Borderlands 4

About Borderlands 4

Borderlands 4 is a single player and multiplayer role playing shooter game. It was developed by Gearbox Software and was released on August 20, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Discover Borderlands 4 for PlayStation 5 on the official PlayStation website. See if you have what it takes to go down in history as a legendary Vault Hunter.

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Reviews

63%Audience ScoreBased on 46,595 reviews

story3.7k positive mentions

optimization5.6k negative mentions

The gameplay mechanics are engaging and fluid, with satisfying gunplay and new features like grappling hooks and gliding enhancing combat and exploration.
The story is seen as a significant improvement over previous installments, with a darker tone and engaging side quests that add depth to the experience.
The graphics feature a vibrant cel-shaded art style that many players find stunning, contributing to an immersive atmosphere in the game world.

The game suffers from severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience for many players.
The main narrative is often described as predictable and lacking depth, with many characters feeling bland and uninspired.
The monetization strategy, including a battle pass system, has drawn criticism, leading to perceptions of the game as a 'cash grab' and concerns over future content being locked behind paywalls.

optimization
21,883 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12% positive mentions, 62% neutral mentions, 26% negative mentions
The optimization of "Borderlands 4" has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. Despite some patches aimed at improving performance, many users feel that these updates have exacerbated the problems rather than resolved them, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. While some players have managed to achieve stable performance through various tweaks, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and not worth the current price until significant improvements are made.
- “Optimization seems pretty solid overall.”
- “The game is good if you don't mind tweaking things for performance.”
- “Despite the performance issues others are having, as I play on a mid-tier laptop of all things on medium graphic preset, I didn't really suffer.”
- “The performance issues are horrid but when it's steady, this game looks better than anything in the whole franchise.”
- “It's the worst optimized game ever, and the company is gaslighting the community into thinking it's the gamer's fault.”
- “The performance is still not the best, but my sister and I played through and it ran well on our machines!”
story
12,854 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29% positive mentions, 64% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions
The story in "Borderlands 4" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting it as a significant improvement over the previous installment, "Borderlands 3." While some appreciate the darker tone and engaging side quests, others find the main narrative predictable and lacking depth, often feeling disjointed and forgettable. Technical issues, such as bugs and crashes, have also detracted from the overall experience, making it difficult for some players to fully engage with the story. Overall, the game is seen as fun and enjoyable, but the story does not reach the heights of earlier titles like "Borderlands 2."
- “The story is great, the world is fun to explore, and the side quests are engaging and often hilarious.”
- “The story is a solid improvement over Borderlands 3, with a more serious tone and well-developed characters.”
- “The story has a more serious tone as opposed to all of the rest of the games and Borderlands 4 does a really good job of keeping you engaged and making you feel the urgency going from each story mission.”
- “The story, characters, and world just feel very bland to me, and it's been difficult for me to really get into it.”
- “The story is nothing special; it is actually quite bland.”
- “The main story is boring and predictable, with little to no humor at all.”
gameplay
6,992 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52% positive mentions, 44% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions
The gameplay in Borderlands 4 has received widespread praise for its engaging mechanics, fluid movement, and satisfying gunplay, marking it as one of the best in the series. Players appreciate the introduction of new features like grappling hooks and gliding, which enhance combat and exploration, although some have noted that the game suffers from performance issues and bugs that can detract from the overall experience. While the core gameplay loop remains addictive and fun, many reviews suggest waiting for optimization patches before fully diving in.
- “The gameplay is fantastic, the person running the company is the worst and the performance is atrocious.”
- “The gameplay is the best in the series, genuinely.”
- “The gameplay loop is addictive and the loot is amazing.”
- “The gameplay is bland; the world and the story are boring, and all the missions are just you killing the same four sets of bullet sponges.”
- “After 70 hours of gameplay, I came across so many problems: missions not spawning where they should be, weapons and NPCs spawning in the walls so I can't kill them to finish the missions, glitches in the scenery.”
- “With just how much of the game is spent shooting the same enemies over and over without really anything interesting going on to make an area unique or a fight distinct, it left me wondering if they really had much in the way of plans for this game, or if they had half a story worked out and glued generic gameplay to it.”
graphics
4,605 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20% positive mentions, 74% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions
The graphics of Borderlands 4 have received mixed reviews, with many players praising the vibrant cel-shaded art style and overall visual quality, while others criticize the game's poor optimization and high system requirements. Despite the appealing aesthetics, numerous players report significant performance issues, including low frame rates and frequent crashes, even on high-end hardware. Many recommend adjusting graphics settings and utilizing technologies like DLSS and frame generation to achieve a smoother experience, but the consensus is that the game struggles to justify its demanding requirements given its stylistic graphics.
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the storyline is engaging, boss fights are intense, gore is turned up, character design and abilities are fantastic, and the weapon system is everything you’d hope for.”
