It was a bit worrisome when Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford revealed that the team had "tripled down" on side content in Borderlands 4. The series hadn't really been known for having the best side quests, with the majority of them boiling down to little more than fetch and kill quests with some less-than-noteworthy stories backing them up. That's not all either, as more side content doesn't always mean a higher-quality game, and with Borderlands 4 being bigger than the series has ever been with its new planet Kairos, there was even more potential for an outcome like that.
However, that mostly turned out not to be the case. Sure, there are plenty of collectibles and other distractions to bloat Borderlands 4's world, but its side quests, in particular, are some of the best in the series. One of their best qualities is their ability to show the humorous side the Borderlands series has always been known for, while its main story does the heavy lifting with more serious, darker themes. But they also offer a generous break from those main quests, not just with humor, but with variety, telling some of the game's most memorable tales.
Borderlands 4's Side Quests Outshine Its Main Story
Borderlands 4's Side Quests Carry the Game's Humor
While Borderlands helped define the modern-day looter-shooter formula, it is no doubt known for its humor as well. Since the first game launched in 2009, it has inspired a mode of comedy in video games that wasn't present before, even if the games inspired by it fail to live up to it. For the most part, Borderlands has maintained that reputation, though Borderlands 3's toilet humor comedy garnered plenty of criticism. But because of that criticism, Borderlands 4 took a sharp turn with its main story, making it one of the darkest yet from the get-go.
With Borderlands 4's main story being more serious than ever, its side quests are left to retain the humor the series has always been known for. Side quests with iconic characters like Claptrap help break up the frequent distress of the main campaign by offering an occasional smile, and there's something oddly heartwarming about comedy's persistent presence on the side — even if some of it does come from the one-wheeled robot many love to hate. In a way, it makes the side quests more worth doing than the main story, especially for longtime fans of the series who love playing Borderlands for its crass humor.
Borderlands 4's Side Quests Give the Story More Variety Than Its Main Narrative
But where Borderlands 4's side quests truly shine is in their variety compared to the mostly one-road narrative of the game's campaign. That variety doesn't manifest in simple fetch and kill objectives either, but rather in interesting stories that help build the world of Kairos, the push of the Resistance against the Timekeeper's rule, and the planet's most curious inhabitants who need help retrieving the other half of their mechanical body. One memorable side quest, in particular, involves a sentient missile who needs the Vault Hunter's help in resolving an existential crisis.
With so much side content to do, those hoping to achieve 100% completion in Borderlands 4 might be inclined to put the game's main story on the back burner — at least until there's nothing else to do in a region before moving onto the next. It's a very easy thing to do, especially with how much the game's side quests flesh out the world and the overarching conflict. Plus, it helps that many of Borderlands 4's side quests offer substantial rewards like XP and powerful weapons, so they're worth doing for more than one reason.
Borderlands 4
-
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
