As a long-time fan of the series, I have been eagerly awaitingBorderlands 4, so I was absolutely thrilled when I got the chance to try the game early. After around two hours with the game, my impatient wait for the game’s September release date has transitioned from mildly annoying to downright painful. It was bad enough when the game just looked good, but now that I’ve experienced how fun it is for myself, I’ve been counting down the days until I get my hands on it again.
From the moment I saw the few seconds of grappling hook action inBorderlands 4’s First Look trailer, I knew Gearbox was cooking up something special. Sure enough,the game’s overhauled movement mechanics are a major win forBorderlands 4. There are also plenty of other features to get excited about, like its wider variety of weapon combinations, and the exciting new Vault Hunters. While there are still aspects ofBorderlands 4that remain a mystery, and some I simply can’t share with you (yet), from what I’ve seen, it could turn out to be the franchise’s best game.
Borderlands 4’s New Movement Is The Star Of The Show
Borderlands 4 Introduces Several New Ways To Maneuver During Battles And While Exploring
After watchingBorderlands 4’s Gameplay Deep Diveat the game’s State of Play, I knew the first thing I wanted to test out inBorderlands 4was its new movement mechanics. Thanks to a handy new jetpack,allBorderlands 4characters can now double jump, dash sideways, and glide through the air. These new styles of movement can be invaluable as you traverse the game’s open areas. For instance, you can glide between high peaks, or double jump to pull yourself up onto high ledges. However, where these new movement mechanics shine is in combat.
These new ways to move won’t just help you position yourself on the battlefield; they can also help you avoid enemy attacks. Dodging sideways is a great way to avoid some incoming projectiles, and double jumping into a backwards glide makes it easy to kite melee enemies. If you have good enough aim, you can alsopepper enemies with gunfire as you glide away from them, allowing you to remain completely untouched while taking out your foes.
Perhaps most indicative ofBorderlands 4’s blending of combat utility and movement upgrades is the game’s Point Grapple. You can use your grappling hook to grab onto a point on the map and pull yourself towards it for a quick maneuver in battle or as a way to reach new heights while exploring.You can also use it to grab small objects on the battlefield, like explosive barrels, which you can then throw at your enemies. This allows for a broader range of environmental kills, since you don’t have to rely on enemies simply grouping up near stationary objects.
All these new movement options help bolster combat to a blistering pace, but also make you feel completely in control of the fight. I rarely felt cornered while playingBorderlands 4, and when I got knocked down, it always felt like my fault for being overconfident instead of the game not giving me the tools I needed to succeed. Speaking of tools, noBorderlandsdiscussion can be complete without talking about guns.
Guns And Equipment Are Still At The Heart Of Borderlands 4
New Gun Manufacturers And Types Of Equipment Means Even More Loot
TheBorderlandsfranchise built a name for itself off the back of its impressive number of possible guns, andBorderlands 4is no exception. The game still has various gun manufacturers with unique styles of weapons, including three new ones: Daedalus, Order, and Ripper. However, the real innovationBorderlands 4makes to gun variety is the ability to find guns with parts from multiple manufacturers.
Previously, if you found a Jakobs gun, you knew it was going to be a pretty standard weapon, likely with high base damage. In contrast, Maliwan weapons exclusively dealt elemental damage, and were often a bit more specialized. InBorderlands 4,you can find a gun with parts from Jakobs, Maliwan, and a mix of any other manufacturer, which combines different aspects of each company’s signature style.
As someone who is typically a Jakobs loyalist inBorderlandsgames, I initially thought this new mechanic wouldn’t matter that much to me. However,I quickly found myself being much more flexible with the types of guns that I was using. It helps that certain styles of guns no longer feel niche, and instead can be combined with other manufacturers to be more well-rounded for all situations. Plus, any gun feels more useful when it has the signature Tediore ability to be thrown like a grenade when you reload.
Guns aren’t the only type of equipment inBorderlands 4, and one that I want to highlight is the new Repkits. If you haven’t been following updates for the game,Repkits are the new way to heal yourself inBorderlands 4. Previously, you had to rely on enemies dropping health, or finding health in lockers to heal yourself. Now, you can do it instantly by spending a charge from your Repkit. You can also get upgraded Repkits with special bonuses each time you heal.
