Borderlands 4 successfully revitalizes the franchise with its most ambitious entry yet, earning an impressive 84/100 on OpenCritic and 8/10 from major reviewers. The game launches players onto the mysterious planet Kairos, featuring revolutionary movement mechanics, four unique Vault Hunters, and a matured narrative tone that addresses previous criticisms while maintaining the series' signature chaotic gunplay.
| Aspect | Score/Rating | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 84/100 (OpenCritic) | "Mighty" rating with 96% critic recommendation |
| Gameplay | 9/10 | Best gunplay in series, revolutionary movement system |
| Story | 7/10 | More mature tone, memorable villain, improved writing |
| Performance | 6/10 | PC optimization issues, console versions more stable |
| Content Value | 9/10 | 20-30 hour campaign, extensive endgame content |
| Co-op Experience | 8/10 | Seamless 4-player online, crossplay support |
After spending extensive time wreaking havoc across Kairos, I can confidently say this is the Borderlands renaissance fans have been waiting for since Borderlands 2's glory days. While technical hiccups mar the PC experience, the core game underneath represents everything the franchise should be in 2025.
Contents
Gone are the linear corridors of Pandora — Borderlands 4 transforms the series with its first truly open-world design. The planet Kairos offers a seamless, explorable environment that fundamentally changes how you approach the mayhem. Unlike Borderlands 3's segmented zones connected by loading screens, Kairos presents one massive, interconnected playground where you can chart your own path through the chaos.
The new setting brings fresh visual identity that breaks free from the dusty wastelands we've grown accustomed to. Lush fields transition into towering mountain peaks before plunging into deadly deserts, each biome teeming with unique enemies, dynamic events, and environmental storytelling that makes exploration genuinely rewarding. The Digirunner hover bike becomes essential for traversing these vast distances, offering customizable handling and mounted turrets that turn travel time into mobile combat opportunities.
What truly sets Kairos apart is its living, breathing ecosystem of warring factions. The oppressive Order army clashes with desperate resistance fighters while bandits and wildlife create constant three-way battles you can manipulate to your advantage. Points of Interest dot the landscape — from abandoned safe houses to decommissioned communications balloons — each offering strategic value when claimed for the Crimson Resistance.
Leading the charge as potentially "the strongest Vault Hunter in the entire series," Vex brings kinetic damage focus to the Siren class for the first time. Her unique Elemental Attunement trait dynamically adjusts her Action Skills to match your equipped weapon's element, rewarding strategic loadout management.
Action Skills:
Players report Vex excels in both solo and co-op scenarios, with her lifesteal capabilities and versatile skill trees offering unmatched survivability paired with explosive damage potential.
Described as potentially "the best melee Vault Hunter ever made," Rafa combines aggressive close-quarters combat with surprising versatility. Every ability in his arsenal deals damage, making him perfect for players who prefer constant offensive pressure.
His movement-focused gameplay encourages diving into crowds of enemies, chaining kills through devastating combos that would leave other Vault Hunters overwhelmed. The skill trees offer paths for both pure melee builds and hybrid gun-melee playstyles that keep combat fresh throughout the 20-30 hour campaign.
Harlowe introduces defensive gameplay with her unique Entanglement mechanic, spreading shared damage across enemy groups. This former Maliwan combat scientist brings technological warfare to Kairos through cryo and radiation elemental mastery.
Key Abilities:
While requiring more strategic thinking than raw firepower classes, Harlowe rewards patient players with unmatched battlefield control, especially in co-op scenarios where teammates capitalize on frozen or entangled enemies.
As the traditional tank archetype, Amon brings durability through his Forgeskill trait that adapts based on activated abilities. Wielding incendiary and cryo elements, this cybernetically-enhanced survivor offers slower but steadier progression.
His robotic augmentations provide unique upgrade paths through skill trees, potentially transforming into elemental axes or defensive barriers. While less immediately exciting than other options, Amon's survivability makes him ideal for new players learning Borderlands 4's enhanced movement systems.
Borderlands 4's movement system represents the biggest gameplay evolution in franchise history. Double-jumping, gliding, grappling, and side-dashing aren't just additions — they're core mechanics baked into every encounter. Level design embraces verticality with grapple points opening aerial assault opportunities while narrow arenas force constant repositioning through dash-chains and slides.
The Lash grappling system goes beyond simple traversal. Players can grab environmental objects to hurl at enemies, fish items from water, capture weakened wildlife, and manipulate the battlefield in ways previous games never imagined. Combined with the expanded grenade slot now featuring throwing knives and heavy ordnance weapons like miniguns, combat offers more tactical options than ever.
Hit feedback improvements make every shot feel impactful, with enhanced animations and sound design creating visceral satisfaction whether you're popping heads with a Jakobs revolver or melting crowds with Maliwan energy weapons. The new active heal timer reduces reliance on RNG health drops, maintaining combat flow without sacrificing challenge.
Perhaps Borderlands 4's most surprising achievement is its narrative restraint. The Timekeeper emerges as the franchise's most compelling villain since Handsome Jack, maintaining menacing presence without devolving into self-parody. This authoritarian dictator's control over Kairos through cybernetic Bolt implants creates genuine stakes, especially when resistance fighters literally tear these devices from their skulls in desperate bids for freedom.
The writing team clearly absorbed criticism of Borderlands 3's relentless joke bombardment. Comedy still exists but serves character development rather than undercutting dramatic moments. When humor appears, it's genuinely funny — slapstick violence and character-driven wit replacing tired memes and forced quips. They even managed to make Claptrap tolerable, which might be the game's greatest achievement.
