“You Will Be Able to Get There” – Borderlands 4’s Skyrim-Sized Promise Hits a Wall of Its Own Making

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Borderlands 4 is the largest game in the Borderlands series so far. It features a huge open world packed with things to do and collect, and introduces significant changes to the classic Borderlands gameplay. It often feels more like a massive online game than the first-person shooter RPG fans remember, essentially reinventing the series and starting a new story. However, despite its ambition and scale, the game sometimes stumbles, preventing it from fully reaching its potential.

The world of Borderlands 4, called Kairos, is massive and visually stunning, offering tons of new ways to play. In fact, it’s easy to get sidetracked exploring because Gearbox has added a huge amount of optional content. The environment itself is incredibly detailed and encourages players to discover every corner. Unfortunately, some areas are blocked off by invisible walls that seem to anticipate where players are trying to go, which can be frustrating.

Borderlands 4’s Invisible Walls Undermine Its Biggest Promise

The Skyrim-Sized Claim That Raised Expectations

What’s particularly noteworthy is that *Borderlands 4*’s world, Kairos, was originally presented as a place where players could reach any visible location-at least, according to comments made by Randy Pitchford. At a PAX East panel on May 9, 2025, he said players would be able to reach anything they see on screen, no matter how far away. This statement suggests *Borderlands 4* might offer a similar level of open-world exploration to games like *Skyrim*, and that’s a significant possibility to consider.

One of the things that makes *Skyrim* special is its incredible freedom – players can explore almost anywhere they see on the map if they’re determined. The game even lets horses climb mountains, highlighting this open design. Recently, the CEO of *Borderlands* made comments that reminded people of a similar promise from *Skyrim*’s marketing – that visible landscapes are actually accessible. This led many to hope *Borderlands 4* would offer the same level of exploration. Unfortunately, that’s usually not true. While the game world looks open, players often run into invisible barriers when trying to climb mountains or navigate rough terrain, forcing them to follow a predetermined path.

Borderlands 4’s Movement System Highlights the Problem

The excitement around Borderlands 4, sparked by comments from Pitchford, isn’t the only issue. The game promises enhanced movement and exploration, but then restricts players with invisible walls, which feels contradictory. Offering more ways to get around and then limiting where players can go undermines the potential for creative gameplay and problem-solving, ultimately taking away player freedom.

Honestly, what’s really frustrating isn’t just the invisible walls themselves, it’s that they can’t just be *fixed* with a simple update. It’s not like someone can just flip a switch to make them disappear. These walls are actually built into the level design, how the game handles movement, and what areas we’re supposed to reach. In *Borderlands 4*, there are so many of these invisible barriers, it feels like the world wasn’t made for players to freely explore. Removing them would mean a huge amount of work – rebuilding parts of the terrain, changing how things collide, or even creating entirely new areas where we weren’t meant to go. But even with all that, Kairos, the seamless world in *Borderlands 4*, is still pretty awesome to explore, even if I keep bumping into those invisible railings!

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2025-09-23 22:04