Borderlands 4 Channels the Spirit of a Destiny 3 We’ll Never See, and It’s Gearbox’s Best Move Yet

Sure, let’s dive right in and take a stab at this.

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Wow, so last night, like half the planet or something, I tuned into the Borderlands 4 State of Play. Man, it was like info overload but in a good way? Felt like they were throwing back to the OG Borderlands instead of the newer stuff. Which was kinda surprising, I thought they’d go in a different direction, something closer to Destiny 3 maybe? But hey, switching things up is smart. I think?

So, Borderlands has this serious street cred in two main spots. First off, the FPS action, duh. It’s what they do! A looter shooter—schlooter, if you wanna be all trendy with jargon. Crazy weapons popping off wild stuff. That’s been the jam since day one. Even if Borderlands 1 looks kinda quaint next to its siblings, it still draws you in.

Anyway, um, what’s my point? Oh, yeah! The other rep thing — “contemporary humor.” Borderlands has its set of jokesters – Claptrap fans, I see you – and those bizarre parodies like that Spongebob joke in Borderlands 3. Yep, so there’s a group that digs it. But then, there’s folks who are just like, “Okay, not my vibe.” So, for Borderlands 4, Gearbox saw the chance and bam, went for it. Like, let’s shake this thing up, people!

Now, about that new tone. Jokes this time around? I could probably count them on one hand. Which, surprisingly, didn’t bother me? Just here and there, a funny enemy name or a quick wisecrack. I was fully expecting them to go full meme with a ‘Sigma’ joke, but now? Who knows. It’s like a brand new beast, and hey, I’m not complaining!

Visually, it’s still got that crazy charm but in a less cartoonish way. I know, sounds odd, right? The exploration vibe switched gears too. Vaults as dungeons? World bosses popping up randomly? Whoa, that’s a shift. It’s like Gearbox is mixing it up with some Destiny 2 elements. Quests with a helpful drone, summon-your-own-ride, all that jazz. Destiny meets Borderlands. Weird cocktail, but oddly, it kinda works.

Oh, and let’s talk about timing. Destiny 2’s off busy with Marathon, small updates and all. Bungie’s had its ups and downs, with content cuts and crew layoffs — a real mess sometimes. And with Marathon getting a mixed bag of reactions, Borderlands stepping in now seems almost… considerate? Like, please, give us something to chew on here!

Honestly, at this point, feels like Borderlands 4 could’ve totally overshadowed Marathon if they’d dropped the same day. I’m thinking, this could be something fresh and exciting? Like, in a couple months, maybe the hype diffuses, but for now? It’s making everyone perk up and pay attention to Borderlands again. Clever move, I must say!