Borderlands 4is the follow-up to the groundbreakingBorderlands 3. However, there are more games in the franchise than just the mainline numbered entries — and they are all considered canon. This includes theTales from the Borderlandsgames, as well asTiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandswas released afterBorderlands 3, and had plenty ofamazing ideasthat really should make their way over toBorderlands 4due tohow wellthey were received by fans. Some might not translate well into aBorderlandsgame, but with a little tweaking, these features can feel right at home in the series' next entry.
4Subclasses Based On Manufacturers
Not Full-Class Hybrids Like In Wonderlands
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandslets playerspick their starting class, and then multiclass into something more powerful than the sum of their parts thanks to the synergy they share. This also lets a player that would normally ignore certain gameplay features embrace them because of how much more powerful they are once they factor in their second class. ForBorderlands 4, each Vault Hunter should feel distinct and unique, with their own trees, abilities, and features.
However, having a pool of different subclasses to choose from lets players explore many other areas of the game. These subclasses should be the same for all characters, and can be changed any time a player respecs. Each could focus on universal elements that all Vault Hunters use differently, such as focusing on weapon types orthe numerous gun manufacturerson Pandora. Something like a “Loyalty Program” that lets a player pick a Manufacturer like Jakobs and then invest their points in this subclass to make Jakobs' guns more versatile or have features unique to them.
3Make Grenades More Like Spells
This Can Make Grenades Much More Versatile
Borderlandshaving a limited number of grenades can feel inconsistent. Players using every grenade while making their way to their destination, and then only picking up two before a boss fight, means a risk of failure where a single extra explosive would’ve meant success. WhencomparingBorderlandsandWonderlandsgrenades and spells side by side, Vault Hunters should have grenade digistruct devices that restock grenades over time — the same wayWonderlandsspells have cooldowns. This means different Grenade Mods can change how many grenades a player can throw out against a boss, improve their cooldown to get more, or carry special conditions like reducing cooldown for dealing damage and so forth.
Making grenades a self-contained sub-mechanic that works likethe spells inWonderlands allows for a far deeper well of controlover how a character can play.Wonderlandshad spells that allowed many uses with longer cooldowns to regain each charge, but also a weaker spell that had only a few seconds between each use, or an utterly devastating single-use spell with a very long cooldown.
2Rethink Vehicles
Wonderlands Fully Removed Them, But Borderlands Should Not
Wonderlandsfully removed vehicles in favor ofmaking an overworld to traverse. This meant that players no longer had to traverse long stretches of the game on some form of mount and streamlined the process of moving between detailed areas where missions took place.Borderlands 4should take a page from this book and not make playersrisk having their vehicle destroyedand then spend a few minutes hoofing it to the nearest Catch-A-Ride station — which can happen far too often.
Instead, the developers could provide vehicles that are more meaningful to where they are used, such as when chasing down Carnivora or driving through a gauntlet of turns to get to safety. Vehicles can still be a major part of the game, but they don’t need to be a focus point for transportation and getting around large stretches of planet. Gearbox could make their use more optimal forBorderlands 4and the future of the franchise.
1Have A Melee Override Item
There Is A Lot Of Minor Action Skill Potential Here
Wonderlandsadded a wide range of dedicated melee weapons to the game, and this made for a ton of build options.Borderlands 4should implement someform of melee override optionthat does not need to be a melee weapon. This slot could have things like a hunting knife that does a lot of instant damage, but it could also be something like a stubby double-barrel pistol that can knock something away from close range, a taser gauntlet that can stun an enemy and arcs to nearby enemies as well, maybe with enough juice to incapacitate a group of suicide pyschos.
There is also the option for class specific melee override items, such a siren being able to increase the likelihood and/or damage of a certain element for a limited amount of time — synergising with their weapon of choice. This lets characters spec into a more fleshed out gear-based build.
