The disappearing world bosses in Borderlands 4 are the biggest problem for many players outside of the issues with PC performance. This shows that the game really needs a proper arena or a place like a Thunderdome where bosses can stay and fights can happen without problems.
The heart of Borderlands 4 feels very close to the first Borderlands game from 2009. That original game has always been the one I loved most. The new game gives me the same feeling especially when I play through the first areas of the world. But it is not just a return to the past. Gearbox has also taken good parts from other games in the series. Even elements from Tiny Tina Wonderlands can be felt here. They have collected strong ideas from across the series and put them together into one new adventure. This mix makes Borderlands 4 feel like a game I could play for a very long time in the future.
However there is one problem that makes me upset. That problem is the disappearing world bosses. These bosses are supposed to be special challenges. But when they vanish it feels very frustrating.
The performance problems have already hurt the game on Steam. The reviews are mixed because many players are upset about the stuttering and lag. Even so the game is still attracting a very large number of players. On Steam alone more than two hundred and fifty thousand people played at the same time during peak hours. I am one of them. Gearbox told players to wait ten to fifteen minutes so the shaders can optimize before gameplay becomes smoother. I tried this myself and it does help. The game still is not perfect but the difference is noticeable. Once I get past the technical issues and actually play I find the game to be very fun. The only major frustration comes from the bosses that appear and disappear around the map.
The game world is now bigger than ever. Gearbox has expanded it into large open environments. These areas are filled with quests and events and items to collect such as Vault symbols. Inside these lands you can also find the world bosses. On the map they are marked with a circle. When you enter the circle the boss spawns and the battle begins. This is a very exciting idea in theory. Most of the time it works well. But there is a very big flaw. If any player leaves the boundary of the circle even by a very small amount the boss disappears instantly as if it was deleted from the world.
The idea of fighting a hard enemy inside a limited space is good because it tests the skills of the player. But the problem is that the boundary of the circle is far too strict. During combat the boss can knock you out of the area. Sometimes when you are dodging attacks you can slide a little outside the circle without meaning to. The moment you step out the boss vanishes and the whole fight is wasted. All the energy and adrenaline of the moment is destroyed instantly. This has already happened many times and it makes me feel annoyed.
I am not the only one who feels this way. On the Borderlands community on Reddit many players have shared the same frustration. There is a thread about the issue and it is one of the most discussed topics right now. Many people are saying the same thing. For them the vanishing bosses are the single biggest problem in the game at this moment.
One of the biggest problems that many players have noticed in Borderlands 4 is that the enemies do not always follow the same rules that the player must follow. It can feel unfair when you see some enemies breaking the contract or the system that is supposed to control the fight while you are still forced to follow the strict laws of the game. This makes the experience frustrating because you feel trapped inside a set of rules while the enemies are free to ignore them whenever they want. Many people in the community have shared the same feeling and have suggested that the developers make some changes to improve the balance.
A simple idea that has been mentioned many times is to add a short cooldown timer so that players can return to the zone after leaving. This would give you a chance to reset without being punished too harshly. Another idea that excites many old fans is to fully embrace the style of Borderlands 1 and create something like a Thunderdome arena. In this arena you would not be able to leave until either you defeat your opponent or your opponent defeats you. It would be a fight to the finish with no escape and it could make battles feel much more dramatic and fair because both sides would be locked into the same rules.
The player who wrote this rant says that even though they think Borderlands 4 might be one of the best first person shooter games of the year they still feel that this particular feature needs to be changed. They wish that Gearbox the company behind the game would listen to the community and give some sort of solution or small concession so that the system feels less frustrating. Even when a game is great there can be small details that bother players and this is one of those details.
For now the player has decided to go back to their favorite playstyle which is using the Harlowe build. With this build they can slam enemies into walls floors barrels and even into other enemies. This makes the gameplay feel powerful and fun again because it gives them control and lets them enjoy the chaos of combat. It is their happy place inside the game where they can forget about the unfair rules and just enjoy smashing through groups of enemies in creative ways.
For players who need extra help or are unsure about what to do next there are also many guides available. The Borderlands 4 missions list has been updated so that players can see what tasks are waiting for them. There are also helpful guides that explain how to expand your inventory space in Borderlands 4. This is important because inventory management is a big part of the game and many players want to carry more items so they do not have to stop and sell or drop things so often. With these guides new players and experienced players can both enjoy the game more easily and focus on the parts they love most such as exploring fighting and collecting loot.
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