Video game developers love a trilogy, so when one keeps going and adds a number four to the title, it can also work like a statement: we're not done yet. Borderlands, despite The Pre-Sequel and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, is remembered for those three mainline instalments. So, with a fourth title now just a few months away, its statement is one of refinement.

Borderlands 4 is a Borderlands game in every way imaginable — with slightly less looting and just as much shooting. It's fine-tuning the familiar formula to make those weapon drops more satisfying, and the act of shooting them even more pleasurable and dynamic. Having played two sections of the game across a three-hour preview event, it is this delicate balance that should see Borderlands 4 return to the heights of the second game.

The majority of our hands on session was spent exploring the open world and engaging with side content, while the 45 minutes towards the end tested our combat abilities in a Vault Mission. Of the four main regions in the title's vast open world, we had access to the first: Fadefields. We picked up the action a few hours into the story, after meeting Claptrap.

The single main quest of the preview brought the heat, with waves of enemies to defeat and a base to wrestle free from the control of the Timekeeper, the main antagonist of Borderlands 4. From there, the world map opened up and teased more pursuits like collectibles and optional activities.

Destiny 2 has been a point of comparison for the upcoming effort since the State of Play presentation, and while there are indeed some small resemblances, it's just as we opened with: Borderlands 4 is still very much Borderlands. In its tried and tested gameplay at least, this is the kind of game that'll delight current fans and struggle to attract new ones. It's doubling down on what brought the past titles their success, iterating with new traversal abilities and reactive systems.

If you loved any one of the past Borderlands games, you'll almost certainly love Borderlands 4.

Your movement capabilities have been expanded to accommodate a double jump, climbing, swimming, grappling, and a glide. More weapon suppliers have been added, and an expanded parts system lets you mix and match attachments between them all. Where those Destiny 2 analogies do hold some merit is with random encounters, where a group of enemies can suddenly ambush you while exploring the open world. These feel similar to Public Events from the Bungie franchise, except they don't even have a map marker attached to increase the element of surprise.

Two new Vault Hunters were available to play during the session: Vex and Rafa. The former boasts siren powers that can summon reapers and ghosts to fight alongside her, while the latter is kitted out in an exoskeleton with shoulder-mounted cannons and laser swords.

We tried to split our time evenly between the two characters and found ourselves preferring the playstyle of Vex. Lightly exploring her skill tree, we found fun in abilities that allowed the spirits she summons to explode. Rafa, meanwhile, is all about kitting his body out with more robotics and weaponry. All four Vault Hunters in the full game will have multiple skill trees to experiment with, each designed to utilise different combat styles.

Even though Gearbox Software has worked to expand what it means to be a Borderlands game, it is still designed to come back to those hallmarks of looting and shooting. As the developer has noted, you'll be showered with loot less often — and that's a good thing. When an assortment of new weapons does appear at your feet, they mean more.

Each gun becomes a touch more valuable, and you take more time to consider whether they're the right fit for your build or not. If they're not what you're after, then their scarcer nature means you are more likely to store them for later instead of simply selling a bunch at once. Less is more in this case.

Shooting those slightly rarer pickups, meanwhile, feels just as good as it always has. Gearbox Software always goes to town with its combat design, finding new ways to make the act of pulling a trigger more exciting than anyone else in the business. You'll turn empty magazines into projectiles, curve bullets around shields, and leave a damaging blast of fire around you upon a reload. Now with over a billion weapons, it's the biggest and most experimental Borderlands game without moving away from the general formula.

And that's all it really needs to do. With more than 20 million copies of Borderlands 3 in circulation and the more recent Tiny Tina's Wonderlands exceeding expectations, Gearbox Software is capitalising on a series currently experiencing its sales peak. While the games have their detractors, Borderlands works for so many. Borderlands 4, at least on the basis of its early game, is another instalment primed for FPS success.

Borderlands 4 releases for PS5 on 12th September 2025. Are you looking forward to the next grand looter shooter from Gearbox Software? Let us know in the comments below.