Introduction
Today we are going to look at Borderlands 3, the highly anticipated addition to the iconic looter-shooter franchise, promised to deliver a fresh dose of chaotic mayhem and humor. As a fan of the series, my expectations were high, fueled by the anticipation of more over-the-top action and memorable characters. Borderlands 2 was a masterpiece, how will Borderlands 3 shape up after that?
What did I think before playing Borderlands 3?
Excitement and nostalgia dominated my pre-play thoughts. The prospect of exploring new worlds, discovering unique weapons, and engaging in hilarious dialogues with the eccentric characters had me genuinely looking forward to this gaming experience. There was so much to explore, how would it pick up after Borderlands the Pre-Sequel? Without further ado, I wanted to check the Steam Page.
The Steam Page
https://store.steampowered.com/app/397540/Borderlands_3/
The Steam Page further fueled my optimism. Stunning visuals, promises of a refined multiplayer experience, and the return of the beloved cel-shaded art style seemed like a recipe for success. The positive reviews and high player count added to the anticipation. My wife and I pre-ordered the deluxe package.Â
Rating
I rated Borderlands 3 with a 9. 3 before playing.
It all seemed good, a bit too good to be true, perhaps. However, Borderlands 2 had blown our mind, just follow up the story, build on the existing and Bob is your Uncle, right? Any game developer would know that.
Story
I am going to only say a couple of things about the story, it is about Youtubers, I have no idea how that could be Borderlands related. The story revolves around the player’s Vault Hunter character as they embark on a quest to stop the Calypso Twins, Tyreen and Troy, from harnessing the power of the Vaults scattered across the galaxy. The overarching goal is to prevent the twins from gaining god-like powers and wreaking havoc on the universe.
Rating
I rated the story of Borderlands 3 with a 2.0.
Let me get into that rating more, the narrative is disjointed and makes no sense, plus, it retcons numerous things from the previous Borderlands games.
Borderlands was known for its humor, it fell flat, it tried far too hard to be funny, sex jokes, ass jokes, you will hear them all game long. The bad guys, Youtubers make it even worse, they are already better in real life than I am, I don’t want that being rubbed in my face when I am playing a game.
The previous cast is used as garbage, that is the best I can make of it. The new characters are flat, have no character development, it just plain sucks.
Not only that, after the first hour, I knew how the game would end, and it did exactly as I had thought. Not only that, Sirens are a thing you can just grow now. Yeah, you know what, I will be a Siren now.
Gameplay
While Borderlands has traditionally been celebrated for its diverse and imaginative weaponry, I feel that the gunplay in Borderlands 3 lacked the innovation and excitement of its predecessors. The new weapons, while plentiful, didn’t always feel as unique or game-changing as those in earlier games. It is like, this is a green weapon, it’s almost the same as the next unique one! Also, the pipe bomb was and still is broken and able to kill bosses fairly easy. When it was truly broken, in seconds. The entire game feels like a repetitive mess of slog fest battles.
This game introduced new features, such as the ability to slide and mantle, but these additions didn’t significantly impact the overall gameplay, it just complicated everything. Now, to the skill trees, while each character has unique skill trees, I found certain skill trees to be underwhelming or less impactful compared to others. This imbalance in the effectiveness of skills affected the variety of viable character builds and playstyles.
There are many balancing issues, particularly in terms of enemy scaling in multiplayer. This made cooperative play less enjoyable, as the difficulty level did not always feel appropriately adjusted for the number of players in the session. Some enemies turned into massive bullet sponges, while others died if they stub their toes. I have the feeling this game would have packed out the same if your character was not even there to begin with.
Rating
I rated the gameplay of Borderlands 3 with a 2.1
What a horrible way to go down.
Sound and Graphics
Graphics
While Borderlands has never been known for cutting-edge graphics, Borderlands 3’s visuals were merely serviceable. The cel-shaded style, though charming, didn’t evolve as much as expected. The weapons did not even look fun.
Sound
The sound design, while adequate, lacked the impactful punch that could have elevated the overall gaming experience. Also, garbage voice acting.
Rating
I rated the sound and graphics of Borderlands 3 with a 5.5
Could have been much better. They really messed up with Claptrap in this one.
