Borderlands 4 Review – Amazing Gameplay, Terrible Optimization
Borderlands 4 Review – A Big, Bold, and Broken Loot-Shooter
The wait is over — Borderlands 4 has finally launched, and fans of the chaotic looter-shooter series are diving in. This time, Gearbox promised a darker tone, a massive open world, and smoother co-op gameplay. For many players, this was supposed to be the return to the glory days of Borderlands 2.
In this Borderlands 4 review, we break down everything the game does right — and why its technical state might make you think twice about buying at launch.
Gameplay
Borderlands 4 At Its Best
Borderlands 4 nails what fans love most about the series — the gunplay and chaotic combat loop.
Gunplay and Skills
Weapons feel punchy and impactful, and the emphasis on action skills gives combat a faster, more aggressive flow. Fans say this is the best the shooting has ever felt.
“The game is legit fun with stupendous amount of content and very fun and impactful shooting. Co-op is silky-smooth, including the cross-play.”
Traversal is also improved, with more verticality and new ways to move around the battlefield. Calling in vehicles feels seamless, and combat arenas are better designed than in previous entries.
Open World Design
Bigger and Better
Another big win for Borderlands 4 is its open world. It’s more interconnected and thoughtfully designed, with plenty of secrets and spaces that encourage exploration.
“Open world is enormous, interconnected and well thought-out, with enough fun arenas to shoot around and spaces large enough to use vehicles.”
Players describe the game as “more Destiny than Destiny,” and in a good way — the traversal and world design keep the pace flowing.
Story & Tone
Darker but Still Borderlands
Borderlands 4 also shifts its tone, offering a slightly darker main story while still delivering humor in the side content. The cringey dialogue that frustrated many players in Borderlands 3 has been toned down, which has been a pleasant surprise for returning fans.
“I’m actually impressed how SERIOUS the game is now… it feels fun, dynamic, and the combat loop is addicting.”
Performance
Borderlands 4’s Biggest Problem
Now we get to the elephant in the room. As much as Borderlands 4 excels at gameplay, its performance is a mess for many players.
Unreal Engine 5 Issues
Many fans blame Unreal Engine 5, which has been notoriously difficult for AAA developers to optimize. Players are experiencing:
- Stuttering and hitching during traversal
- Frame pacing issues
- Big FPS drops even on high-end PCs
“UE5 unification was, maybe, the biggest single mistake in the history of AAA industry… traversal stutters, temporal artifacts and choppy FPS are almost always a solid trademark of UE5 launches.”
Poor Optimization
Even players with RTX 3080 and 4080 GPUs paired with high-end CPUs are struggling to get smooth performance at 60 FPS without relying on DLSS or frame generation.
“Game is riddled with a total lack of optimization, they want everyone to use scalers and frame gen to go above 60 fps which is absolutely not acceptable.”
Crashes, freezes, and inconsistent frame rates are a common theme. Some report stability, but many feel this game shipped unfinished from a technical perspective.
Network & Stability Issues
Borderlands 4’s co-op is as fun as ever, but network hiccups can get in the way. Players frequently mention random disconnects, rubber banding, and even full crashes during busy combat scenes or when moving between zones. While solo play is generally stable, these issues hurt the co-op experience — which is a big part of why people play Borderlands. Gearbox has acknowledged these problems and is working on patches, so stability should improve with time.
Endgame Frustrations
Once the story wraps up, players are eager to jump into farming legendaries and fine-tuning their builds — but Borderlands 4’s endgame loop feels a bit thin right now. Some bosses are too easy for optimized characters, while others have sudden difficulty spikes that frustrate casual players. The loot pool, though large, is slightly unbalanced, with a handful of guns clearly dominating the meta. After a few hours, farming can start to feel repetitive, leaving players wanting more variety. Seasonal events or additional raid bosses in future updates could go a long way in keeping the grind fresh.
“It took around 22 hours to unlock everything to my past toon. Not cool.”
Price & Value – $70 for This?
The launch price of $70 USD (even higher in some regions) stings when the game runs this poorly for many. Some players have compared this to predatory pricing for an unfinished product.
“This is unacceptable for a game that costs $110 Australian dollars for a standard edition.”
Should You Buy Borderlands 4 Now or Wait?
This is the ultimate question. Borderlands 4 is a blast when it runs well. The content is deep, the world is fun to explore, and the co-op is some of the smoothest Gearbox has ever delivered.
But its technical state is holding it back. Unless you have a top-tier PC (or can tolerate frame generation and occasional stutter), you may want to wait for the first few major patches.
“If you don't have an urge to spend 400 hours in co-op with your mates, you should really put your purchase decision on hold and wait for a month or two for Gearbox to sort out typical UE5 mess.”
Final Verdict – Borderlands 4 Review Conclusion
Borderlands 4 is the most ambitious entry in the series and arguably the most fun since Borderlands 2. It’s a massive, content-rich game that gets so much right in terms of gameplay, tone, and co-op design.
But at launch, its performance issues, stuttering, and optimization problems keep it from being the perfect looter-shooter fans wanted.
Score: 8/10 (with major caveats)
If you can look past the technical problems, Borderlands 4 is a blast. If not, wait for patches — this game could become great once the performance is fixed. Let us know what you think?
Pros & Cons (Quick Summary)
Pros ✅
- Fantastic gunplay and action skills
- Huge, interconnected open world
- Darker tone with less cringe dialogue
- Tons of content and smooth cross-play
Cons ❌
- Poor optimization and FPS issues
- Crashes and stuttering on many systems
- Save errors and SHiFT connection issues
- High launch price for a technically rough game
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