Summary
After what has felt like an eternity of waiting,Borderlands 4has finally been revealed, though only through a cryptic teaser. The teaser hardly reveals anything outright, aside from some Eridian writing and the image of a mysterious face at the end of the trailer, which some fans initially deduced might be Handsome Jack — the main antagonist fromBorderlands 2. Unfortunately, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford almost immediately laid those theories to rest, stating that the image shown in the trailer was notHandsome Jackbut “something far more dangerous and sinister.”
DespiteBorderlands 4’s presumed main antagonist not being Handsome Jack, the idea of it being far more dangerous and sinister than the iconic villain could be just what the series needs. TheBorderlandsfranchise has now seen several main villains antagonizing its world and the Vault Hunters attempting to thwart their schemes, but the comedic antics of the most recent mainline installment’s villains were highly controversial. As such,Borderlands 4returning to a villain whose goals and personality might mirror and even improve upon Handsome Jack’s sounds promising.
After Borderlands 3, Borderlands 4’s Darker Villain Sounds Promising
Borderlands 3’s Villains Weren’t Serious or Threatening Enough
Borderlands 3is by no means a bad game and its initial reviews say that much, but it might just be the most divisive of any mainlineBorderlandsgame ever made. TheBorderlandsseries has always been known for its over-the-top humor and exaggerated violence, so that’s to be expected of a new installment. However,Borderlands 3arguably takes things a bit too far in that regard, even to the point that its villains, the Calypso Twins, aren’t threatening enough to be taken seriously. Their personalities, along with their goals, don’t make them anywhere near the villain that Handsome Jack is — of course, it could be argued thatany villains following Handsome Jack were doomedfrom the start.
In keeping with modern trends, asBorderlandshas been known to do,the Calypso Twinsare modeled after social media influencers like those that can be found on YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram. Their personalities are a bit overblown, to the point that their meme potential drastically outweighs the threat that they pose. They certainly have the charisma of Handsome Jack, as any decent social media influencer should, but they aren’t quite dark or menacing enough to merit being simultaneously feared and respected, as Handsome Jack is. Finally, it quickly becomes painfully obvious inBorderlands 3that the Calypso Twins are trying really hard to be another Handsome Jack, which only makes things worse.
However, Borderlands 4’s “dangerous and sinister” villain might make up for the shortcomings ofBorderlands 3.
Borderlands 4’s Dark Villain Might Make Up for Borderlands 3’s Shortcomings
It’s good news thatBorderlands 4’s villainsounds like a much bigger threat than Handsome Jack, as that might play a major role in the game’s success. WhatBorderlands 4needs to ensure it doesn’t do is attempt to recreate the second game’s antagonist in some way. Regardless of how much theBorderlandscommunity has come to love Handsome Jack over the years, there is no justification for attempting to clone his personality and goals asBorderlands 3tried and failed to do. It is an endeavor that will likely always result in a failed outcome, soBorderlands 4needs to avoid it at all costs.
According to what is shown in theBorderlands 4teaser trailer, it could be that The Watcher is this installment’s antagonist, who was originally revealed in 2014’sBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel. At the very least, the teaser trailer has Eridian literally and figuratively written all over it, suggesting the alien race will play a significant role inBorderlands 4. If that is the case, it could be a very dark entry indeed, taking players deeper into the backstory of theBorderlandsfranchise than they have ever been before.
