Summary
It’s been a minute since the most recent mainline entry in theBorderlandsfranchise,Borderlands 3, continued the legacy of the looter-shooter giant. In the time since, spin-offs have taken center stage. While the spin-offs played their role as temporary, if worthwhile, distractions from the main story, the fanbase’s attention has firmly turned to the topic ofBorderlands 4. WithGearbox officially confirmingBorderlands 4’s developmenta little over a week ago, discussions of feature reprisals and new additions to the franchise are only natural. Speaking of potential reprisals, the Arms Race mode was particularly divisive inBorderlands 3, and the category’s future in the series is still up in the air.
So much has changed in the role-playing gaming landscape in the nearly five years sinceBorderlands 3’s release. As a result,Borderlands 4may have to rip up a few pieces of the franchise’s traditional fabric to keep up with the trends in the market, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some fan-favorite characters and mechanisms get left behind as the series continues to expand on its tale. Judging from its reception among players in the last mainline entry, the Arms Race appears to be in an especially precarious position. WhileBorderlands 4could turn the mode’s fortunes around, the million-dollar question for Gearbox is if the potential rewards are worth the effort.
Arms Race Still Has More to Offer the Borderlands Universe
Game modes of popular franchises coming under fire for their shortcomings is not new, but bouncing back from the steady stream of criticisms is no mean feat and requires a lot of attention from developers. While it would be hasty to drop the Arms Race off the back of a sole unpopular appearance in the franchise inBorderlands 3, it’s no secret that the mode needs reform if it were to appear inBorderlands 4.
Arms Race’s Lack of Variety Was its Achilles Heel in Borderlands 3
The idea behindBorderlands 3’s battle royale-esque Arms Racewas to create a level playing field where characters start with nothing and build their loot from the ground up, but its execution faltered massively and led to a stream of negative reviews.
The main draw ofBorderlandsgameplay over the years lies in its variety of Vault Hunter specialties through their respective action skills and skill trees. Given this focus, Gearbox’s Arms Race idea directly contradicted the biggest factor of the franchise’s success.
The lack of action skills and skill trees made the gameplay in the Arms Race effectively the same across the board, which could easily spell disaster sinceBorderlandscharactersneed different strengths to make any headway.
Tweaks to Arms Race’s Fabric Could Repair its Image in Borderlands 4
TraditionalBorderlandsgaming often features overpowered Vault Hunters compared to their enemies, andBorderlands 3’s Arms Race attempted to break the mold with a different flavor. As a result, on paper, thegameplay variety fits right intoBorderlands' formula, making it worth exploring in a different form inBorderlands 4. To solve the Arms Race’s divisive reputation, Gearbox could borrow some roguelike elements while making other tweaks.
For instance, instead of making skill trees inaccessible in Arms Race,Borderlands 4’s Vault Hunterscould gradually unlock skills similarly to loot-building. Aside from the potential gameplay variation, since enemies in the mode have different specializations, it makes sense for the developer to extend the same grace to players. Additionally, Arms Race runs became repetitive after only a few playthroughs because of the singular map, and creating more maps is essential to the success of a potential appearance inBorderlands 4. Arms Race may have its back against the wall, but popular opinion could easily swing its way with an overhaul from Gearbox.
