Summary
As theBorderlandsfranchise continues to grow, expectations for future games also continue to stretch further. With this in mind,Borderlands 4may want to tap into past games’ strengths and revive some retired features to live up to its name.
WhileBorderlands the Pre-Sequelmay not bethe community’s favoriteBorderlandsgame, it still has plenty of hidden gems among its unique features. AfterBorderlands 3took a break from some ofBorderlands the Pre-Sequel’s original features,Borderlands 4should consider bringing these features back for good.
Borderlands The Pre-Sequel Features That Should Return For Borderlands 4
Co-op Character Class
One Vault Huntercharacter archetype thatBorderlands 4needsis another dedicated co-op class, like Aurelia fromBorderlands the Pre-Sequel. Investing in Aurelia’s Contractual Aristocracy Skill Tree allows players to access Contracts between Aurelia and another co-op player. These contracts grant both players various buffs, like extra shields, increased damage, and the ability to passively heal each other upon getting kills, among other advantages.
Not only shouldBorderlands 4bring back a character class like Aurelia, but it should also expand this class by opening it up to allow up to all four co-op players to simultaneously take advantage of this character’s buffs. A feature like this could go a long way towards promoting and supporting the multiplayer community of theBorderlandsfranchise, which could naturally help the replayability of future games.
DLC Vault Hunters
WhileBorderlands the Pre-Sequelisn’t the first game in the franchise to introduce new playable characters through DLC, it was unfortunately the last game to do this. Hopefully, though,Borderlands 4or other futureBorderlandsgames will revive this beloved tradition. Considering that the majority ofBorderlands’ DLC Vault Hunterslike Krieg, Gage, and Handsome Jack’s Doppelganger are often considered some of the strongest Vault Hunters in theBorderlandsfranchise, this feature needs to make a comeback sooner rather than later.
Laser Weapons
When it comes toweapons inBorderlandsgames,Borderlands 3’s weapon variety is going to be hard to top. One way to bring in some extra help with this endeavor is to reintroduce retired weapon types from pastBorderlandsgames. Specifically, the laser weapons fromBorderlands the Pre-Sequelshould come back as a full-time weapon type.Borderlands 3eventually ended up including a few unique laser weapons, but this was nothing compared to how prevalent these weapons were inBorderlands the Pre-Sequel.
Oz Kits
It makes sense why Oxygen Kits, or “Oz Kits” aren’t needed inBorderlands 3,because the planets in this game all have their own oxygen-rich atmospheres. However, it’s still unfortunate that this part of the player’s loadout couldn’t be slightly reworked to have been a returning feature for futureBorderlandsgames regardless. Oz Kits provide players with extra air-maneuverability and the option to shoot off an enemy’s mask in combat to make them take suffocation damage, among the individual stats and benefits these items also provide. Consequently, the Relics that replaced Oz Kits ultimately meant that these passive benefits were lost, which is a shame.
Returning Characters as Vault Hunters
Plenty of sidelined characters haven’t gotten their dues in theBorderlandsfranchise, and making some of these characters playableVault Hunters in futureBorderlandsgamescould be a great way to give them the spotlight they deserve. WhenBorderlandsthe Pre-Sequel did this with characters like Clap-Trap and Athena, this gave players a fresh look at these characters, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with some of the fan favorites in the franchise. Underutilized characters like Ellie, Moxxi, and Vaughn, for example, might be worth reintroducing as playable Vault Hunters for futureBorderlandsgames.
