Even as someone who found things to love aboutBorderlands 3, like it’s Vault Hunters, combat, expansions, and takedowns, I’ve been wary ofBorderlands 4. The general negativity around the franchise followingBL3’s unpopular story,Wonderlands’ DLC dropping the ball, and the film flopping all likely contributed to my feeling of wariness, thoughBorderlands 4’s big shifts undoubtedly played a part too. Specifically, the move to an open-world had me nervous, as I loveBorderlands’ typical format of multiple maps and didn’t find as much enjoyment in other games likeDoom Eternalwhen they went bigger. As someone who isn’t big on the series’ vehicles, either, it was hard for me personally to get as hyped forBorderlands 4as the other games in the series.
Borderlands 4’s glowing previewshave worked wonders to quell these concerns for me, as those who got a chance to play the game early have had nothing but good things to say about the gameplay of Gearbox’s latest hero-shooter. That said, I had another concern that brief previews weren’t able to address, but Vex’s new character short has: the tonal shift ofBorderlands 4. Though Gearbox has talked a big game when it comes to the series moving away from toilet humor and spinning a darker tale, I’ve worried about it failing to deliver on either promise - or that it’ll overdeliver and lose the fun element that is a key part ofBorderlands’ DNA. Fortunately, it seems like Gearbox is up to the task, as not only did Vex’s backstory strike the ideal tone in my eyes, but it included a line that shows the studio is well aware of its previous shortcomings.
Borderlands 4’s Vex Trailer Pokes Fun at Borderlands 3
While members of the community have suggested bold workarounds to separatingBorderlands 4fromBorderlands 3- like killing themuch-hated character Avaoff-screen, having Marcus pretendBL3was just a bad story he told as a joke, or ignoringBL3entirely - it’s unlikely for Gearbox to do any of those things.Borderlands 4’s Kairos is a direct result of Lilith “Firehawking” Elpis, after all, and at least part of the story will see players tracking the first playable Siren down. However, thoughBorderlands 3may be canon toBorderlands 4, that does not mean that Gearbox hasn’t heard the criticism.
A standout moment ofVex’s story trailersees Gearbox breaking the fourth wall to address criticism. As a customer attempts to buy a copy of a film called “Deathening 4,” Vex asks if this person “saw the third one.” They then reply by saying “‘Deathening 2’ was way better,” with the new Siren saying “I know right” in response before fawning over the unnamed man due to their taste in films - or more accurately,Borderlandsgames. Based on the verbiage used, and the fate of the character playing out right after Vex says what happens to someone in “Deathening 4,” it’s clear that the “Deathening” films mentioned during this exchange are just a stand-in for theBorderlandsgames. Gearbox is not only acknowledging that fans didn’t likeBorderlands 3, but seemingly having one of its own characters admitBorderlands 2is the stronger game, and this accomplishes some important things.
With Vex getting an animated short, it can be assumed thatBorderlands 4’s other threeVault Hunterswill get the same treatment in the lead-up to launch.Borderlands 3gave all four Vault Hunters a backstory trailer, too, so it can be assumed that this is the norm for the series going forward.
Borderlands 4’s Self-Awareness is a Big Deal
First and foremost,Borderlands 4poking fun atBorderlands 3is essentially a promise that this new game is going to be better. While companies always tend to hype up their next release as the next big thing, it’s rare to criticize a previous entry so harshly in the process of doing so. And though there are no specific reasons given for why “Deathening 3” was a step behind its predecessor,Borderlands 4’s changes to loot, storytelling, and tone speak volumes. Additionally, this moment and the chaos that follows are a great example of howBorderlands 4’s writing will be an improvement. Though the series’ humor surely isn’t going to be highbrow or overly clever, it’s clear that more thought is going into the jokes and their payoffs, which is something else that has gotten me more hyped for the game. Essentially, Gearbox’s confidence inBorderlands 4has given me confidence in the game too, and I can’t wait to see what it has in store.
