With the fourth mainline entry recently officially announced, confirming widespread years-long assumptions, Borderlands is soon set to enter a new generation and phase. Along with that comes some decisions that developer Gearbox must consider regarding how it will advance and evolve the franchise's foundations in the next Borderlands to keep things feeling fresh in its latest installment. This may be more of a balancing act than it seems, as Borderlands 4 will need to address and iterate on various items, both narratively and mechanically, while not veering too far away from its established elements in these areas.
In this way, it shares something in common with Resident Evil, whose highly rumored next entry has also been much discussed and is expected to be announced soon, possibly this year. Both franchises at this point have extensive storylines driven and populated by a familiar collection of characters. Many of them have previously been player protagonists, while in other cases have been rotated into important backing roles. However, the same general group in both series is usually front and center, and many continue to feature as leads and/or NPCs. As such, it might be time for Gearbox to take the opportunity to re-evaluate its approach on this and add some new blood to the mix in Borderlands 4.
Borderlands and Resident Evil Are Both Juggling Legacy Characters
Borderlands and Resident Evil's Constantly Returning Characters
Even initially, Borderlands had a big cast, with the Vault Hunter protagonists surrounded by a robust ensemble of quirky allies, which only grew as it went on. Some of the formerly playable heroes stuck around to become critical NPCs as the overarching story and subplots developed. Notable Borderlands' figures like Mordecai, Lilith, Brick, Tannis, Moxxi, and more popped up time and again, even when a new wave of Vault Hunters were the player characters. While the spotlight varied from certain ones game to game, the general core group was always present to some degree, and they have long been deeply ingrained in the narrative.
Similarly, Resident Evil's recognizable and reoccurring figures like Jill Valentine, Chris and Claire Redfield, Leon Kennedy, and others were also seen in some form throughout its course . Capcom introduced fans to newcomer Ethan Winters in 2019's Resident Evil 7 and its followup, RE Village. Yet, for example, Chris Redfield still appeared in RE7, and subsequently played an even bigger role in Ethan's story again through Village. Though many of the above are indeed fan favorites, the fact that they've appeared so often in each of their respective series' titles may indicate that it's time for at least one of them to shake things up. And with Borderlands 4 looking like the first of them to release a new title, it could provide the perfect opportunity to do so.
Borderlands 4 May Do Well to Introduce Some Fresh Faces Into its Cast
Borderlands 3 left off on a climatic cliffhanger, with Crimson Raiders leader Lilith awakening a new Siren power and sacrificing herself to save the planet of Pandora from the villainous Calypso twins. There is thus much fan speculation based on this and followup content that BL4 will explore the aftermath of this and related events. Borderlands 4 may focus heavily on Ava due to her seemingly inheriting Lilith and Maya's places in the Crimson Raiders, and rallying the remains of the group to search for Lilith. This would be a natural plot extension, but would also mean that almost the entire rest of the cast will appear again in more or less the same roles.
Borderlands may risk over-relying on the same cast one too many times, possibly to its detriment. While certainly there is still more to be told in their story, it may be time for Gearbox to wrap up a number of these arcs in BL4, and have the torch pass to a new set of heroes, both playable and supporting, for the future. This could perhaps be organically done with Borderlands 4 possibly making other previous NPCs playable Vault Hunters, though this would still entail existing characters being central in some way. But it could then transition into a completely novel cast going forward, alleviating the chance of the prior becoming stale, and setting up exciting new avenues. Either way, Borderlands needs to thoughtfully consider how it will tread this ground in its latest chapter.
Borderlands 3
- Released
- September 13, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
The original shooter-looter returns, packing bazillions of guns and an all-new mayhem-fueled adventure! Blast through new worlds and enemies as one of four brand new Vault Hunters – the ultimate treasure-seeking badasses of the Borderlands, each with deep skill trees, abilities, and customization. Play solo or join with friends to take on insane enemies, score loads of loot and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy.
A MAYHEM-FUELED THRILL RIDE
Stop the fanatical Calypso Twins from uniting the bandit clans and claiming the galaxy’s ultimate power. Only you, a thrill-seeking Vault Hunter, have the arsenal and allies to take them down.
YOUR VAULT HUNTER, YOUR PLAYSTYLE
Become one of four extraordinary Vault Hunters, each with unique abilities, playstyles, deep skill trees, and tons of personalization options. All Vault Hunters are capable of awesome mayhem alone, but together they are unstoppable.
LOCK, LOAD, AND LOOT
With bazillions of guns and gadgets, every fight is an opportunity to score new gear. Firearms with self-propelling bullet shields? Check. Rifles that spawn fire-spewing volcanoes? Obviously. Guns that grow legs and chase down enemies while hurling verbal insults? Yeah, got that too.
NEW BORDERLANDS
Discover new worlds beyond Pandora, each featuring unique environments to explore and enemies to destroy. Tear through hostile deserts, battle your way across war-torn cityscapes, navigate deadly bayous, and more! QUICK & SEAMLESS CO-OP ACTION
Play with anyone at any time online or in split-screen co-op, regardless of your level or mission progress. Take down enemies and challenges as a team, but reap rewards that are yours alone – no one misses out on loot.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- Metascore
- 91
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 Players
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
