Borderlands 4 Revitalizes Loot Chasing Magic After BL3 Criticism

Sure thing, let me take a crack at it.

—

Okay, so I don’t know what kind of caffeine-fueled frenzy the folks at Gearbox have been in, but they’ve just bumped up the release date for Borderlands 4. Forward, not back, mind you. And in a whirlwind of chaos during a PlayStation State of Play, they’ve dropped a ton (and I mean a ton) of gameplay footage. New ways to zoom and zap around, some crazy mix-and-match gun setup — it honestly sounds like a loot lover’s fever dream, doesn’t it? Oh, and they addressed that elephant in the room from Borderlands 3: those loot drop rates. Supposedly, they’ve found their sparkle again. We’ll see.

You see, I’m a sucker for these looter shooters — Destiny 2 eats up way too much of my time — but Borderlands 3 just didn’t click with me. High hopes for this next saga though. It’s got a fresh coat of paint, takes place somewhere new, while still sneaking in those fan-favorite guest appearances. Yeah, everyone’s buzzing because they bumped up the date (maybe to dodge the giant that is GTA 6?). But hey, this showcase added a few more juicy bits to get all jittery about.

The loot system — that’s the main scoop, really. Good loot should rain down like a storm, right? But Borderlands 3? Man, they overdid it. I guess Gearbox heard the cries. “We’ve reworked our drop rates,” they’re saying. Gear’s supposed to feel revved up, special, like finding hidden treasure every time. Particularly, they mentioned Legendaries kept popping up like weeds in 3. Devalued the whole experience, really. Now, with BL4, they promise these top-tier shinies will actually be worth the chase. Adding magic back to loot. Sure, I’m hopeful, fingers crossed. Kairos should be fun for grinding.

Combat’s also seeing some wild iterations. New Active Skills means the Vault Hunters have a buffet of abilities to toy around with, plus their own skill trees to shake things up.

Weapons are back with their manufacturer traits — three new names too, which is cool. And this Parts system? It’s like Frankenstein-ing your weapons. Mix and match bits from different makers for something unique every time. Can we say ‘a bit mad scientist-y’?

There’s a new Ordnance slot, and goodbye to rationing explosives! It’s all about cooldown now, so go ahead, blow stuff up whenever. No more saving those grenades “for a rainy day.”

Oh, and movement in this game is slick. Sliding, dashing, doing all sorts of stuff like you’re in some epic action scene. Kairos, the world you’ll be frolicking in, has this new ride — Digirunner, I think? Like Destiny 2’s Sparrows but beefier, with guns. I’m all for vehicular mayhem.

Let’s be real, it’s not groundbreaking. But they’ve pieced together some solid mechanics. I’m only half-sure they’ll mesh, but I’m curious enough to stick around and find out, especially since they’re so confident about their loot revamp.

So, mark those calendars — September 12th is launch day. Though they hinted at some hands-on event in June. Could be part of the Summer Games Fest? Just a wild guess.

In the meantime, drowning in Borderlands hype? Check out some top-notch co-op and FPS alternatives. Oh, and don’t forget to follow on Google News if you’re into keeping up with PC gaming shenanigans. Or pop into our Discord — we’ll be around, probably rambling about all this.

—