Mistakes in the video game industry are something that will inevitably happen. Like, seriously, they will happen, and nothing you can do will prevent that. It’s happened to every major publisher and developer, and we can point to mistakes some of them have made very recently to highlight how this is a recurring thing. The question that many need to ask is, “When we make a mistake, how do we fix it for the next game?” In the case of Borderlands 4, many are wondering how Gearbox Software would fix the story and comedy flaws of the first title, and the team did make it clear early on that they were going to do things differently.
As many have said over the years, the 3rd entry wasn’t bad, but its story, comedic dialogue, and certain other “important moments” were big swings and misses when they should’ve been something else entirely. They should’ve been a culmination of things, especially since it was an entry that took a while to come out.
Yet, as PC Gamer wisely notes, does Borderlands 4 actually need to do much with the storyline at all?
After all, while the franchise is known for its insane world, the unique Vault Hunters that you play as, and more, the story wasn’t really the “big thing” that lured people in. Instead, it was the gameplay and having all those incredible guns that you can unload on enemies. The story was there, yes, and there were some incredible characters that became iconic ,like Mad Moxxie, Handsome Jack, Lillith, Tiny Tina, and more, but they were done in a way that made them feel important without necessarily being something that was present throughout the story itself.
Everyone loved the Vault Hunters because you’re playing them throughout the game and learning more about them as you go, but even then, their backstories weren’t the most important things.
Instead, PC Game notes that all Gearbox needs to do is simply keep things “focused” so that things can flow fairly without being overpowering and confusing. This isn’t the game where you need the grandest of narratives. All you need is characters that are meaningful and fun to listen to or play as, a villain that is understandable in their motivations, and that does something bad so you have the desire to kill them, and then ensure the gameplay is as great as past titles.
You keep that formula, and you’re good!
Oh, and ensure that everything writing-wise is better than the terrible live-action movie. Just saying.