- “The cel-shaded aesthetic pops brighter than ever, and the new open-world structure on Kairos feels alive and expansive, packed with side quests, dynamic events, and enemy encounters that never let the action drag.”
- “The graphics look stunning with that iconic style polished to perfection, and the music plus sound design crank the atmosphere up even higher.”
- “Graphically, the game looks about on par with Borderlands 3, which had minor performance issues, but nothing even close to the issues I've encountered with Borderlands 4.”
- “The graphics are not good enough to warrant this level of performance, so I can only speculate why it is this resource intensive.”
- “The performance is a bit of a bugbear but I've managed to play it on a pretty old rig at low to medium graphics wise and being Borderlands the graphics have never really been a big selling point I feel.”
humor
2,162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions
The humor in "Borderlands 4" has been a point of contention among players, with many noting a significant shift from the over-the-top, cringe humor of "Borderlands 3" to a more toned-down, mature approach reminiscent of the earlier titles. While some players appreciate the return to a more grounded style of humor, others feel that it lacks the charm and absurdity that defined the series, resulting in a mix of funny moments and less engaging dialogue. Overall, the game retains its signature humor, but its execution varies, with side quests often delivering the most memorable comedic content.
- “The game can be both funny and just generally well written, which is such a massive step up from Borderlands 3.”
- “The humor and soul that made Borderlands are just gone.”
- “The overall tone is a little more serious, but the unhinged comedic absurdity, dark humor, and borderline psychotic shenanigans that make Borderlands what it is still play a big role.”
- “This game is not funny.”
- “The main aspect of Borderlands is comedy and it's not funny at all.”
- “The writing is where I have the most issue... but more importantly it's not funny, it doesn't even seem to be trying to be.”
stability
1,828 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29% positive mentions, 1% neutral mentions, 70% negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly during multiplayer sessions. While some users with high-end PCs report smooth gameplay and minimal glitches, a substantial number of players experience frequent freezes, stuttering, and game-breaking bugs that hinder progress. Overall, the game appears to be a buggy mess at launch, with many recommending waiting for patches and optimizations before purchasing.
- “Game runs great now that shaders are compiling, no issues here.”
- “Runs great on my 4090 and looks gorgeous.”
- “Game runs great, beautiful graphics, been an overall great experience!”
- “After 70 hours of gameplay, I came across so many problems: missions not spawning where they should be, weapons and NPCs spawning in the walls, glitches in the scenery.”
- “The game is a buggy mess where if you play with a friend from the start, your personal games get glitched and there is no fixing it.”
- “The crashes, freezes, and bugs that occur constantly just kill the mood and make the game, quite literally, unplayable at times.”
grinding
930 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 1% neutral mentions, 99% negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and frustrating due to nerfed drop rates and the need to repeatedly farm bosses for desired loot. While some appreciate the streamlined boss respawn mechanics and the challenge of obtaining rare legendaries, others feel that the overall experience is marred by a lack of meaningful endgame content and tedious navigation. Overall, players express a desire for more engaging activities beyond grinding, as the current focus on farming can feel monotonous and unrewarding.
- “If you aren't farming for them, you will have a legendary item of appropriate level most of the time (within 5 levels of you).”
- “I'm playing on hard difficulty and the game so far has a nice balance between fun but not being grindy.”
- “A lot of people on here will convince you that this is the grind but this isn't grinding.”
- “Nerfed drop rates make it way too grindy now, which is unfortunate as gameplay is a lot of fun.”
- “Endgame is a bore; it's grinding one boss forever to get a drop that is probably going to suck anyway.”
- “The way to find legendaries is also beyond tedious: having to fight single boss encounters over and over again until something desired drops, and then doing it some more because the stats are not to your liking.”
music
507 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28% positive mentions, 58% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players expressing disappointment over the lack of memorable tracks and ambient music. Critics note that the soundtrack feels generic and uninspired, especially compared to previous entries in the series, and that significant portions of the game are devoid of music, leading to a lifeless atmosphere. While some combat music is appreciated, it often fails to evoke the same excitement or connection to the game world as earlier titles, leaving players longing for the iconic scores of past Borderlands games.
- “The music is great, a nice update to the franchise.”
- “The soundtrack is also great, with fully dynamic scoring that builds up and kicks into overdrive when combat begins, then gently simmers down and ends when combat is over.”
- “The music feels wrong.”
- “The near absence of music is shocking; even sanctuary’s theme used to feel alive and memorable.”
- “The music throughout the entire game is pretty bad; it never feels like it ties into the environment or reflects the game's nature in any way.”
- “The lack of ambient music at times is a shame as Borderlands 2 had some great tracks to complement the gameplay.”
replayability
225 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27% positive mentions, 66% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the variety of activities, character builds, and repeatable bosses that enhance replay value, while others criticize the lack of meaningful endgame content and technical issues that hinder the experience. Many feel that the absence of a New Game+ mode and the inability to reset story progression significantly diminish replayability, leading to frustration among players. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replaying, the game's current state leaves many feeling that it falls short of the high replayability standards set by previous titles in the series.
- “End-game replayability is stronger, with repeatable bosses, better loot balance, and expanded customization options.”
