Summary
There are plenty of traditions that have been formed by now in theBorderlandsfranchise, but not all of them are as praiseworthy as some of the others that have managed to be a recurring trend. For example,the level cap in theBorderlandsgamesis considered a fun tradition and a staple in the franchise. On the other hand, the tradition of not having Vault Hunters from pastBorderlandstitles return as playable characters in later games is something that should change.
FutureBorderlandsgames will have a chance to break the tradition of Vault Hunters only being playable once by bringing back some of the best Vault Hunters as playable characters. With modern gaming’s focus on regular balancing changes as well as the gameplay advancements from the latestBorderlandsgames, reintroducing past playable characters could give them plenty of new life. Not to mention, it would be a treat for franchise veterans to spend more time with some of their favorite Vault Hunters again.
Borderlands 4 Should Make Past Vault Hunters Playable Again
Given how involved the Vault Hunters are in theBorderlandsfranchise’s ongoing story, these characters are already expected to return for multiple games anyway. However, players have never been able to play as these returning characters across separate games. Instead, each game has introduced a variety of new Vault Hunters to the franchise. This is arguably a missed opportunity, considering thatBorderlandsgames could have the best of both worlds, mixing a selection of a couple original characters with a few returning characters at the same time.
Arguably, any character that wouldn’t retconBorderlands’ ongoing story deserves the opportunity to come back, which would practically include every Vault Hunter who is still alive as ofNew Tales From the Borderlands. TheBorderlandsfranchise has come a long way with new weapons, abilities, and overall gameplay elements, so bringing back some ofBorderlands’ best Vault Hunterscould truly showcase how far the franchise has come since the original game.
This doesn’t have to mean that some of the most familiar Vault Hunters need a complete rework, considering that this would somewhat defeat the appeal of having these characters return again compared to adding new characters. Instead, any returning Vault Hunter should generally keep a similar class identity to what they have previously had, except for a few minor changes and additional abilities to keep them up to date with the latest and greatest Vault Hunters. Additionally, there is one big area of improvement that futureBorderlandsgames could bring to past Vault Hunters.
Future Borderlands Games Should Learn From Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Despite some Vault Hunters having dedicated melee skills and abilities, there have never been propermelee weapons in theBorderlandsfranchise, only in the spin-off game,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Consequently, this tradition should also be broken, especially if past Vault Hunters come back again as playable characters. This alone could provide a fresh experience to playing as familiar characters, aside from other recent QOL changes.
New Tales From the Borderlands’ Vault Hunters Deserve an Upgrade
While this isn’t quite the same as bringing back past Vault Hunters from the mainline games, making some of the Vault Hunters from theTales From the Borderlandsgames playable in the other games could be a worthwhile change. In general, the characters from theTales From the Borderlandsseries are some of theweakest Vault Hunters in theBorderlandsfranchise. Consequently, the returning characters that have shown up so far are relatively underutilized in the mainlineBorderlandsgames. Making these Vault Hunters playable characters in the mainline games could be the best way to bring them back into the picture and give them the upgrade they deserve, instead of making them side characters.
