The Power to Shape Borderlands' Destiny Lies in the Hands of Players

Highlights

Borderlands 4 should embrace user-generated content to prolong its lifespan and enhance the gameplay experience.

Introducing player-crafted weapons would enhance the game by offering a higher degree of customization and unleashing players' creativity.

By enabling players to design their own Circles of Slaughter and raid bosses, the game's replayability would soar. This effect would be amplified if gamers had the ability to effortlessly download fellow players' creations through a user-friendly in-game menu.

The Borderlands games have either had long lifecycles or have ended prematurely. The original game thrived with four expansions, while Borderlands 2 has been the longest-lasting game in the franchise. Borderlands 3 remained relevant for some time with two season passes. However, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands failed to gain the success they had the potential for. With strong support from Gearbox, Borderlands 4 can ensure a long lifespan similar to the other mainline entries. Furthermore, user-generated content has the potential to take the game to new heights.

Games that have thrived due to player-made content are not hard to find. LittleBigPlanet and Modnation Racers were specifically built around this concept, while custom Zombies maps have kept players engaged with Black Ops 3 for years. Mods have also allowed gamers to enhance beloved classics like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. However, the inclusion of official tools that make player-made creations accessible to all platforms can be even more exciting. Borderlands should embrace this concept, allowing both console and PC users to create certain types of content in Borderlands 4.

Borderlands Is Perfect For Player-Created Content

If Borderlands 4 were to allow user-generated content, there would need to be certain limits set in place. While it may not be feasible for players to create their own quests and campaigns, due to the complexities of voice acting and custom character models, there are other avenues that could enhance the gameplay experience. One possibility is for players to have the ability to craft their own weapons, Circle of Slaughter arenas, and raid bosses, which could then be shared and downloaded through an in-game menu.

The most obvious way to make Borderlands 4 a game with endless replayability is through the customization of weapons. The Borderlands series is known for its vast array of weaponry, allowing gamers to collect millions of guns in the looter shooter genre. This leads to unique gameplay experiences and character builds. In Borderlands 3, Gearbox introduced a tool that generated non-Legendary and non-Purple gear, expanding the pool of available weapons. In Borderlands 4, this tool could be handed over to players, granting them the ability to mix and match different gun components to create their own hybrid Legendaries, fulfilling their wildest dreams.

To discourage the overpowering of player-made guns, certain limitations can be implemented such as disabling Vault Hunter leveling, certain loot drops, and achievements. Another limitation could be allowing players to only mix and match parts from one Borderlands weapon manufacturer at a time, ensuring the game's identity remains intact.

Borderlands' Circles of Slaughter are highly replayable, but the limited availability of arenas can become repetitive. Due to the vastness of Borderlands games, it is understandable that Gearbox can only create a few arenas for each game. Allowing players to create their own Circles of Slaughter can solve this issue, as they can design maps and choose enemy waves. By enabling the community to download these maps, Circles of Slaughter will always offer a fresh experience with the opportunity to grind for guns in a new arena every day.

Borderlands 4 can address the biggest gameplay issue in Borderlands 3, which is the limited number of raid bosses, by allowing players to create their own content. Instead of just a single raid boss, players can choose to combine and modify boss attacks from the main game, and even use enemy models such as Skags or Psychos. Customization options include adjusting the enemy's health and size, determining whether it has multiple phases, and setting the loot pool for the fight. Players can select from a few basic arenas or potentially incorporate the fight into custom Circles of Slaughter maps. Introducing user-generated content would be a significant progression for Borderlands 4, greatly enhancing its replayability.