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Oct 31, 2023 · October 31, 2023 by Nelson Ayers. As a long-time Borderlands fan and expert, I can definitively say that Borderlands 3 is absolutely still worth playing in 2024 – and then some! Both loyal vault hunters and newcomers alike will find BL3 an incredible and addictive looter shooter experience for these reasons and more. Let‘s dig in….
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Users share their opinions on whether Borderlands 3 is worth buying for less than $10, especially after the sale ends. They praise the gameplay, the DLCs, the skill trees, and the western vibe, but criticize the story, the villains, and the dialogue.
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By James Duggan
Updated: Jun 8, 2020 10:36 pm
Posted: Sep 9, 2019 2:00 pm
Stubbornly refusing to reinvent itself after a five-year absence, Borderlands 3 sticks to its guns and manages to outdo itself. Refined movement and shooting, a legion of enjoyably challenging enemies, and the single largest arsenal of mechanically distinct firearms I’ve ever seen in a video game easily make this the best in a great series of co-op shooters. Its trademark stylized art, on-the-nose humor, and tattoo-fueled storyline are all enjoyable enough in their own right, but what really makes Borderlands 3 excellent is the addicting item chase that unfolds over the course of 30 hours’ worth of lovingly crafted main and side missions. What’s more, this is an adventure I could see myself happily undertaking again from scratch with a new character and a fresh group of friends.
You’ll arrive on the familiar planet of Pandora to find it overrun by bandits and on the verge of total collapse… so, normal. But this time around you aren’t stuck on Pandora. You’ll venture to several varied and jaw-droppingly beautiful planets, from the grimey neon metropolis of Promethea to the cherry-blossom-speckled peaks of Athenas, and each stands out visually in a way the series rarely has before. Though few have mechanical differences that distinguish them from the rest, every nook and cranny is generously littered with chests, collectibles, and amusing Easter eggs that make exploration and looting almost as much fun as the combat. I made frequent use of vehicles to get from one place to another on these large maps, but as with the previous games, vehicular combat is still so clumsy and relatively dull that I only fought in one when a mission required it.
You’ll venture to several varied and beautiful planets, each standing out visually in a way the series rarely has before.
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This time around you and your team of up to four will take control of Moze the Gunner, Zane the Operative, Amara the Siren, or FL4K the Beastmaster. They’re a personable bunch: FL4K’s backhanded compliments are always good for a laugh and Moze’s mid-combat pop-culture references are pulled from refreshingly eclectic sources like Ariana Grande and John Wick. They’re fairly standard fare for a Borderlands game at this point, but unlike the previous games’ casts, every class has their versatility boosted by a choice between three different action skills selectable at the top of each notably beefed-up skill tree – except for Moze who gets to customize her mech’s loadout. My current Moze skill build is focused on being able to summon my mech for the maximum amount of time on a short cooldown and boosting damage output. That’s helped along by class mods and Anointed item effects that add powerful class-specific bonuses to loot, like an extra charge for FL4K’s Rakk Attack action skill that calls down a fiery pair of flying beasts to dive-bomb enemies.
There are a lot of neat details to sort through when it comes to your class’ progression, like skill augments that evolve FL4K’s pet or give Zane’s drone an airstrike. For my money, though, the most alluring skill point options are the one-and-done passives like Rushin’ Offensive, which allows you to sprint and shoot at the same time, or Dakka Bear, which adds a manable turret to Moze’s mech for co-op play.
Watch the trailer below for a glimpse at some of Borderlands 3's characters:
Perhaps Borderlands 3's greatest triumph is that it never felt monotonous over more than 30 hours. I kept waiting for the energetic pace at which new enemies, weapon archetypes, and mission structures were introduced to slow to a grind… but it never did.
See the companion-using FL4K in action in the gameplay below:
For starters, if your ECHO 3 mission log didn’t clearly label them as such, I would’ve had a hard time distinguishing Borderlands 3’s side missions from its main story missions – and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. The optional tasks divvied out by the denizens of Pandora and its neighboring planets are creative, enjoyable, and rarely the kind of formulaic, repeatable filler usually associated with optional tasks. There are definitely still some fetch and kill quests, but there’s almost always a twist that makes them feel unique – and when there’s not, Borderlands 3’s self-deprecating humor makes light of that situation. My absolute favorite side missions were the ones that completely side-stepped convention for quick laugh. For example, Tyreen Calypso offering up a legendary weapon if you simply kill yourself, and the catch this decision comes along with it had me chuckling for hours after the fact.
Even more importantly, I'm every bit as giddy about the purple glint of an epic drop now as I was when I saw my first, and that’s because the incredibly diverse and constantly surprising arsenal absolutely steals the show. Like with its predecessors, Gearbox cooks the books a bit when counting up to the advertised "one billion guns” in Borderlands 3 by defining nearly mechanically identical weapons with slightly tweaked stats as unique guns. In spite of this fuzzy math, the illusion of infinite firearms is sold much better than ever before thanks to the sheer number of randomized elements with significant and legitimately unique effects, like an otherworldly, organic growth that turns bullets into elemental energy, a rocket-stabilized bipod, or even a barrel that spews radioactive goop.
Even optional missions are creative, enjoyable, and rarely formulaic.
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If Borderlands 3 is what happens when a modern looter shooter doesn’t concern itself with the longevity of its item economy and daily quests then you can sign me up for Borderlands 4 right now. Being untethered from persistent servers and able to trade loot at will is a refreshing change of pace, but that’s hardly the only reason why this such an a...
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amazing
Borderlands 3 sticks to its guns and outdoes itself with an amazing arsenal of weapons, humor, and missions.
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Mar 24, 2023 · A comprehensive guide to help you decide if Borderlands 3 is worth buying in 2024. Learn about the gameplay, multiplayer, story, classes, exploration, and more features of this looter shooter game.
Sep 16, 2019 · Borderlands 3 is the best the series has ever been and perfectly closes the decade-long adventure for fans. It has a satisfying story, diverse environments, enhanced combat, and a billion guns to shoot.
- Jennifer Locke
- Games Editor-Playstation, Android, VR
- jennifer.locke@futurenet.com
Oct 14, 2023 · A comprehensive review of the Switch port of Borderlands 3, a loot-shooter RPG with four classes, randomized guns, and a humorous story. Find out how well the game runs, plays, and looks on Nintendo's hybrid console.
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Nov 27, 2019 · Unfortunately, it’s with Borderlands 3’s dialogue that cracks begin to show. While humor is entirely subjective, so many of the game’s ‘funny moments’ simply don’t stick the landing.
