After dozens of hours exploring the wastelands of Pandora, the war-torn city of Promethea-6, battling deadly bandits, and listening to Ice-T explain why dating a homicidal military AI with commitment issues is a bad idea, one thing is certain: Borderlands 3 is an old game. It's a sequel more focused on cementing its legacy and reinforcing its core strengths than raising the bar for loot shooters as its first follow-up did. In an era where every big-budget game is a live service and pause menus are nearly extinct, this approach is surprisingly refreshing. However, Borderlands 3 is also content to be a follower this time, trailing behind industry giants while delivering a vibrant, chaotic experience. It applies its brash personality to a mix of borrowed elements, creating the most "Borderlands" product ever. With Handsome Jack dead—arguably the best villain video games have ever seen—and the Borderlands in chaos, a new, less impressive threat steps in live streamers with a knack for murder and a mission to open the biggest vault left by the Eridians.
Borderlands 3: From Bullet to Boss, Chaos Unleashed
Make no mistake, the journey from the first bullet fired into a surprisingly squishy bandit head to the final round unleashed towards the ultimate threat is about as straightforward as a billy club in a sword-fighting contest. While the setup is intriguing and a few plot twists do emerge, Borderlands 3 may boast the most uninteresting cast in the entire series. For those looking to buy PS5 games, this might be a consideration. The Calypso Twins are barely memorable beyond their satirical take on streamer culture, and Sanctuary's main roster feels like a collection of two-dimensional character traits. However, where Borderlands 3 falters in fleshing out its cast, it excels in delivering heart-pounding action that rivals a Michael Bay fever dream. Guns in Borderlands 3 not only benefit from an exceptional sound design that begs to be experienced with surround sound setups or dedicated gaming headsets, but they also feel magnificent to wield. Atlas guns enable spray-and-pray violence with tracking bullets, Jakob's hand cannons deliver hard-hitting precision shots, and Maliwan reigns supreme in elemental damage. Why settle for conventional lead when you can unleash mini-rockets instead? Why waste ammo when firing toggles allows for precise semi-automatic gunplay, enabling headshot after headshot?
Borderlands 3: Evolution of Chaos
It's remarkable to consider that Borderlands 3's enhancements to a formula established seven years ago not only feel satisfying, but they also feel fresher and more dynamic than ever before, thanks to numerous minor tweaks. The overall flow of combat has been substantially refined, allowing for a more fluid and spontaneous sense of destruction. Taking cover feels outdated, with Borderlands 3's system incorporating the best slide-to-shotgun maneuver in video games, ensuring gameplay remains engaging and dynamic. In my initial playthrough as Moze, starting with her formidable Iron Bear mech, I witnessed significant character growth by the endgame. And that was just one skill tree I explored. Moze's other talents offered the flexibility to respec her as either a railgun-wielding sniper in armor or a walking nuclear arsenal capable of unleashing explosive devastation with a single touch. If Borderlands 2 provided seven years of gameplay, Borderlands 3 is poised to match or exceed that longevity, thanks to its numerous quality-of-life improvements.
Borderlands 3: Chaos and Glitches
Regardless of the platform you're on, Borderlands 3 faces a slew of issues ranging from mildly irritating to game-breaking. Cloud saves wiped-out hours of progress in the first week, split-screen suffers from severe frame-rate issues, and even the PS4 Pro struggles to deliver a stable experience compared to the base PlayStation. However, if you're looking to buy Xbox games, be aware that Borderlands 3 on Xbox also has its share of problems. Beneath these technical challenges, the game struggles to consistently deliver and is plagued by graphical glitches more fitting for last-gen consoles. It's a shame because Borderlands 3's unique art style deserves better treatment than being marred by bugs and glitches. However, when it's firing on all cylinders, Borderlands 3 is a chaotic masterpiece. It's ridiculously fun to throw an SMG to the ground and watch it sprout legs, slide-kick bandits into the air, or face off against a DJ wielding weaponized dubstep music. Despite its technical faults and forgettable characters (except for Tannis, who remains a beloved socially inept spirit animal), it's impossible not to enjoy Borderlands 3. If the good outweighs the bad, then the standout moments are like an overweight kid on a seesaw, sending the negative aspects flying into the air with the sheer force of joy.