Although Gearbox Software has already shownBorderlands 4twice, it still hasn’t revealed much about its plot or characters. The company has confirmed that the upcoming game will take place on an entirely new planet separate from the previous entries in theBorderlandsseries, and that it’s going to feature a major antagonist called the Timekeeper, but other than that, it has remained rather tight-lipped regarding the matter.Borderlands 4is supposed to be released sometime within the next 12 months, so it’s somewhat surprising that Gearbox is still keeping so much about the game under wraps.
One aspect of its upcoming looter shooter that Gearbox hasn’t been so reluctant to share information about, however, is its sense of humor.Borderlands 4narrative director Sam Winkler has gone on record multiple times explaining the role comedy will play in the highly-anticipated game.Winkler told PC Gamerback in August 2024 that humor inBorderlands 4would be more situational in nature, and that comedic events would emerge naturally throughout the course of the gameplay. He also noted in a Twitter post in mid-December thatBL4would have far less toilet humorcompared toBorderlands 3, which was widely criticized by many for its poor writing. While these do sound like promising changes to the series' comedic formula, what would arguably makeBL4even better is if it includes scenes that satirize the recentBorderlandsmovie.
Borderlands 4 Should Satirize the Critically-Panned Borderlands Movie
Despite Having a Star-Studded Cast, the Borderlands Film Failed to Take Off the Ground
Way back in 2015, the film production company Lionsgate announced that it was making an adaptation of theBorderlandsfranchise. This movie, however, didn’t materialize until early 2023, and it wasn’t released in theaters worldwide until August of last year. The film,simply titledBorderlands, was directed by Eli Roth, ofHostelandCabin Feverfame, and was co-produced by Avi Arad, best known for his work on Marvel movies likeBladeandIron Man. It also starred a handful of notable actors, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and even Jack Black. Despite having a star-studded cast, though, the movie was far from high-quality.
Video game adaptations have historically failed to live up to fans' expectations over the years, butLionsgate’sBorderlandswas especially disappointing.The film obtained universally bad reviews from film criticsand audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it garnered a dismal 10% rating, while on IMDb, it received a 4.6/10 user score.Borderlandswas criticized for its unfaithful rendition of Pandora, underdeveloped characters, poor humor, and PG-13 rating, among many other things. Despite being in the works for nearly a decade, the movie arguably ended up being one of the worst video game adaptations of all time.
Pandora is the name of the planet that mostBorderlandsgames take place on.
The Borderlands Movie Would Be a Great Source of Comedy for Borderlands 4
With howpoorly received theBorderlandsmovie was, it would make sense forBorderlands 4to take a few jabs at it, just for the sake of satire. The Lionsgate film is, quite frankly, a gold mine of potential parody content that Gearbox could make use of. The movie’s annoying iteration of Claptrap and overt lack of violence can easily be made fun of in the game during a side mission or two, along with the film’s unusual use of older actors to play younger characters' roles.
There are, of course, a handful of problems with such an approach. Gearbox and its owner, Take-Two Interactive, may not want to openly mock what is effectively their own official product, and outright criticizing the film inBorderlands 4could risk angering both Lionsgate and some of the movie’s few defenders,like Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford. At the same time, though, theBorderlandsmovie is so unanimously disliked that it feels like it wouldn’t hurt that much if Gearbox and Take-Two were to make fans laugh at themselves for a little bit. Meta-humor like this would, indeed, be a perfect fit forBorderlands 4.
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 4 brings intense action, badass Vault Hunters, and billions of wild and deadly weapons to an all-new planet ruled by a ruthless tyrant.Crash into Kairos as one of four new Vault Hunters seeking wealth and glory. Wield powerful Action Skills, customize your build with deep skill trees, and dominate enemies with dynamic movement abilities.Break free from the oppressive Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator who dominates the masses from on high. Now a world-altering catastrophe threatens his perfect Order, unleashing mayhem across the planet.Ignite a resistance and blast your way through mechanical monstrosities, bloodthirsty bandits, and vicious beasts. Amass an arsenal of death-dealing firepower to wreak havoc as you tear your way across Kairos.Fight solo or in co-op with up to three other players in this immense sci-fi adventure, packed with free-form combat and exploration, pulse-pounding boss fights, infinitely varied loot drops, and an eclectic cast of unforgettable characters new and old.
