Summary
Borderlands 4has yet to be formally announced, but that hasn’t stopped it from being highly anticipated. Currently, its existence relies solely on rumors and speculation, as well as a possibletease by the CEO of Gearbox. That being said, Gearbox likely knows it would be leaving money on the table without releasingBorderlands 4, so chances are fairly high that it is currently in development.
IfBorderlands 4does eventually happen, there’s little way of knowing what it might bring to the table. In addition to an increasing number of available weapons, eachBorderlandsinstallment has introduced an array of new features that improve the series' quality of life, gameplay, and narrative. WhileBorderlands 2has been deemed by many the best entry in the series, everyBorderlandsgame has contributed to the franchise’s continued success in one way or another. However, althoughBorderlands 4now has a chance to attempt to improve on the series' tried-and-true formula even further, it may want to consider playing it safe instead, especially in light of some relatively recent criticism the franchise has received.
Why Borderlands 4 Should Probably Play It Safe
Borderlands 4 Is Under Immense Pressure to Please
Despite no official announcement,Borderlands 4is already under immense pressure to please due to recent events. The highly anticipatedlive-actionBorderlandsfilmwas recently revealed on theBorderlandsofficial Twitter account, alongside a trailer that introduced the film’s cast. Unfortunately, this led to the film receiving heavy preemptive criticism, with most of that criticism aimed at the age of the cast members chosen to play each role. Other criticism has targeted the writing, as some of the characters in the trailer seem to be a far cry from a faithful adaptation.
Furthermore, although theTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsspin-off was fairly well received, its DLC wasn’t. As the most recentBorderlandsgame to be released,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsstarted off with a bang, but eventually left many players with a sour taste in their mouths by the time its DLC rolled out. All in all, theBorderlandsfranchise has had a rough go of it recently, which putsBorderlands 4in a tough spot. Perhaps the best lesson it can learn from what Gearbox has attempted to do with the live-actionBorderlandsfilm andTiny Tina’s Wonderlands' DLCis that sometimes, it’s better for a franchise to stick to its guns and simply give the fans what they want.
The main story of Borderlands 3 also proved controversial with fans, beginning a trend of negativity regarding certain aspects of modern Borderlands projects.
Borderlands 4 Should Keep Things Simple and Straightforward
From its humble beginnings in 2009,theBorderlandsserieshas firmly established a formula for itself that it may never be able to break away from, and that’s okay. In fact, almost anytime it has attempted to veer off course even the slightest bit, it has generally attracted divisive opinions from its most faithful followers. As such, it may be better forBorderlands 4just to be anotherBorderlandsgame — nothing too special, nothing out of the ordinary, just plain old straightforwardBorderlands. Sure, fresh playable characters, more weapons, and new skills are a must, but anything more than that andBorderlands 4could be digging its own grave.
Until an official confirmation aboutBorderlands 4is made, it might be best for expectations to remain in check. There is no telling what Gearbox has up its sleeve forthe next game in theBorderlandsfranchise, but hopes are high that whatever it is will surpass the series' most recent blunders. At the very least, the gaming community will likely be getting anotherBorderlandstitle, even though it’s impossible to know just how soon that might happen.
