# Borderlands 4 - Angry Review

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9uNko1SAKk
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/D9uNko1SAKk
Generated: 2025-10-02T16:35:44.435+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The reviewer ultimately gives Borderlands 4 a 6 out of 10, downgrading an initial potential 8/10 due to abysmal PC performance issues, a lack of engaging endgame content, and a story/character set that failed to connect with him, despite acknowledging that the faster movement system and some build crafting elements were improvements.

**Key Points:**
- The final verdict for Borderlands 4 is a 6 out of 10, down from an initial potential 8/10 (similar to Borderlands 3), primarily because of performance issues, lack of endgame, and failing to connect with the story and characters.
- Performance was described as "abysmal" on good PCs, bad PCs, and consoles, with the reviewer noting they were still barely getting 30 frames two weeks from launch and experienced crashes, suggesting a lack of optimization time.
- The open world felt like "the most empty generic Borderlands world yet," preferring the distinct zones of previous games, and navigation was hampered by poor compass/mini-map guides, leading to frustrating travel.
- The reviewer found the new characters boring and not memorable, stating, "I'd rather have the cringy ass characters to make fun of than make fun parodies than these boring blocks of tropey, uninteresting nonsense."
- The vast majority of guns sucked, characterized by too many slow, charge-to-fire weapons, with the reviewer noting they were getting duplicates within hours and 99.8% of loot found was "gutter trash," only appreciating the large ordinance weapons.
- The endgame, including Ultimate Vault Hunter mode and raid bosses, was a letdown, consisting only of invincible versions of existing bosses without unique dungeons, making the farming loop feel like "just farming" rather than playing.
- Build crafting was generally good once past level 15, and the new faster movement system (gliding, double jumping, air dashing) improved gameplay, but the story felt bog-standard and didn't move the overall universe forward meaningfully.

**Context:** The video is an angry review of the new Borderlands installment, referred to as Borderlands 4, delivered by a long-time fan who started following the series since the first game. The review features satirical sketches involving a chaotic character named Randy who offers terrible solutions to game problems (like telling users they are poor because their PCs are bad) and discusses the core gameplay loop of looting, shooting, and character progression that defines the franchise, contrasting it with the issues present in this new release.

## Detailed Analysis

The reviewer’s primary grievances with Borderlands 4 center on technical performance, world design, character writing, and loot quality. Performance was exceptionally poor across all platforms, leading to crashes and low frame rates, which the reviewer attributes to insufficient optimization time. While the movement system, including double jumps and air dashing, was praised for being fast and fun, the massive open world felt empty and padded, making navigation a constant chore due to poor map design. The story and characters were a significant letdown; the new cast was deemed boring and forgettable, leading the reviewer to miss even the "cringy ass characters" from Borderlands 3. Furthermore, the loot system was criticized because 99.8% of dropped guns were unusable trash, with very few legendaries dropping during the initial playthrough, forcing players into excessive farming loops for decent gear. The endgame content, including Ultimate Vault Hunter mode and raid bosses, also failed to impress, essentially being repeated content without unique dungeons. Despite these major flaws, the reviewer conceded that build crafting offered good depth once past the initial levels and some unique weapon types, like large ordinance guns, were enjoyable.

### Review Verdict

- Final score is 6 out of 10
- Initial consideration was 8 out of 10, comparable to Borderlands 3
- Decision made due to performance, lack of endgame, and boring narrative elements

### Performance & Technical Issues

- Performance is "abysmal" on all hardware
- Reviewer struggled to maintain 30 FPS even after swapping settings to low
- Crashes and shader issues ruined a bulk of the playthrough

### World & Traversal

- Open world felt like the "most empty generic Borderlands world yet"
- Navigation was a nightmare due to bad compass and mini-map design
- New movement mechanics like gliding and double jumping improved traversal speed

### Characters & Story

- New characters were boring and lacked memorability, with the final boss being an underdeveloped character named RJ
- Story was "bog standard" and failed to push the universe forward meaningfully
- The serious tone swung too far away from the franchise's comedic roots

### Loot & Progression

- Vast majority of guns "suck," favoring slow, charge-to-fire weapons over satisfying immediate action
- Legendaries dropped infrequently during the first run, forcing excessive farming
- Build crafting is good once past level 15, offering many paths for the four characters

### Endgame Content

- Ultimate Vault Hunter mode is disappointing, repeating existing content
- No unique raid bosses or dungeons were present
- Repeatable mini-bosses in the open world were frustrating when accidentally exited via despawning circles