While Pandora offers snowy tundras, lava-filled caverns, and vast arid wastelands, Borderlands 3 takes our Vault Hunters to jungle tropics, neo-futurist cityscapes, and beyond, with each planet featuring a unique sandbox with its character. Within the labyrinthine corridors of Sanctuary 3, renowned for its navigational challenges, lies a haven from the terrestrial turmoil. Amidst its confines, adventurers can not only tailor their headquarters with trophies and adornments but also hone their marksmanship at the shooting range or unwind alongside Borderlands' expanding roster of amicable NPCs—all while conveniently having access to purchasing PS5 games to further enhance their gaming experience. The game's globe-hopping traversal system, where you choose a new destination from Sanctuary’s control room and watch the ship jump into lightspeed, adds a sense of scale we've never seen in the franchise before. However, like most chaotic endeavors, Borderlands 3 remains an acquired taste—or rather, the lack of it. Anthony Burch, who gave the series its distinctive dry humor as Lead Writer on Borderlands 2, left Gearbox before work on this sequel began. The jokes come thick and fast, and although they don’t always hit their mark, the constant stream of one-liners, slapstick gags, and pop culture references, all tightly woven into both gameplay and narrative, ensures plenty of laughs throughout.
Borderlands 3: Moze and her Mighty Mech
I chose to play as Moze the Gunner, or Moserah Hayussinian Yan-Lun al-Amir Andreyevna. Moze is a former Vladof soldier who was repeatedly promised freedom after one more mission, along with her mech, Iron Bear. After her squad is wiped out during her most recent mission, she decides to leave everything behind except for her trusty mech and heads to Pandora. Iron Bear is Moze's Action Skill, and there are numerous customization options available. Two weapons can be attached to the Iron Bear, one on each arm. I opted for dual grenade launchers, but you can mix and match. Depending on which skill tree you invest in, Iron Bear can also equip variations of these weapons, such as a flamethrower. I used the skin reward for participating in the Vault Insider Program. Other customization options include weapon skins that change the appearance of guns and weapon trinkets—little keychains that hang off your weapon.
Borderlands 3: Wheels and Warfare
Exploring these new planets is facilitated by the Catch-A-Ride system, now managed by Ellie following the loss of her brother, Scooter. Players have more customization options for their vehicles, including the new Cyclone, a speedy yet less durable singular-wheeled vehicle. Unlocking vehicle parts requires hijacking and scanning vehicles with the desired parts into the Catch-A-Ride system. Throughout Borderlands 3, players encounter a variety of new enemies to battle, with the Children of the Vault (COV) being the most prominent adversary. While the abundance of COV encounters may lack variety, the boss battles offer enjoyable gameplay, although they may not reach the pinnacle of the series' best. However, the final boss battle falls short, feeling mediocre and perhaps one of the weakest in the game. While not all side quests are exceptional, most feature entertaining characters and provide additional insight into the game's world and story. One memorable side quest in Borderlands 3 involves an Atlas spy posing as a Maliwan soldier, humorously named Gonner Maleggies, who tasks the player with completing his recon mission before his demise.
Borderlands 3: The Rise of the Calypsos
The story's main flaw lies with its villains, Troy and Tyreen, whose transition from streamers to cult leaders isn't as amusing or clever as Gearbox intends. Their catchphrase, "Like, subscribe, and obey," gets annoying from the start, and their reduced presence in the lead-up to the climax was a relief. However, players can divert their frustration by choosing to buy Xbox games, offering a variety of entertainment options to offset the less engaging aspects of the plot. While Gearbox has moved on from Handsome Jack, the Calypsos fall short as replacements. Previous Borderlands games often sacrificed depth for scale, with the vast array of guns compensating for the somewhat insubstantial feel of combat. Borderlands 3 isn't just running smoothly; it's been significantly upgraded. With destructible environments and smarter AI opponents, players can no longer easily cheat their way through battles. Thankfully, the four new vault hunters, some of the most intricate and satisfying classes in the series, ensure you won't need to.
Borderlands 3: Expanding Combat Expression
Zane, the Operative, stands out as the least captivating character among the group, primarily because his Action Skills feel recycled from previous games. With new Augment branches for each character's skill progression and the ability to switch Action Skills on the fly, players have more freedom in combat expression. Despite hoping for more innovative roles beyond the typical DPS archetype, there's excitement in being able to team up with animal companions as FL4K or customize a rideable mech with Moze, providing ample content for both the main campaign and the endgame-focused True Vault Hunter mode. But for those diving in early, there are drawbacks. Borderlands 3 currently suffers from technical issues like delayed texture loading, frame-rate drops, and a laggy interface, especially noticeable on PC or in split-screen mode. Although Gearbox promises patches to address these problems, they mar an otherwise polished experience. As for loot, the variety and quantity of weapons remain impressive as always. Additionally, instanced loot ensures fair distribution among players in co-op sessions, although competitive players can opt out of this feature. Borderlands 3 feels like reuniting with an old friend after years apart. Although the villains may not match the overall quality of the game, enduring their influencer-inspired antics is a small price for the chaos and enjoyment Gearbox delivers.