One of the favorite bonuses I found while playing granted a significant boost to Action Skill cooldown when using a Repkit. Even if I didn’t desperately need health,it was nice to have a way to speed up my Action Skill cooldown if I really needed it, which came in handy during fights against more powerful enemies. On the subject of Action Skills,Borderlands 4has also made a major positive change to how they work.
Borderlands 4 Reworks Action Skills In An Exciting Way
Each Vault Hunter Now Has Multiple Action Skills
Instead of each Vault Hunter having a single activated ability, they each now have three different options.you’re able to cycle through these options at will, which allows for more specialized abilities that don’t have to be helpful in all situations. One good example of this is Rafa’s melee ability, where you enter third person mode and attack enemies with large blades instead of using your guns.
Melee abilities like this have always been a personalfavorite of mine inBorderlandsgames, which is why I played Brick in the first game and Krieg in the second. However, it’s undeniable that these abilities do have a major downside. Certain enemies, particularly bosses, were difficult to hit with melee abilities, making these characters feel weak in certain situations. Now,Rafa can simply switch to a different ability, like his auto-firing Peacebreaker Cannons, when he needs to be more effective from a distance.
I can’t fully speak to how Vex - the other available Vault Hunter - played because I only used Rafa during my preview. However, talking to other players at the event who tested out Vex, I learned one very important bit of information:you’re able to pet the giant cat she summons. Each Vault Hunter also has a unique personality. Rafa delivered light-hearted quips, like threatening to kill anyone who saw me fall off an edge and die in embarrassing fashion, whereas Vex was more edgy but in a self-aware and exaggerated way that fitsBorderlands' tone.
Borderlands 4’s Open-World Elements Don’t Feel Out Of Place
This Is The Same Borderlands You Love, Just With Less Loading Screens
Another aspect ofBorderlands 4I was looking forward to experiencing was its more open world. Although I was restricted to exploring a smaller section of the map, I could still see differences between the previousBorderlandsgames' worlds and the world ofBorderlands 4.Several locations I visited while completing missions felt like they would have been different maps, separated by loading screens in a game likeBorderlands 2. I suspect the time-saving implications of this will become more apparent once I’ve played the full game and can see just how extensive the full maps are.
To help explore the more open spaces inBorderlands 4,you have a portable motorcycle-like vehicle called a Digirunner, which you can construct whenever you need it. This replaces the need to travel to a Catch-A-Ride station and spawn a vehicle. Although I appreciate the convenience of the Digirunner, I was sad to learn that there won’t be any vehicle options that seat more than one player. I will miss being a passenger princess, endlessly firing my mounted machine gun at passersby while one of my friends drives us to our next objective.
You also have thenew Echo-4 drone that will help direct you to objectives. At first, I didn’t think I would end up using Echo-4 all that often, but it did come in handy a few times. It was especially helpful when exploring structures with multiple levels, because it would let me know if the objective marker on my compass was above me, or on the same level. Between the compass and Echo-4, I didn’t find myself missing a mini-map too often, though I did occasionally wish I had one just to see if any enemies were near me.
Although I didn’t experience it myself, there are apparently also random events where an enemy airship will appear as a point of interest on the map. When it does, you’ll have a specified amount of time to enter it, defeat the enemies there, and collect the loot on board. The world also has several hidden locations that enterprising players can stumble upon if they go looking off the beaten path, meaningBorderlands 4will be rewarding for players who like to explore.
There’s A Lot To Look Forward To In Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 Releases On August 05, 2025
It’s hard to distill everything I loved about my time playingBorderlands 4down to a digestible length. I could go on for far too long about how great the new throwing knives are or howthis is easily some of the best-writtenBorderlandscontent, thanks to the game’s humor staying grounded in its own world as opposed to relying too hard on dated internet culture. Ultimately, the main takeaway from my experience is thatBorderlands 4seems to be firing on all cylinders.
There are certain details about myBorderlands 4experience that I can’t share with you just yet, so I encourage you to continue following our coverage of the game as we get closer to launch for more insights. TheBorderlandsFan Fest will also take place this Saturday, debuting new gameplay footage and a new trailer. However, I’m sure more footage of the game will only make the wait for September all the more difficult.