What did I think after playing Borderlands 3?
Disappointment lingered. The lackluster story and uninspiring gameplay left me questioning whether this installment truly added value to the franchise. Technical issues and bugs further soured the experience, turning what should have been a joyous return to Pandora into a frustrating ordeal. Also, what a waste of money.
Rating
I rated Borderlands 3 with a 1.7 after playing.
How hard is it to follow the story you have set up? The aliens that seemed to be important? Scrapped. The whole original team? Treated like disposable waste, annoying cast, Youtubers, balancing issues, bugs, glitches. You name it, if Borderlands 4 ever comes out, I am waiting a long time before I buy it. No, the Tiny Tina game does not count.
What are my personal thoughts about The Battle Cats?
Oh god, this is awful, we even got the DLC with the pre-order, we never finished it, we beat the final boss, we were so relieved it was over, and the ending sucked ass. Fuck this shit, pardon my French.
Rating
My personal Rating of Borderlands 3 is a 1.
I have been stuck with writing this review for a very long time, I tried to be as objective as possible, but if I compare this to Borderlands 2, well, I wonder what went wrong.
Last Words
Pros
- Familiar humor and characters, even if they are not treated with respect
- Maintains the series core mechanics, does nothing good to improve it
Cons
- Lackluster story with flat humor
- Mediocre graphics and sound
- Technical issues and bugs.
- Repetitive gameplay and uninspired mission design.
- The bad guys are Youtubers
Borderlands 3, while attempting to recapture the magic of its predecessors, ultimately falls short of expectations. A lackluster story, uninspiring gameplay, and technical hiccups overshadow the few positive aspects. For die-hard fans of the series, this installment may elicit a sense of nostalgia, but for others, it’s a disappointing chapter in the Borderlands saga.
The Final Rating
4.1
Please let me know what you think of Borderlands 3 in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
If you liked reading this review, maybe you would like to share this review with your friends.
Nun
Wow, harsher than I was expecting.
supersven
Yep, the truth can be harsh!
Salman
Hi
Nice review..... You are right, after testing this game, I feel lack of satisfaction.. Devs put extra things, which I think should not be necessary. But anyway, hope for the good. Let see what they will put in new game.
supersven
They should have stuck to the same formula!
jett cameron
"The bad guys are Youtubers"
lol
supersven
Sorry, I should have said, wannabe successful YouTubers.
Stephanie
An interesting review! Straight to the point and a good read about Borderlands 3
supersven
Thank you so much!
Alan
Is this game really more repetitive than exciting? I should see for myself. Thanks for this review!
Andor Juhasz
All the Borderlands games felt kind of repetitive.
supersven
True, especially the new game plus modes!
long shade
Underwhelming for a Borderlands game.
Delicious Bacon
Oh well, your final score is lower than any of your point scores (with 2.0 on Story being the lowest). Looks like it hit you bad with the disappointment in the end...
I always loved the co-op aspect of the BL games, so I might one day pick it up with my brother, even though it might suck. 😀
supersven
If it had not have good co-op, then we would have probably never finished it!
Javier
Best gameplay in series and the worst story.
Alex
What they did with the story of this game is a crime
super cringe
supersven
Very cringe!
anatoliy Anohotor
The game is probably cool. I want it.
Myr
It is quite disappointing that the characters were not as unique as in the second Game. But it still looks nice at least.
supersven
The graphics were rushed, it could have been tons better!
emperoru
unexpected rating, i know that this the weakest borderlands game but i think around 6 points
Neil
Haven't played any of the games in the series but from the way you described it, it's always sad to see a new installment in a series that's a clear downgrade from the previous ones in the series.
owd
Well, I do think this is the worst of the three main games, but I wouldn't personally rate it this low. Everyone has their own opinions, I guess.
octopy
Hmm, I would give it a solid 6. It's not great, but it's not all that bad either. I do agree with most of your points, though.
notrunks
I think you were a bit too harsh, but most of what you have said is true, unfortunately.
supersven
Maybe a bit harsh, but I am glad you agree!
Kris
Bad guys are Youtubers? Who would've thought!!
supersven
Damn those successful Youtubers! How can they be that damn successful?