Your chosen Vault Hunter has actual agency in the story with expanded dialogue and meaningful interactions. Supporting characters like Amara (returning from Borderlands 3 as an allied Siren) provide continuity without overwhelming newcomers with franchise baggage. The 20-30 hour campaign maintains momentum through focused storytelling that respects both your time and intelligence.
Eight weapon manufacturers deliver Borderlands 4's promised "billions of guns," including three entirely new brands that shake up the established arsenal:
The revolutionary Licensed Parts system allows weapons to incorporate multiple manufacturer traits, creating unprecedented variety. Imagine a Jakobs sniper rifle with Maliwan's elemental damage or a Torgue launcher with Order's precision bursts — the combinations feel genuinely fresh even after dozens of hours.
Let's address the Psycho in the room — Borderlands 4's PC performance is currently problematic. Steam reviews cite crashes, frame drops, and stuttering even on high-end systems. Players with RTX 4070 Ti cards report struggling to maintain 60fps with upscaling enabled, while others experience crashes every 10-15 minutes regardless of settings.
Gearbox released a day-one patch addressing some stability issues, but PC players should expect ongoing optimization patches throughout September 2025. Console versions fare significantly better, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S delivering more consistent experiences, though split-screen co-op occasionally struggles during intense firefights.
If you're primarily a PC player, I'd recommend waiting for additional patches unless you have absolute top-tier hardware. The game's quality shines through technical issues, but paying $70 for an unstable experience feels unreasonable when patience could deliver the polished adventure Borderlands 4 deserves to be.
Maximize your loot potential with these currently active SHiFT codes:
| Code | Reward | Expiration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| THRBT-WW6CB-56TB5-3B3BJ-XBW3X | 1 Golden Key | September 30, 2025 | ACTIVE |
| SHIFT-DISCORD-2025 | 1 Golden Key | Permanent | ACTIVE |
| NEWSLETTER-BONUS | Hazard Pay Skin + Key | Permanent | ACTIVE |
New codes release regularly through:
Borderlands 4's post-launch roadmap promises substantial expansions:
The commitment to avoiding predatory monetization deserves praise — no microtransactions, reasonable DLC pricing, and free quality-of-life updates demonstrate Gearbox's player-first approach in an industry increasingly dominated by live-service models.
Ultimate Vault Hunter mode unlocks after completing the campaign, introducing Weekly Wildcard missions that refresh every Friday at midnight. Current week's "A Lot to Process" tasks you with defeating the Oppressor for the Rainbow Vomit legendary shotgun — just one example of the rotating challenges keeping veterans engaged.
Maurice's Black Market returns with rotating legendary vendors, while world bosses provide repeatable farm targets for specific gear. The expanded bank system and cross-character storage finally address inventory management complaints, letting you efficiently share loot between your roster of Vault Hunters.
Level scaling and individual difficulty settings ensure friends can play together regardless of progression differences, while instanced loot eliminates fighting over drops. Fast Travel improvements and the lobby system refinements make drop-in/drop-out co-op genuinely seamless for the first time in franchise history.
Connect with fellow Vault Hunters across multiple platforms:
Randy Pitchford remains active on Twitter/X, though recent performance complaints sparked heated exchanges. The development team monitors feedback across platforms, with patches addressing community concerns arriving regularly throughout September 2025.
Console players: Yes. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions deliver stable, enjoyable experiences worth the $70 price tag. PC players: Wait. Unless you have cutting-edge hardware and high frustration tolerance, wait for optimization patches expected throughout September 2025.
Absolutely. While returning characters appear, the Kairos setting and new cast make this an ideal entry point. The story stands alone while respecting franchise history — newcomers won't feel lost while veterans appreciate callbacks and connections.
For beginners: Vex or Amon offer forgiving playstyles with survivability For veterans: Rafa provides fresh melee-focused gameplay For co-op: Harlowe's crowd control synergizes with any team composition
All platforms support full cross-play through SHiFT accounts. Create a free account, link your platforms, and join friends regardless of their system. Voice chat, instanced loot, and level scaling ensure smooth co-op experiences across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
No. Gearbox maintains their commitment to complete experiences without predatory monetization. DLC exists but follows traditional expansion model with substantial content at reasonable prices. All cosmetics and gear come from gameplay, not credit cards.
Main story completion takes 20-30 hours depending on playstyle and difficulty. Completionists should expect 60+ hours for all side content, with endgame activities extending playtime indefinitely. Multiple Vault Hunters encourage replay for different experiences.
No official announcements exist, but Take-Two's relationship with Microsoft suggests potential inclusion 6-12 months post-launch. Don't expect day-one availability given the game's AAA status and strong sales projections.
Cross-save functionality exists through SHiFT accounts, allowing progress transfer between platforms. However, you must own the game on each platform — progress transfers but game licenses don't.
Borderlands 4 achieves what seemed impossible after Borderlands 3's mixed reception — genuine franchise revitalization. The move to Kairos with its open-world design, revolutionary movement mechanics, and mature narrative tone addresses every major criticism while maintaining the addictive loot-shoot loop that defined the genre.
Yes, PC performance issues currently tarnish the experience. Yes, some characters lack the instant memorability of franchise favorites. But underneath these blemishes lies the best-playing Borderlands ever created. When patches stabilize performance, this could easily become the definitive looter-shooter experience.
For console players, Borderlands 4 earns an enthusiastic recommendation. For PC players, exercise patience — the game underneath technical issues deserves experiencing at its best. Either way, Borderlands 4 proves the franchise's best days aren't behind it — they're happening right now on Kairos.
Final Score: 8.5/10 (Console) / 7/10 (PC - Current State)
"Borderlands 4 rises above it all by committing fully to the bit, delivering exactly what fans wanted while pushing the franchise forward in meaningful ways. This is Borderlands at its most ambitious, most refined, and once technical issues resolve, potentially its absolute best."