The new Borderlands 4 gameplay shows off new combat features and Gearbox promises that loot rarity will be important again.
I enjoy looter shooters, and Destiny 2 is my favorite. but I didn’t really connect with Borderlands 3 even though the series has been around for a while. I'm So excited for Borderlands 4 though it looks amazing takes us to a new planet and includes some well-known characters. There’s been talk this week about the release date of Borderlands 4 being moved up possibly to make room for GTA 6. but this new showcase has given even more reasons to be excited.
The main point for me is Gearbox's thoughts on Borderlands 4's loot system. In a good looter shooter you should get plenty of gear but Borderlands 3 gave out too many good items. Gearbox says they have listened to feedback and changed the drop rates and loot in the game. They have worked hard to make the gear feel better and make rarer items more important creating the most satisfying loot chase yet.
It says that in Borderlands 3 Legendaries dropped too often making them less special. It does not explain how this will change in Borderlands 4. but Gearbox promises that these rare items will feel more special to get. They mention that they have brought back the excitement of finding great loot and they think players will enjoy earning gear in the new game.
Today's livestream showed some new changes to combat and loadouts in BL4. A new feature called Active Skills gives each of the four Vault Hunters different abilities and playstyles. Each Active Skill has its own skill tree.
In the guns section makers are adding new features to their weapons. There are three new ones: Order Ripper and Daedalus. The exciting part is the new mix-and-match Parts system. which allows weapons to have parts from different manufacturers. This increases the variety of weapon combinations.
A new Ordnance slot in your loadout lets you use explosives more often. Instead of running out of ammo and saving grenades or rocket launchers for tough situations. it now works on a cooldown timer. This removes the worry of wasting ammo and lets you enjoy using explosives more freely even in less important moments.
Movement is more exciting than before with actions like sliding, dashing, slamming or grappling and gliding. To get around the large open areas of Kairos you can use a new vehicle called a Digirunner which is similar to Destiny 2’s Sparrows but with guns. Cool.
It's not something groundbreaking. but Gearbox has put together a solid set of combat and gameplay mechanics. I'm looking forward to seeing how they all come together and whether the studio's confidence in improving the loot chase is justified.
Borderlands 4 will be released on Friday September 12. However Gearbox hinted at a hands-on event happening in June. It’s likely this event will be part of the Summer Games Fest. but that's just a guess.
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