“Hello fellow gaming enthusiasts and loot hunters! When it comes to the originator of the Looter Shooter genre, the first name that definitely comes to mind is the Borderlands series. Recently, discussions about Borderlands 4 have been boiling over. Everyone originally expected a more satisfying shooting experience and even crazier loot, but according to the latest review from Kotaku, this sequel seems to have fallen into a mixed bag of controversy. Today, let’s break down why this gaming experience feels so disappointing.
Gilding the Lily: The Criticized Loot Capsules
In Borderlands 4, nothing drives players more insane than the newly added Loot Capsules mechanic. The core fun of a loot-grinder lies in the instant gratification of defeating strong enemies and seeing loot spray out, but this design feels a bit like \”putting old wine in new bottles,\” or even \”gilding the lily.\”
- Fatigue from Randomness: Players must constantly deal with these capsules, frequently breaking the originally smooth combat rhythm. This design is undoubtedly \”mediocre and uninspiring,\” something that’s barely worth keeping but too good to throw away.
- Destroying the Sense of Progress: Looting is inherently a repetitive task. If the mechanism isn’t intuitive enough, players will quickly feel mentally exhausted, feeling like they aren’t playing a game but \”doing hard labor.\”
[In-depth Review]: In modern game design, developers often want to add new elements to keep things fresh. However, if new elements fail to create a chemical reaction with the core gameplay, they instead become stumbling blocks. This capsule mechanic clearly failed to achieve a \”wings on a tiger\” effect, and instead became a target of criticism.
Claptrap’s Cold Jokes: Humor or \”The Same Old Tune\”?
The Borderlands series has always been known for its absurd humor, and the mascot Claptrap is its soul character. But this time, even veteran players can’t help but shout: \”Please shut up!\”
- Marginal Utility of Humor: Claptrap’s \”deliberately ignored\” or \”self-pitying\” jokes are fresh once, but hearing them a hundred times makes them \”the same old story.\” The author at Kotaku even stated that hearing it one more time would cause a breakdown that could shatter glass.
- Stagnant Character Portrayal: Good characters should grow with the series. Staying with the same tropes only makes players feel like the writers are \”at their wit’s end.\”
[In-depth Review]: The core of comedy lies in the unexpected. When a character’s behavior becomes completely predictable, humor turns into annoyance. The development team should perhaps consider how to inject some \”innovative\” soul while maintaining character traits.
Flaws Do Not Hide the Jade: The Addictive Magic of Looting
Despite the various aforementioned flaws, including unstable performance, bugs everywhere, and those eye-rolling bad jokes, surprisingly, this game still possesses a magic that makes people \”unable to stop.\”
- Solid Core Gameplay: The shooting feel and weapon diversity remain top-tier in the industry. This is why many players (like the Kotaku author and his wife), despite complaining, still can’t help but start a second playthrough.
- The Fun of Co-op: This type of game is essentially \”shared joy is double joy.\” When you team up with friends or family, those flaws seem tolerable and even become topics for banter after the game.
Conclusion: A \”Tough Love\” Adventure
Currently, Borderlands 4 feels like a dish where the main course is exquisite but the side dishes are terrible. It has the best shooting foundation but is dragged down by dated humor and tedious capsule mechanics. For old fans, it’s a \”labor of love\” loot marathon; but for new players, these flaws might make them \”hesitate and turn away\” before even entering.Today’s Highlight Summary:1. Loot Capsules are seen as the most failed design, ruining the game’s rhythm.2. Claptrap’s humor is facing fatigue; the writing needs to find a new direction.3. Core shooting mechanics remain robust, supporting player motivation for multiple playthroughs.4. Technical issues (Bugs and performance) still need fixing and are currently in a stabilization phase.Hopefully, the development team can hear the players’ voices and \”make a thorough change\” in upcoming updates. Don’t let this classic IP truly become \”a thing of the past.\” To all you hunters: will you be deterred by the capsule mechanic, or will you keep grinding for that legendary orange weapon? Feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts!”
