After a reveal earlier this year and multiple gameplay reveals, including playable demos at E3, fans of the looter-shooter series Borderlands got to see what they can expect from the massive new installment in the series and it has blown all of them away.
Borderlands first installment was released back in 2009 with the second installment, Borderlands 2, being released 3 years later in 2012. Since then we have had Borderlands The Pre-Sequel (2014), Tales of the Borderlands (2014), Borderlands The Handsome Collection (2015) and Borderlands 1: Game of the Year Edition (2019). There has been no new release for the Borderlands series for almost 4 years!
Fans were very anxious to see what Gearbox had next in line and thankfully due to an announcement this year, their prayers had been answered. Borderlands 3 will be released September 13th 2019 and will be launched on PS4, XBox One and PC (exclusively on Epic Store until April 2020).
What you should know about Borderlands 3
The new installment to the series brings a wide range of new content for people to enjoy. From new story and characters to new vault hunters and enemies to fight; there is tons of new content to enjoy. Below is a list of everything you should know about Borderlands 3, be it a die hard fan or a newcomer to the franchise:
1. It will be released on September 13th 2019
Yes we have already stated that it is being released in September, but it needs to be mentioned that it is going to be THIS YEAR! This is not going to be like The Last of Us II where we are shown some beautiful gameplay at E3 (2018) and then don’t hear anything else about the game for a year (other than small updates on social media).
2. Favourite characters are returning
Iconic characters like the original vault hunters, Mordecai, Brick and Lilith will all be returning, as well as some favourite from Borderlands 2, including; Tiny Tina, Ellie, Zero and so many others. Even the lovable CL4P-TP (Claptrap) will be returning! If you have played any of the Borderlands games, including Tales of the Borderlands, there are bound to be some familiar faces in Borderlands 3.
3. New characters & Enemies
We won’t only see returning characters coming into Borderlands 3, we will also get to see a variety of new NPC’s as well as enemies. Everything from a random NPC walking around a town to the characters that will give us quests, there will be a variety of new people to see and meet throughout the game. This also means there are a variety of new enemies ranging from bandits to monsters.
4. Alternate gun fire modes
Almost all of the guns in Borderlands 3 will have alternate fire modes and no I do not mean that they can simply change from single fire to full auto. Each gun can drop with its own alternate fire mode which can range from a shotgun on a machine gun or grenade launcher attached to a shotgun. This new system allows players to find weapons that perfectly suit their build.
There are a broad range of weapons (the next point covers this more), most of which can drop with an alternate fire mode changing up how you deal with a situation. The alternate fire modes are based on the manufacturer of the weapon as well so depending on your playstyle, you might end up favouring certain manufacturers if they fit you and your style.
5. Billions of new guns
We have gone through that weapons now have alternate fire modes, but we should also mention that there are going to be billions of new guns as well as some returning favourites. Senior sound designer Joshua Davidson announced it earlier this year that there were 7,500 .wav files in Borderlands 3 which is 25 times the number in Borderlands 2.
Gearbox aren’t stopping with just adding billions of new guns to the game, they are changing how they work into the new movement system and how the manufacturer of each weapon has an impact on how it plays. Fans of the series know the common names of Hyperion, Jacobs, Maliwan, Dahl, Torgue, Vladof and Tediore as they are all returning in Borderlands 3. Atlas is making a return from the first game and there is even a new manufacturer to add to the list called COV (Children of the Vault).
All of these manufacturers offer something different with their weapons, making gun fights that much more interesting.
Hyperion – Hyperion were the main enemy faction in Borderlands 2, but that does not stop us from using their weapons. In the second game, Hyperion weapons benefited from the increased accuracy the longer the trigger is held. This was very useful on Hyperion shotguns. In Borderlands 3, they are keeping that trait, but also allow players to take cover behind a gun mounted shield!
Jacobs – Jacobs was always known for the term “fires as fast as you can pull the trigger”. These weapons were some of the best when it came to delivering constant critical hits to deal crazy damage. They continue this trend, but now have bullets that will ricochet of any surface to hit other targets.
Maliwan – Maliwan were the weapons you would use when looking to deal elemental damage to targets, be it setting them on fire to quickly deal with their health, electrocute them to remove shields or using corrosion to deal with their armour. The problem with the previous games was that you had to carry multiple Maliwan weapons if you wanted to use all of the element types. That is no longer the case. In Borderlands 3, each Maliwan weapon will drop with two elements that can be swapped between depending on the situation, keeping you, the player, in the fight; not in your menu.
Dahl – Dahl always felt like a general weapon manufacturer. Their guns were made to feel like most weapons you would fire today and they are keeping that trend, but are expanding on it. Their guns boast a variety of fire modes and this can be on any Dahl weapon. Want to fire a sniper rifle in full auto? Dahl have you covered.
Torgue – A name that any fan of the franchise will know is Mr Torgue. He is a really buff guy who shouts whenever he speaks and loves explosions. That is why whenever you get a Torgue weapon, it will fire explosive ammo. From an outright rocket launcher to a machine gun that fires small missiles; Torgue knew how to make things go boom. The weapons now have a secondary fire of sticky bombs. These stick to targets and when you reload, explode all at once; dealing crazy damage to enemies and bosses alike.
Vladof – Vladof is similar to Dahl in that their guns are made to simply shoot bullets and put down your enemies. The difference is, Vladof are the experts in rapid-firing, ammo-hungry guns that shred through enemies shields and health. Now Vladof weapons will allow players to use under-barrel attachments which includes tasers, rocket tubes, and additional gun barrels.
