Reviews
BORDERLANDS 4
Shooting spree
“Kairos? Wasn’t that in a lousy Blake’s 7 episode?”
▶ RELEASED
OUT NOW!
▶ Reviewed on PC
▶ Also available on Xbox Series X|S, PS5,
Switch 2
▶ Publisher GSC Game World
VIDEOGAME
Borderlands 4
is unashamedly no-frills. Gearbox’s sci-fi shooter is about – wait for it – shooting, making no attempt to disguise the engine of its violence with prestige drama or moral complexities.
On the prison planet of Kairos, the hardest question you’ll be asked is: “Would you prefer an acid-spitting sniper rifle, or an electrified submachine gun that turns into a grenade when its bullets run out?” Though your ultimate goal is to overthrow the Timekeeper, a dictator who controls his subjects using bolts welded to the spine, there is rarely time to think of the big picture. The game is really about surviving whatever shootout you’re in, using an arsenal of ludicrously exaggerated guns to blast synths and would-be bandits, then pluck more guns from the viscera. This formula works excellently in battle. Borderlands 4 introduces new movement options – grappling, gliding, and dashing – to encourage slick, constant movement.