Borderlands series delivers again

On Sept. 13, the Borderlands gaming series released the fourth installment. Following Borderlands (2009), Borderlands 2 (2012), Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014) comes Borderlands 3. With the new release comes four new adventure characters (Vault Hunters) who are on a quest to stop the cult known as Children of The Vault.

Borderlands 3 is the most expansive, in-depth and immersive Borderlands game to date, with new characters, capabilities, and weapons and even better loot than ever before. The game features several NPC characters which are in addition to the Vault Hunters. This game stays true to its roots, but offers a fresh interface and gaming experience. Gearbox Software Creative Director Paul Sage commented on feeling the pressure from other popular games.

“You have to take all of those pressures, put them aside, and focus on the game you want to make," he said.

The plot of this new release is set seven years after the events in Borderlands 2. Within the seven years, a new threat, the Children of the Vault, has risen. This cult comprises the scattered bandit groups which remained upon the ending of Borderlands 2. The cult primarily operates out of Pandora, which is the planet most central to the video game as it contains multiple vaults laden with treasure and technology. The hunt for these vaults has left the planet in a state of disarray. The game player acts as a Vault Hunter who is tasked with eliminating the Children of the Vault and finding vaults throughout the duration of the game.

The overall gameplay is similar to previous Borderlands games in that it is still the loot-driven, first-person shooter style.

According to the Borderlands website, this game contains over one billion unique weapons. Combat designer, Grant Kao, when asked about the “billion guns” said he wanted to provide as many options for weaponry, while also maintaining a customized style for each piece.

New gameplay features include combat maneuvers such as the ability to crouch-slide and wall-mounting to climb over or up short walls. The game still features co-op gameplay with up to four total players, but solo play remains an option.

IGN writer James Duggan said the game was “simply amazing” and called Borderlands 3 the “high point in the series.”

The third game in the series offers players an estimated 35 hours of gameplay in the main quests alone, with numerous side quests. The game was released on Sept. 13 across multiple platforms including Xbox One, Playstation 4, Microsoft Windows and will become available on the new Google Stadia console upon its release on Nov. 1, 2019.