Borderlands 4 will have no shortage of iconic characters to work with. Its line of soldiers is formidable and reliable, composed of Roland, Axton, and Moze. The series also has its share of memorable psychos, snipers, assassins, vehicle repairmen, hunters, and bartenders. Not to mention its artists, scientists, storytellers, Bunkers and Badasses players, and giant muscular Vault Hunters who like to punch more than they shoot—there really is something for everyone. Perhaps the most iconic of all, though, are Borderlands’ Sirens. Consistently represented in every mainline game, minus the divisive Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Sirens introduce a bit of magic to the wastelands of Gearbox’s franchise. This time around, Siren users will get to control Vex, and while she certainly looks cool, I was hoping for something a bit more “out there” this time around.
Borderlands 4’s Vex has a lot going for her. She has the option to summon AI allies like Borderlands 3’s beloved FL4K, and her other abilities set her apart from the Phasewalking Lilith, Phaselock-wielding Maya, and Phasetrance-empowered Amara. Unfortunately, her overall vibe as a character feels much less distinct. Thus far, a majority of Sirens have tended to have a “cool goth girl” vibe, whether it be Lilith, Angel, or Maya. On this front, Vex is no different, which is a bit of a shame. With Borderlands 4, there was a chance to flip all the Siren trademarks on their head, creating a character that is a bit less predictable for longtime fans. While Gearbox didn't capitalize on that opportunity, I'm hoping it goes down that path in a future Borderlands release.
Currently, it’s unclear who Vex got her Siren powers from. Perhaps they’re Commandant Steele’s, as we never actually saw her using them.
Vex is Neat, But a Bright and Cheerful Siren Would Have Been a Welcome Change of Pace
To be clear, I have no issue with Vex. Sure, I’ll be playing as Rafa first and then Amon on a second playthrough, meaning I may not be using her for a while, but I love what I’ve seen of her kit and have no issues with her character design. It’s just that I would have liked to see something a bit more adventurous with the new game’s Siren, as Amara felt like a first step toward exploring bolder concepts with the role. In a way, Vex feels like the familiar Siren archetype; she’s the chill one in the group who goes with the flow. Lilith fits that description most of the time, and so too does Maya, especially when we see her in Borderlands 3 after she started mentoring Ava. While every Borderlands game should have a Siren, it would have been refreshing to see a character that pushes back on the stereotypical Siren vibe.
Amara’s vigilante work was a good detail to help her stand out a bit from her predecessors, but she lacked personality, something Vex seems to have more of—even if it is a “safe” kind of personality type. With the next Siren, though, I’d love to see a character that is nothing like what one would expect a Siren to be. One possibility would see the cool girl aesthetic swapped out for a super cutesy, happy-go-lucky character. Said Siren could be constantly positive in dialogue despite the brutality of Borderlands' world, which would be consistently hilarious - especially if it’s juxtaposed by a brutal power like Tyreen Calypso’s Phaseleech. The reveal of the delightful figure's grim powers would suit Borderlands’ trademark humor perfectly, and there would be numerous opportunities for silly interactions.
While Gearbox would have to be careful not to make this hypothetical Siren annoying, as other happy-yet-timid characters such as Overwatch’s Mei can be grating for some players, there would be some obvious benefits to the drastic change in style:
- Cosmetics would feel significiantly different from anything offered for Borderlands’ Sirens in the past, as there could be a greater focus placed on "pretty" outfit pieces like flowers, dresses, and so on.
- If Borderlands starts embracing conversations between multiple Vault Hunters like Call of Duty Zombies, hearing the psychotic or serious characters that make up the rest of the cast being confused about or unsettled by the peppy Siren in their crew could be fun.
- This hypothetical Borderlands Siren could have some unique interactions with Sirens like Lilith and Vex, as previously playable Vault Hunters usually return as NPCs in subsequent games. Specifically, it'd be very interesting to see how they react to a Siren with such a different look and attitude.
Borderlands 4’s Vex Can Still Forge Her Own Path
While Borderlands 4’s Vex isn’t the type of Siren I wanted to see, as she’s a bit too much like the series' most iconic Sirens in my opinion, Gearbox can still make her feel different in a few ways. She doesn’t have the life's worth of training under monks that Maya had to master her powers, so making Vex's animations a bit clumsy could be a good way to showcase her inexperience. Similarly, her dialogue could reflect that she’s in over her head and is masking a lot of internal fear, as the jump from saleswoman to Vault Hunter is certainly a big one. Even if she’s a bit samey, there are ways to make Vex distinct, and hopefully I’ll get my wish of a bolder Siren design further down the road.
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
