As the fifth installment in the classic ARPG series, Borderlands 4 quickly gained popularity among both new and veteran players after its release on multiple platforms this September.
Until recently, while the game's overall performance remains acceptable, the number of players has been quietly declining. This is quite unusual for a new game that has only been online for a little over a month.
Below, we will analyze several reasons for the decline in player reviews and engagement based on the performance of various gameplay elements and events in Borderlands 4 since its release.
Exaggerated Promotion
Frankly, sometimes exaggerating game content in promotional materials to attract more players isn't unacceptable, but if it differs significantly from the actual content, it can actually increase player dissatisfaction, as exemplified by the recent Halloween event in BL4.
Generally, when you see the word "event," you should assume there will at least be small-scale combat gameplay to participate in. However, in reality, Borderlands 4 only introduced a few new cosmetics through Horrors of Kairos event.
While the cosmetics themselves weren't rudimentary - including new skins, a legendary weapon and grenade, and a seasonal weather variant - it hardly qualifies as an event, especially compared to Borderlands 3.
Borderlands 3's Halloween event introduced new explorable areas, allowing you to earn loot and enchantments by defeating unique bosses. All of this combined made for a substantial Halloween, unlike BL4's.
In fact, no player demanded a massive Halloween event for Borderlands 4; the key is that their promotional material certainly conveyed the message - nobody wants to be fooled, right?
The New Characters Are Overly Bland And Hollow
In Borderlands series, Vault Hunters are not only playable characters, but each has their own unique storyline, a hallmark of Borderlands.
Thanks to the groundwork laid by previous installments, many Vault Hunters have won over players with their rich backstories and well-developed characters, providing an additional emotional experience when playing as them.
Perhaps due to criticism of the redundant storylines and clichéd jokes in Borderlands 3, Borderlands 4 aimed to address these shortcomings by streamlining the narrative when introducing the new Vault Hunters.
Unfortunately, the development team seems to have overdone it. While the verbosity issue was resolved, the stories of the new Vault Hunters were not fully developed. The game only provides a brief overview, lacking in-depth detail.
As a result, these new Vault Hunters feel somewhat irrelevant to the plot, and coupled with the reduced appearance rate of older characters, it's difficult to connect with the characters and the story as emotionally as in the past.
Related: Borderlands 4 Roadmap Revealed At PAX Australia: Terrors Of Kairos Event, Bounty Pack 1 DLC And Invincible Boss Details
This situation likely stems not only from Borderlands 3 being "too verbose," but also from the development team's past tendency to create characters with very pronounced strengths and weaknesses, easily sparking online arguments between fans of different characters.
To avoid this, the design of the new Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4 had to be more restrained. But frankly, striking the right balance is difficult; a slight misstep can lead to overcorrection - as seen in the current situation.
Legendary Gear Drop Rate Too Low
Theoretically, in ARPGs, it's normal for rarer gear to have a lower drop rate. This means you have to put in enough effort to become powerful and consume time farming to obtain them, highlighting their rarity.
Therefore, when designing boss battles and other challenges, Borderlands 4 adjusted the drop rates of legendary gear and other rare rewards based on the mechanics of its predecessor. However, the old problem persists: the development team has over-corrected again.
Now in Borderlands 4, you might even encounter the ridiculous but real situation of farming a boss hundreds of times without getting the ultimate gear. This can actually cause you to lose interest in these rewards and even the game itself.
Open World Design Deficiencies
Compared to its predecessor, Borderlands 4 adds many new exploration methods. While this reduces the linearity of plot progression and character leveling, it makes your exploration in the open world much more free.
This should have been an advantage, but the problem lies in the lack of clear barriers or boundaries in certain areas. This means you might accidentally crash into invisible walls while gliding or climbing, and you can't even avoid them with warnings.
Technical Issues And Bugs Abound
While Borderlands 4's combat mechanics are well-designed and continue the series' tradition, their implementation in the game hasn't lived up to expectations.
Since its release, players have consistently reported frequent technical problems and other glitches, hindering gameplay and significantly impacting the experience.
If you think this is due to the game's rich content overwhelming standard devices, you're mistaken. Players who have excellent devices also reported game crashes on forums and other communication platforms.
In fact, this isn't the first time Borderlands series has encountered such issues; at least BL3 experienced the same problem. While patches and updates improved the situation, ensuring smooth gameplay should be a fundamental requirement for a triple-A game.
The consecutive issues with Borderlands 3 and 4 inevitably raise suspicions that the developers are simply trying to capitalize on Borderlands hype by releasing half-finished games for short-term profits, rather than genuinely investing in a good game.
Deteriorating User Interface
Due to its vibrant art style, Borderlands 4's combat visuals can sometimes appear overly bright or cluttered. To minimize these negative impacts, the game's user interface and UI design should be simple and user-friendly.
Unfortunately, Borderlands 4 fails to achieve this. If you're playing the game, you'll likely encounter issues such as the inventory constantly resetting its default sorting and the inability to click the weapon filter - and this is even after a redesigned interface and interaction system.
While we've pointed out many shortcomings in Borderlands 4, most are entirely resolvable. Given the game's recent release, there's significant room for improvement - provided the development team prioritizes player feedback and the game's future development.
Regardless, with a title from a popular game IP like Borderlands 4, you always hope it will improve! Let's hope it can make changes!
