As with its predecessors, the game is a first-personlooter shooter with elements commonly found in action role-playing games. Gearbox described the game's world as "seamless", and there will not be any loading screen as players explore new areas. New vehicles and transversal tools, such as a grappling hook, are introduced in Borderlands 4.[1] The game can be played solo or cooperatively with three other players.[2]
Synopsis
Pandora's moon Elpis, after being teleported away by Lilith using her Siren powers, destroyed the protective barrier of a planet named Kairos.[3] In Borderlands 4, players assume the role of a Vault Hunter who must lead the resistance against a ruthless dictator named the Timekeeper and his army of synthetic followers named the Order on Kairos, while searching for "secret alien treasures".[4][5][6]
Development
Developer Gearbox Software began working on the game prior to the release of Borderlands 3 (2019). Gearbox described Kairos as a "seamless" playable space, in which players can explore various locations of interest without being interrupted by any loading screen. While the team avoided using the term "open world", Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford claimed that Borderlands 4 was "the most open and free" game in the franchise, contrasting Borderlands 3's planet-hopping structure, which resulted in a more "compartmentalized" design.[1] As with its predecessors, Borderlands 4 was envisioned to be a humorous game, though the team wanted to ensure that the humor derived from emergent gameplay, in which the playable Vault Hunters will react to actions performed by players.[7] As Borderlands 4 was set in a new planet, the game features an all-new cast. It also offered an opportunity for the art team to create landscape distinct from those on Pandora, with art director Adam May describing Kairos as a "high-tech but lo-fi" setting.[3]
