When it comes to co-op looter shooters, few can live up to the lofty legacy of Borderlands 2. Released all the way back in 2012, Borderlands 2 took the already-great foundations laid by its predecessor three years prior, and expanded on the experience in every conceivable way. Borderlands 2 is still considered by many fans to not just be the pinnacle of the entire franchise, but one of the best co-op games ever made. That's obviously a lot of pressure on Borderlands 4's shoulders.
Rather than take the same "bigger ergo better" approach that Borderlands 3 took in 2019, Borderlands 4 is choosing to take a step back, and carefully pick and choose the areas it's going to expand upon and refine. If recent gameplay trailers are any indication, then it seems like boss fights are one such area, and it's this feature that could end up giving Borderlands 4 its much-needed edge over its decade-older sibling.
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Borderlands 2's Boss Fights Looked Spectacular, But Could Feel A Bit Boring
Borderlands 2 features a vast array of visually arresting boss fights. The arenas are distinct, the tension is usually ramped up well beforehand, and there's plenty of gunfire, particle effects, and trademark Borderlands chaos. That's all especially true when players are facing off against Borderlands 2's raid bosses, which usually take the form of gigantic monsters, like Terramorphous the Invincible.
But while these boss fights still look impressive over a decade later, they don't always feel great to play. A good portion of Borderlands 2's boss fights boil down to a team of four blasting away at a hulking bullet-sponge until it eventually dies, avoiding the occasional AoE attack but otherwise strafing mindlessly from side to side for its whole duration. Very little teamwork is needed to see these foes fall.
Borderlands 2's Warrior boss fight is a good example of this somewhat lackluster formula. Though Borderlands 2's final base game boss and its volcanic arena look suitably epic, the actual fight sees players shooting the monster until it dives into lava, jumping onto a rock so they avoid the rising molten tide, waiting for it to resurface, and repeating the cycle once it's back in their sights. The repetitive nature of these fights can quickly lead to tedium, regardless of the sequence's stellar presentation.
Many boss fights in Borderlands 2 (and Borderlands 3) also suffer from other issues that affect their pacing or cheapen their difficulty curve. Immunity phases and one-hit-kill attacks are two common complaints, for instance.
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Borderlands 4's Boss Fights Look Very Promising
Borderlands 4's Boss Fights Make a Strong First Impression
Over the last few weeks, a range of Borderlands 4 hands-on preview impressions have hit the internet. A few of these (including an IGN breakdown posted to YouTube) have focused on one of the sequel's mid-game Vaults, and the boss that players will find inside. After eliminating a few waves of Seneschal mobs, players will face off against the Primordial Guardian Inceptus, a robotic, dual-tailed, scorpion-like creature that enters the arena via a flashy cutscene that makes a strong first impression.
Though the intro cinematic is just a few seconds long, it's enough to tease the Vault boss' unique moveset and showcase its striking visual design.
Borderlands 4's Vault Boss Makes The Most of New Mechanics
What follows that strong first impression is an even stronger boss encounter that fully realizes its potential. Throughout the fight, players are encouraged to use Borderlands 4's suite of new mechanics constantly. Players need to use their new grappling hook to open up weak points on the boss' back, they need to use their new dodge ability to avoid projectiles, and they need to jump and glide over the boss' well-telegraphed tail attacks.
After dealing a good chunk of damage to Inceptus, it hops up to the ceiling of the cave and briefly cocoons itself. While wrapped up all snug, Inceptus fills the chamber below with poisonous gas, forcing players to use the grappling points above to keep them airborne and to continue dealing damage to the boss.
It also seems like teamwork and careful coordination will be rewarded in this Borderlands 4 boss fight. Revealing a weak spot will occasionally release a cluster of spores that slowly make their way towards the player. If teams focus their fire and destroy the spores quickly, they'll be able to damage the boss with the resulting explosions instead.
An interesting detail from this recent wave of gameplay footage is that Vault Hunters aren't saying much during a boss fight anymore. More specifically, they're not shouting about the weak spots the player needs to target or the poisonous gas they need to avoid. Instead, it seems to be on the player to figure it out on their own.
Borderlands 4's Boss Fights Could Feel More Rewarding Than Ever
While the boss fight seems to be gratifying enough in its own right, the cherry on the cake is that players seem to be rewarded handsomely for their efforts as well. Some previewers have claimed that defeating this Vault boss granted them a mobility upgrade which improved their glide pack's regeneration rate. This comes alongside the usual weapon crate jam-packed with higher-tier loot.
Of course, this is just one of Borderlands 4's boss fights, and for all we know right now, it could even be its best. But if the rest of BL4's boss encounters come close to this one, then fans could be in for a real treat.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