- “The sheer amount of activities, depth, and replayability easily justify the price tag, making it one of the best entertainment investments I’ve made in a long time.”
- “The gameplay loop is very fun and replayable, the story is actually decent this time, and the comedic parts of the story are delivered mainly in the form of fun easter eggs or through the side missions.”
- “It feels like they streamlined so much out of the quests that this whole replay system is pointless, and some of the quests that would be fun to replay for their own sake aren't actually replayable for arbitrary reasons.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is sluggish due to performance issues, the story is uninspired, and the core principle of replayability in the game doesn't reward returning players.”
- “The replayability is awful, I lost my energy to touch this again.”
emotional
198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 12% negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the story and characters lacking depth and emotional resonance. While some side quests and moments are noted for their heartfelt content, the overall narrative is often described as boring and forgettable, failing to create meaningful connections with characters. Players express disappointment in the game's attempts at emotional weight, which frequently fall flat due to weak character development and pacing issues.
- “I enjoyed the majority of side quests; some almost made me cry a little at how sincere they were, like 'Ready to Blow', 'Her Own Funeral', 'No Place Like Home', and 'Joe & Sue', for example.”
- “The story and side quest writing is very good (got emotional over a sentient rocket).”
- “The writing dials back the try-hard humor from Borderlands 3 and actually lets some emotional beats land.”
- “Boring story, guns are low tier and barely have any fun mechanics or uniqueness to them, the stuttering and graphics issues are unbelievable considering they charged $70 for this.”
- “Boring story, forgettable characters, map is only big for the sake of cramming more of the 'side content' in.”
- “They somehow managed to take the worst of 2 and 3 by making you replay the same boring story missions with annoying modifiers.”
monetization
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3% positive mentions, 11% neutral mentions, 86% negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it as a "cash grab" due to the presence of a battle pass system and concerns over future content being locked behind paywalls. While current cosmetic items are the only paid content, there are fears that essential gameplay elements may soon follow, leading to a perception of greed and exploitation by the developers. Overall, the monetization approach has overshadowed the game's potential, contributing to a sense of disappointment among long-time fans of the series.
- “This franchise does incredibly well without microtransactions.”
- “I'm glad there are no microtransactions or 'game-as-a-service' model, or else I'd say this is just Diablo 4 with guns.”
- “The in-game microtransactions are non-existent.”
- “The last and final con is the 'battlepass' like monetization system where new content that comes out in the future is stuck behind a paywall. Currently, the bosses are all free which is great, and the only paywalled content is cosmetic, but I worry this will not always be the case and soon we will see loot and bosses behind the paywall.”
- “This game was a half-finished cash grab!”
- “Borderlands used to be a fun, chaotic looter-shooter series, but this feels like nothing more than a cash grab.”
atmosphere
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34% positive mentions, 61% neutral mentions, 5% negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the vibrant open world, dynamic weather, and improved sound design that enhance immersion. However, many critics note a lack of memorable music and ambient sounds, leading to sections of silence that detract from the overall experience. While some feel the game captures the charm of earlier titles, others argue it falls short in creating a compelling atmosphere, often comparing it unfavorably to previous entries in the series.
- “The lighting and weather effects create genuine atmosphere (particularly in Carcadia Burn) and the game world feels truly vast.”
- “Each zone is full of history and atmosphere, and they remind places long-time players will recognize, such as Terminus Range feeling like Southern Shelf and The Fridge, Carcadia Burn - Sawtooth Cauldron and Dust, while still being unique in geography, biology, and architecture.”
- “The graphics look stunning with that iconic style polished to perfection, and the music plus sound design crank the atmosphere up even higher.”
- “Not only does this instance lack any memorable tracks or an OST that gives it a semblance of atmosphere, there are whole sections where there is no music at all... just total silence and ambient noise.”
- “The 'open world' design doesn't work well; the game feels small and lacks the distinct varying atmospheres of the previous level and map designs.”
- “There is no atmosphere anymore, no likable characters, and nothing to pull you in.”
character development
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28% positive mentions, 65% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over weak storytelling and a lack of meaningful character arcs, particularly for new characters. While some side missions, especially involving Claptrap, provide moments of growth, the overall dialogue and character design have been criticized as uninspired or overly reliant on clichés. Despite some praise for the visual design and a few standout characters, many feel that the game fails to deliver the depth and engagement seen in earlier titles in the series.
- “The story is really good so far, enjoying the character development and story progression.”
- “Even the side missions add real weight, delivering surprising moments of character development — especially for Claptrap, who truly shines this time around.”
- “The main story has very good character development and an overall likable cast of characters.”
- “The biggest con for me is the story and character development; it just doesn't give me enough reason to care for most of the main characters. The villain is not 'bad' enough, the crazies are not crazy enough, and the dark humor is not dark and humorous enough.”
- “The writing is where I have the most issue, not in the plot so much, all of that is fine, but the writing is just bland. It expects us to care about random new characters with little to no character development, but more importantly, it's not funny; it doesn't even seem to be trying to be.”
- “It feels like no love went into their dialogue or character design.”