Borderlands 4 Is Making Me Realize How Limited Destiny 2 Really Is

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I’ve been having a great time with *Borderlands 4* since it came out. It’s been just as enjoyable as other popular games this year, like *Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2* and *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*. I’ve been wanting a new *Borderlands* game for a while, and while *Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands* was fun, it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. Surprisingly, *Borderlands 4* feels quite different from previous games, actually reminding me a lot of *Destiny 2*, one of my favorite looter shooters.

It’s hard to miss the similarities between *Borderlands 4* and *Destiny 2*. Given that *Destiny 2* is a highly successful looter shooter, it’s understandable why Gearbox would draw inspiration from it. However, playing *Borderlands 4* has highlighted just how limited *Destiny 2* can be, even as a game that’s constantly updated and expanded. As a longtime *Destiny 2* player – I’ve put in around 5,000 hours across different platforms – it’s disappointing to say that *Borderlands 4* excels in areas where *Destiny 2* has struggled for a while now.

Borderlands 4 Is Making Me Realize How Limited Destiny 2 Really Is

Exploring Without Barriers

As a fan of both games, I’ve been thinking about how they handle exploration. Even though *Destiny 2* has a ton of planets to visit, *Borderlands 4*’s single planet, Kairos, just *feels* bigger. It’s probably because Kairos is one continuous space with hardly any loading screens, which makes it feel like there’s so much more to discover. *Destiny 2* has plenty of space too, but it often feels like you’re being led down a pretty straight path. In *Borderlands 4*, I feel like I can really go anywhere and explore at my own pace. I still think *Destiny 2* looks amazing, but after playing *Borderlands 4*, the way it guides you and its lack of really tall areas or free-flowing movement just feels more noticeable.

Rediscovering True Build Freedom

One of the best parts of *Borderlands 4* is how customizable the Vault Hunters are. The game offers an incredible range of build options, even more than *Destiny 2*. While *Destiny 2* has tried to improve build variety with updates like the Prismatic subclass, it still doesn’t have as many different skill combinations as *Borderlands 4*. It’s really nice to have so much freedom when creating a character, and it makes me hope *Destiny 2* will offer a similar level of open-ended buildcrafting in the future.

Starting Fresh Without Confusion

What’s really struck me about *Borderlands 4* is how easy it is to pick up and play, even if you’ve never played a *Borderlands* game before. As a longtime fan of the series, I didn’t *need* it to be accessible, but it’s clear how it would draw in new players. It doesn’t require any knowledge of past games to understand what’s happening. This is different from games like *Destiny 2*, where I’ve seen new players quickly get confused by all the backstory and content.

I’m really having fun with *Borderlands 4*, and it’s actually made me realize how frustrating some of the issues in *Destiny 2* are – and that’s just scratching the surface. *Destiny 2* hasn’t gotten worse, but *Borderlands 4* has reminded me what I’m looking for in a game of this type. It makes me question whether *Destiny 2* will ever evolve to meet those expectations.

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2025-09-20 07:34