Borderlands 4 final preview — Legendary lootin’

We arrived at the Fadefields just after dawn. I agreed to join the Crimson Resistance in their efforts to topple the vile Idolator Sol. The Timekeeper’s lieutenant had earned what was coming to him.

After reaching Fortress Indomita and fighting my way inside, I took a breath. There were a couple of tantalizing vending machines, and I wanted to check deals on shields and guns before I…forge…ahead, though I guess buying something from Sol’s own vending machines wasn’t meant to be much help.

Heh. Forge ahead. I like that. It’s funny since, as a Forge Knight, charging into the thick of things is kinda what I’m known for. I’m a mountain of a man by all accounts, and aside from the arsenal of firepower on my back, my elemental axes have felled more foes than a lumberjack in a rainforest.

The Borderlands franchise has been tossing psychotic bandits and big-bads at vault hunters since 2009. While the franchise earned its place as one of the galaxy’s finest looter-shooters early on, some missteps in recent years had begun to have fans questioning the direction of the beloved series. After some time with an early mission from Gearbox’s latest upcoming title, I have to say my confidence has been handily re-earned.

Room after room, I fought on. I employed a great deal of tools at my disposal: a couple of shotgun blasts here, a radioactive grenade there, an ice axe over that way, the occasional elemental glaive tossed in for good measure. Sol’s cronies nearly got me a few times, but they were no match for my incredible brawn…and bullets.

Borderlands is well-known for its impressive wealth of firepower, including the infamous Eridian Fabricator, a gun that, erm, shoots guns. My experience with Borderlands 4 emphasizes their continued dedication to that spirit of constant discovery. In my time with the game, I found and used shotguns that behaved like grenade launchers, guns that turned into explosives when you tried to reload them, grenades that caused a hail of radiation, and more. It promises to deliver more than enough to continue satiating fans on the constant search for cooler firepower.

Beyond the guns, Borderlands 4 remains true to its legacy with four new vault hunters, which means new personalities and skill trees. My Forge Knight was spec’d in a way that let me throw axes and gain bonuses as a result. With three skill trees per character and a whole slew of upgrades, there’ll be no shortage of ways to mix and match your build to suit your playstyle. When you add some of the fun new gameplay mechanics (like the energy grappling whip and the ability to glide for a distance), Borderlands 4 feels like it’ll be the smoothest gameplay experience in the franchise yet.

After destroying his ship, I faced down the bloated, arrogant fool in a fight to the death. Given his clever defenses, I had to employ his own bioweapon to render him vulnerable. Despite some underhanded tricks (and a veritable battalion of lackeys) on Sol’s behalf, I emerged victorious, claiming a bounty of goods and, more importantly, the bolt that was fused to the monster’s spine. This was going to be useful.

While we’re used to tackling hordes of little baddies, Borderlands has been known to throw some iconic boss fights in the mix, too. Based on my time with the preview content, Borderlands 4 is set to bring the noise here, too. Idolator Sol was a brutal fight, but he was also a genuinely unlikable character. If that were a byproduct of poor design, it would be a dead canary in a dangerous coal mine. In this case, to Gearbox’s credit, it’s thanks to good character design, great writing, and excellent VO performances. 

I don’t want that to downplay the game’s smaller enemies. The Timekeeper and the planet of Kairos promise to deliver a wide range of fresh bullet fodder for us to enjoy. With only a half-hour of involvement or so, I’m already in love with what I’ve seen. A room full of enemies that can fly or warp around made for some frantic, chaotic fun.

After my attack on Idolator Sol’s fortress, I’m thoroughly excited for what Gearbox has in store. The game already looks beautiful, the gunplay and skills are fun, and the writing is full of clever quips and well-written humor. It’s still early, but we’ll know more soon. Borderlands 4 is set to launch worldwide on PS5, Xbox Series X|S consoles, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on September 12, while Switch 2 players can look forward to the game on October 3.  You can check out the official Borderlands 4 website to pre-order, and be sure to stay locked to GamingTrend.com for our full review coming soon!