Tediore – These guns became an iconic weapon in Borderlands 2 as they were the first gun manufacturer to have something truly unique to their guns. Unlike other weapons, when you reload a Tediore weapon, you won’t simply change the magazine; you’ll throw your weapon. In Borderlands 2, this would cause explosive damage that increases depending on the amount of ammo still left in the magazine when it is thrown. Now, Tediore have gone to a complete new level. When you reload a Tediore weapon in Borderlands 3, you’ll either have a gun that explodes, bounces around, or spouts legs and runs around gunning down your enemies. Yes you heard right; guns with legs are in Borderlands 3.
Atlas – Atlas was a manufacturer in the first game, but due to being beaten by the vault hunters, they were not in the second game. They are now making a re-appearance with a new kind of weapon. Unlike all of the other guns, it’s two fire modes work together. The first fire mode fires a tracker tag that will stick to enemies. Once an enemy has been tagged, you swap to the secondary fire which is truly where the gun shines. You don’t need to aim at the enemy that is tagged, fire in whatever direction and each shot will track the tagged target.
COV – A new weapon manufacturer is coming to Borderlands 3 and that is COV (Children of the Vault). These weapons don’t have ammo, but instead will overheat the longer they are used. There are a variety of weapons like this in the game and for anyone that played Borderlands 2; you could compare these weapons to the legendary Infinity pistol.
6. Sanctuary has learnt to fly
We have used a variety of places as our ‘sanctuary’ throughout Borderlands as a series. First we used Fyrestone and New Haven as our base in the first game and then we moved onto Sanctuary; an actual town in Borderlands 2. Sanctuary gets attacked by Handsome Jack in the second game and Lilith using her advanced siren powers causes the city to go airborne. Now, in Borderlands 3, that has a complete new meaning.
Sanctuary is now a massive ship that can be used to visit a wide variety of planets. Your allies will be on this ship offering their services like they used to. There are even new areas on the ship including your own room, an area for monster trophies and a machine that dispenses weapons you don’t pick up.
7. We aren’t stuck on Pandora anymore
Vault hunters of old would be happy to know that we are no longer stuck on the same old Pandora anymore. We now can use Sanctuary as a method of reaching distant planets throughout the system; all brimming with their own life, including native bandits, monsters and NPCs. These planets are completely unique, including how they look and feel. You will jump from a massive futuristic town to a barren desert; all giving you a different, but fun experience when you land there.
8. Complete new story
There is always a big antagonist that is causing problems in the Borderlands universe. They are either looking for the vault or simply wishing for your life to end. In the first game, we were faced against the Atlas Corporation who was then quickly replaced by Handsome Jack in Borderlands 2. Now we are faced against a new enemy; the Children of the Vault.
The main antagonists in Borderlands 3 are called the Calypso Twins, named Troy and Tyreen. These two are on a mission to find and open any vaults they can while banding together bandit clans to fight for their cause. They will be a common barrier in everything you do in Borderlands from dropping waves of enemies in front of you to giving you a boss to fight. It is our mission to fight through these enemies, find the vault locations and get there first, before the Calypso Twins get their hands on whatever is stored inside them.
This is only the main story as well. You can expect hundreds of hours of additional side story content to play through, giving you more insight into some characters or giving you the chance to hunt unique bosses that you otherwise might miss.
9. No more loot ninjas
Borderlands has always been best experienced with a group of friends. However, we all know that one friend that is the first to quickly pick up any good loot that drops. This made playing with friends or random people difficult because when something good drops, it is a race of who can pick it up the fastest. What’s worse is, this can happen after hours killing the same boss over and over again!
Borderlands 3 now lets you change how loot works in the game. The loot can now be instanced to your own game, meaning any and all drops are yours while your friends get their own loot. If you prefer the old way of racing to a drop however; you can keep it that way! You can customise the experience to best suit you.
10. Playing with high leveled friends
Picture this. Borderlands 3 launches, you’re at work, but your best friend has the day off and is playing it all day. In previous Borderlands, that would mean that if you wanted to play together, your friend would have to carry you as enemies would rank up to their level. This stopped many people from playing with friends or caused them to create secondary characters that they would only use when playing with friends. However that will no longer be required in Borderlands 3, as now when you play with your friends, all enemies and loot is scaled to you.
The game has been designed with co-op play in mind. When you go against a group of enemies that are level 10, but your friend is level 20, those enemies will be higher leveled for your friend, but still level 10 for you. This new system also applies to loot drops in the game. If you are level 12 and you get a legendary drop, it will be around your level whereas your friend who might get the same drop will see something much more suited to their level.
In Summary…
Borderlands 3 includes all the good things from the previous games while also developing and adding new systems that make the game even more enjoyable. No matter if you are a Borderlands vet or a newcomer to the series, Borderlands 3 is sure to blow you away! And for those of you that might be wondering if it is worth jumping into the game now, even if you haven’t played the previous entries in the series, the answer is yes! There is something suited for all!
Borderlands 3 Pre-Orders:
You can already pre-order Borderlands 3 via Game and get the Gold Weapon Skins Pack as a bonus. Options are the Standard, Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Collectors Edition which includes a replica Diamon Loot Chest containing 10 character figurines, a Sanctuary 3 snap model and more. The Game exclusive for all versions is a Psycho Bandit mask.
Meanwhile, the Amazon offer is the game with 5 Gold Keys to unlock a random item from the Gold Loot Chest. Plus you also get the Gold Weapons Skins pack.
And as a bonus, Jake predicted what you might expect for the game back in 2017. Check out his article from long ago to see what he got right or wrong.
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