BORDERLANDS 4

Gearbox goes bigger, but keeps doing what it does best

- Tyler Wilde

There are no big surprises here: Borderlands 4 is more Borderlands. But if you're all extraction-shootered-out and a classic coop campaign is what you're looking for (a sentiment I can sympathize with!), then I think you've got something to look forward to in Borderlands 4. Specifically, a bigger world, some fun new movement abilities, a cool hover bike, and possibly fewer memes. (Thank God.)

The bulk of my preview time was spent in Borderlands 4's uncharacteristically colorful opening environment on the planet Kairos, which had been hidden from the universe until series protagonist Lilith teleported a moon into its orbit. That cosmic disaster disrupted the rule of an order-obsessed dictator called The Timekeeper, and the latest crew of vault hunters have now arrived on a planet in revolt.

FIRST CONTACT

I only saw a little bit of Kairos, so I can't comment on the whole place, but I was surprised to find that I missed Pandora a little. I'm not a diehard Borderlands fan, but I had grown accustomed to its Old West desert vibe, and the greener Kairos isn't as evocative of roguish adventures.

It is ever so slightly more serious, too. After the excesses of Borderlands 3, which included a poop launcher called the Porta-Pooper 5000 and an extended Tommy Wiseau impression, Gearbox has promised to keep Borderlands 4's sense of humor more grounded in the Borderlands universe. From my brief experience meeting an NPC who stressed the importance of staying hydrated, it feels like they followed through.

In fact, I never thought I'd be saying this, but I wouldn't have minded if my time with Borderlands 4 had been zanier, though I'm sure I'll think differently whenever Claptrap shows up.