Prior to its launch, the public reception towards Borderlands 4 wasn’t overwhelmingly positive. Although the trailers and sneak peeks by Gearbox Software didn’t leave a particularly negative impact on fans, some remarks made by the company’s CEO, Randy Pitchford, didn’t help its case. A few months ago, Borderlands 4 found itself in controversy when Pitchford expressed on Twitter that “true fans” would buy the game regardless of cost, even if it was $80.
It emerged later that the standard edition of Borderlands 4 was set to retail at $70 rather than the initial $80, yet some enthusiasts were still disheartened by the elevated costs of its Deluxe and Ultimate Deluxe versions.
Despite price considerations, some gamers were apprehensive about Borderlands 4 due to the questionable quality of recent installments in the series. While none of the Borderlands games developed by Gearbox were outright failures, Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands drew mixed reactions from critics. Consequently, many believed that Borderlands 4 might not measure up to the caliber of the first two Borderlands games. However, recent reviews for the title have been generally favorable, albeit with some significant drawbacks noted.
Borderlands 4 is One of the Highest-Rated Games in the Series Yet
On OpenCritic, Borderlands 4 has earned a Top Critic Average of 85/100 and a 97% approval rating from critics. On Metacritic, the game’s PC version received an overall favorable score of 84/100. Many reviewers have praised Borderlands 4 as a solid return to form for the series, with some even going as far as calling it one of the best Borderlands games yet. The game’s enhanced gunplay, humor, and graphics have earned widespread acclaim from critics, but its open world elements, lack of enemy variety, and performance issues on PC have been met with criticism by some reviewers.
Although Borderlands 4 has received generally favorable reviews from critics, the ratings from users on Steam are somewhat divided. This is primarily because the game’s PC version has been encountering several technical problems.
Critic Scores for Borderlands 4 Are Just as Good as Borderlands 1, But Not On Par With Borderlands 2
Some fans might find this surprising, but as per OpenCritic and Metacritic ratings, Borderlands 4 isn’t actually the top-rated mainline entry in the franchise – that honor goes to Borderlands 2. To date, none of the other mainline games have managed to surpass Borderlands 2’s critic score.
Speaking about it, on Metacritic, Borderlands 4 is currently equal in score with the original Borderlands, which had an 84/100 rating on Xbox 360 initially. Compared to other Borderlands titles, they’ve generally received positive reviews as well, but Borderlands 2, Borderlands 4, and even the first Borderlands have garnered more critical praise.
In terms of critical acclaim, Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep surpasses the score of Borderlands 4 on Metacritic, however, it should be noted that it is an expansion pack, not a standalone game.
Borderlands 4 Has Received Better Reviews than Borderlands 3 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
As a devoted fan, I must say that “Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel” marked my return to the Borderlands universe after the release of Borderlands 2, though it didn’t quite captivate everyone like its predecessors did. The game earned a respectable score of 75/100 on Metacritic and 74/100 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic.
However, the most recent addition to the series, “Borderlands 3”, received an impressive 81/100 rating on both platforms, yet some fans felt it fell short due to its more juvenile humor and apparent lack of new ideas compared to earlier releases.
Critic Scores of All Games in the Borderlands Franchise
| Name | Release Year | OpenCritic Rating | % of Critics Recommend on OpenCritic | Metacritic Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borderlands | 2009 | N/A | N/A | 84/100 |
| Borderlands 2 | 2012 | 86/100 | 86% | 89/100 |
| Borderlands Legends | 2012 (mobile game, currently delisted) | N/A | N/A | 52/100 |
| Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep | 2013 (standalone DLC, not full-length game) | N/A | N/A | 86/100 |
| Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel | 2014 | 74/100 | 42% | 75/100 |
| Tales from the Borderlands | 2014 | 87/100 | 96% | 85/100 |
| Borderlands 3 | 2019 | 81/100 | 78% | 81/100 |
| Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands | 2022 | 78/100 | 76% | 78/100 |
| New Tales from the Borderlands | 2022 | 68/100 | 44% | 69/100 |
| Borderlands 4 | 2025 | 85/100 | 97% | 84/100 |
Most of the Borderlands Spin-Offs Have Lower Scores than Borderlands 4
In terms of spin-off games, Tales from the Borderlands by Telltale currently outranks any potential Borderlands 4 in critics’ reviews. Although each episode was evaluated independently by critics, the complete game garnered an 87/100 score on OpenCritic and an 85/100 rating on Metacritic.
The subsequent title, “New Tales from the Borderlands,” experienced less favorable critic reviews, earning a 68/100 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic and a 69/100 score on Metacritic. Similarly, “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands,” the main spin-off in the series, has lower ratings than “Borderlands 4.” It holds a 78/100 score on both OpenCritic and Metacritic.
Read More
- Violence District Killer and Survivor Tier List
- All Data Pad Locations (Week 1) Destiny 2
- Top 8 UFC 5 Perks Every Fighter Should Use
- Pale Oil Location (Pinmaster’s Oil Quest) In Silksong
- How to Cheese Moorwing in Silksong – Easy Boss Fight Skip
- Cogheart & Cogwork Heart Guide (How To Get & Use) In Silksong
- Prestige Perks in Space Marine 2: A Grind That Could Backfire
- 10 Hardest Sections In The Last of Us Part 1+2, Ranked
- Deep Cuts – Official Steam Launch Trailer
- How To Wall Jump In Silksong (Unlock Cling Grip Ability)
2025-09-13 03:00