Review – Borderlands 4 – Gamerview

It came to show that, in the vast space, there is always much to be discovered. It is on the planet Kairos that we realize that there are no limits to creativity, even in a fourth title of the series. The franchise, known for its mood, vibrant colors and zillions of weapons, brings a lot of news – from new mechanics to a renewed tone for the narrative.

The continuation of this first-person RPG and looter-shooter cooperative series, which has been promoting the most fun chaos of games for years, promises even more fun. Even with a light refined in the characteristic climate, it is still a playground of killing and farming of items. Some changes can cause some strangeness, especially for those who are used to the insanity of previous titles, but the game is filled with content that makes the visiting the planet-Prison very attractive.

A temporal madness

Kairos is a planet-Prison because the tyrant, Lord of time, controls the population through implants called ‘pins’. Through them, vigilance is constant and, if necessary, it can even command people directly. The mission here is to escape or fight this regime and perhaps make the inhabitants really free. The place, however, also suffers from chaos, rival factions and, of course, the hostility of native creatures.

The Borderlands 4 narrative still contains humor and madness, but now it gives room for more serious topics, such as freedom in the face of an authoritarian regime. You can feel a greater depth, even addressing dilemmas between anarchy and fascism. This change of tone can cause strangeness, almost as if we questioned: Since when was Borderlands so serious? Honestly, I enjoyed this extra layer as it makes the game firmer and consistent without giving up the jokes.

Choosing your prisoner

Praxing, there are four playable characters with unique characteristics: Vex has skills of summoning monsters and spirits, as well as elemental control. Harlow is from the support class, with skills and equipment that causes status effects on enemies (such as freezing) and supports allies (damage protections and buffs). It does not seem to be the best option to play solo.

The brute amon wears heavy armor, is powerful and looks extremely fun in melee combat and handling of heavy weapons. On the other hand, it appears to be a little slow. Already my namesake, Rafa is a soldier equipped with exo-arms on his shoulders. Flexible, agile and charismatic, with many jokes that relieve the plot. It was my choice with the face to face Borderlands 4 (not just by name).

Rafa gave me the feeling of balance: Great in shootings and agile in movements, although it is unmistant (or is I bad?). Anyway, each character has different attributes, and the proposal of the Co-OP is precisely to complement them to form the best grocery hunting team, in the best guardians of the galaxy.

Borderlands 4 also features more robust skill trees: there are three pages of upgrades for each character, allowing deep specializations. It is still possible to reset points to try new paths, which encourages testing different game styles throughout experience.

Classic elements (fire, ice, acid) continue, and mastering their uses is fundamental in both attack and defense as they can now be combined. In addition, each character has multiple action skills, unlocked throughout the journey, which make fights even more strategic.

And yes, death is inevitable – and costly. As in the previous ones, the Renaissance discounts a percentage of your money, only now the penalty is heavier. It is a mechanics that requires attention to both fighting and resource management.

To balance, mobility has been turbocharged: double jump, planar, swimming and the use of a hook to hold on walls. These features make exploration and shootings much more dynamic and faster.

A hostile beauty

Borderlands 4 delivers a vast and visually stunning map. My franchise memories always refer to desert scenarios, but seeing Kairos with more living, colorful and varied environments was really an encouraging surprise. The iconic Cel Shading is more beautiful than ever – at certain times, the chin falls.

Nevertheless, in some parts the map seems a little empty, conveying the feeling that there could be more secondary activities. But just an enemy or hostile creature arises – which happens all the time – to break this calm.

And of course, the loot remains abundant. Ammunition, collectibles and an absurd amount of weapons with different attributes. You can customize them in colors and accessories, but the limited backpack forces the player to detach some along the way. If you create easy attachment, you will suffer.

Borderlands 4 also features some as much as claptrap that is still comic, but with a slightly more emotional role. Zane, Amara and Moxxi (de) return as support NPCs. Lilith appears in a striking introduction. With the increasing cast of the franchise, it is always fun to find old acquaintances – and they help to continue the story.

My gambling was on PS5. Apart from a slightly longer charging at the beginning of each session, the performance was great, without serious crashes. However, on PCs, many players reported problems.

Still, there are small mishaps: strange collisions that sometimes help (or get in the way), textures that take a long time to carry, and unfortunately the absence of a photo way – something that is sorely missed in such a beautiful game. Worse: Pressing the DualSense capture button pauses the game, which makes images a frustrating task.

About control, I noticed that adaptive triggers are not well explored. Unlike games like, here they give the same feeling to all weapons I had access.

Completing the plot may seem like the end, it will actually be the beginning of a long journey, as you can challenge the game with other characters or on online and local and local cooperative (in a two -player screen). In addition, the post-game offers new challenges, loots, post-historic missions and many other incentives to remain stuck on this planet. And we are not even talking about the DLC’s that will be released.

Awesome Mix de Borderlands 4

The soundtrack is another high point. Borderlands has always shone in this regard, and in the 4th title is no different. Music not only sets it, but builds atmosphere. The opening with already dictates the tone of a new era, and the set of tracks reinforces the dedication of Gearbox. Although at times there is repetition or less striking compositions, in general the work is excellent.

Borderlands 4 is undoubtedly one of the franchise’s most ambitious deliveries. Dare to change the tone, making the narrative more serious, and at the same time bringing new mechanics was risky, but it was worth it.

If you were a fan of the stylized mess of the previous ones, you will feel at home – only now with the improvements we had been leaving for years: greater mobility, more verticality, even wider loot and a large and fluid world. It is impossible not to surrender to Kairos’s creative chaos.