the game never stopped being fun to me. Despite technical flaws and Gearbox’s baffling decisions on quality-of-life features, this could be the best Borderlands yet provided the studio follows through with optimization and updates.