Borderlands 4 arrived last month on September 12–and some people are still waiting for shader compilation! That’s a preview of what you can expect in this edition of “As Told By Steam Reviews,” because, ya’ll, either this game really, truly runs that poorly or the mimetic nature of the internet is working overdrive here.
You’ll quickly spot a trend when it comes to perusing BL4’s user reviews on Steam: Folks are generally struggling to enjoy this game not because of the story or the gunplay– the reviews mostly speak favorably of those elements. No, that pale orange “Mixed” review status on the game’s Steam page is the result of countless reviews trashing how this game runs, with particular ire directed toward Unreal Engine 5, and for Gearbox’s talkative CEO who also spent some time doubling as tech support after this game’s bumpy release.
It’s hard to find a negative review that doesn’t just meditate on the misery of eternal shader compilation and signature UE5 stuttering. But those who ain’t too hot on what BL4 is selling seem to find the open world a little shallow. On top of that, there are some who seem to just prefer BL2’s writing over the narrative and dialogue here.
Positive reviews, however, reflect that Borderlands’ gun-handling has come a long way since the awkwardness it exhibited of the earlier entries. It feels like a more refined shooter experience than ever, and, to some at least, it seems the writing is much better.
So let’s get onto Borderlands 4, as told by Steam reviews!
‘Who are you and what have you done to the borderlands writing team?!’
‘You straight up can’t play this game if you’re broke.’
‘The structure of the balance, postgame and gear has actual thought behind it for once.’
‘Borderlands 4 feels like that first sip of an energy drink at 2 AM when you know you’re gaming all night.’
‘Most importantly the writing has taken a step in the right direction.’
‘Randy needs to get off twitter. Performance is garbage.’
‘Do they give Chimpanzee’s keyboards and say bash these buttons.’
‘If you reallllllllly want this game, wait for a sale. CEO has made it clear you arent wanted anyways.’
‘This game felt more like a poor imitation of Destiny 2 than a borderlands game.’
Some short and sweet reviews to wrap it up:
