As someone who’s been around Pandora and beyond since Borderlands 2 (which, let’s be honest, still wears the crown), I went back to the first Borderlands and played every entry in the series on release. Borderlands 4 feels like a breath of fresh air, it’s both a continuation and what I’d call a soft reboot, and it nails the balance between old-school charm and modern refinements.
The new cast of Vault Hunters
The four new Vault Hunters are one of the strongest rosters in the series. Each feels unique, versatile, and worth investing in. To be honest this time round I had the hardest time to decide on my starting Vault Hunter.
- Vex – The Siren – Hybrid DPS / summoner: good at both solo (since you have minions helping) and co-op. The element switching + minions give room to adapt. If you like being somewhat versatile and not just a straight damage-dealer, Vex is strong. She is the least experienced Siren in the series and it shows with the sense of exploring her powers with her.
- Rafa – The Exo-Soldier– Rafa is fast, versatile. Good for run-and-gun, switching between ranged & melee depending on situation. Probably the most straightforward for players who like aggression, speed, and switching modes. But easily my least favourite in terms of writing, Rafa’s dialog can become quite unbearable.
- Amon – The ForgeKnight – Tank / front-liner, good in melee, durable. Lots of options to switch between doing damage and absorbing / mitigating it. Best for players who like being in the thick of fight, controlling space via shields / melee, protecting allies or forcing enemies to come to you. Potentially my favourite writing, his calming, strong voice really contradicts his completely out of pocket comments.
- Harlow – The Gravitar – Crowd control specialist. She seems designed for dealing with groups, positioning, manipulating the battlefield, and supporting co-op allies (overshields, etc.). Probably less “brute force” than Amon, more about finesse, controlling space, and leveraging status effects / entanglement. Harlow is my starting Vault Hunter and I enjoyed every aspect of her arsenal and writing. wacky nerdy comments and abilities decimate the battlefield made me very happy with my choice.
The Writing
One of the biggest improvements with Borderlands 4 is just how much better the writing is. Where Borderlands 3 struggled with pacing and often leaned too hard into forced humor, this entry dials things back with a story that’s more serious, focused, and easy to follow. That doesn’t mean it’s humourless, there are still plenty of absurd characters, sharp one-liners, and wild scenarios. But the comedy now feels like seasoning rather than the whole dish.
That said, Borderlands 4 truly shines in its side quests. These aren’t throwaway errands or simple fetch missions; they’re often multi-part arcs with their own twists, memorable characters, and emotional payoffs. Some are laugh-out-loud funny, others surprisingly heartfelt, and a few even dip into darker tones. What’s great is how naturally these quests weave into the world, they don’t feel like distractions, they feel like essential pieces of the Kairos.
The character writing for NPCs and Vault Hunters alike has also improved. Each of the four Vault Hunters has a distinct personality and voice that come through in dialogue, making them feel more alive than ever with NPC’s actually reacting wiht unique dialog depending on who you’re playing with. Banter during missions, callbacks to series history, and interactions with quest-givers all help flesh out who they are beyond their skill trees.
The Gunplay
The gunplay continues to get better and better through out the series with weapons feeling punchy and impactful. Loot drops are far more rewarding this time around. Legendaries are harder to come by, which makes finally getting one feel meaningful again. Grinding bosses with friends actually feels like hunting for treasure instead of picking through piles of throwaway gear.
My favorite new addition is the gun parts mechanic. Each manufacturer’s parts can slot into weapons, creating absurdly fun combos. My personal highlight? A Jacobs base weapon rolling ricocheting explosive Torgue bullets that also apply Maliwan status effects. Builds like that keep the loot grind fresh and addicting. It also means that perfect blue SMG can be far better than a Legendary one.
I played mostly solo but jumped into co-op with friends on PC, and crossplay was smooth overall. Frame drops happened when we all went full “Michael Bay” with explosion-heavy builds, but it never became unplayable. A few crashes popped up, though in fairness, some of that felt like the game struggling to keep up with us pushing it to extremes.
My Conclusion
Borderlands 4 isn’t just a return to form, it feels like the natural evolution of the series. A solid story, best-in-class side quests, rewarding loot, and some of the most creative Vault Hunter designs yet make this entry stand tall. It manages to respect the chaotic fun that defined the earlier games while laying down a stronger, more focused foundation for the future.
For long time fans like me, this is the Borderlands we’ve been waiting for since 2.
