Replaying Borderlands 2 Revealed the Secret Ingredient Borderlands 3 and 4 Are Missing (& It’s Not Just Handsome Jack)

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Gearbox has consistently improved the core gameplay of its Borderlands games over the series, with the possible exception of the endgame in Borderlands 4. Each new installment features better quality-of-life features and more loot. This progression is especially noticeable when playing the games in order, from the original Borderlands to Borderlands 4. However, many fans still consider Borderlands 2 to be the best, and I’ve been trying to understand why that is.

My coworker, Drew Swanson, believes that Borderlands 2 was a unique success for the series, and not representative of the overall trend. Neither Borderlands 3 nor Borderlands 4 (as of now) have been as popular or long-lasting, and it’s unlikely they ever will be. Considering the consistent, improved gameplay, it seems clear to me that the character Handsome Jack is the key to the game’s success.

He’s easily the best villain in the whole series – the Calypso Twins and The Timekeeper don’t even come close. Many consider him one of the greatest villains in video games, but I believe Jack represents something bigger: he’s a symbol of just how good Borderlands 2 truly is, not just the one who started everything.

This article contains major spoilers for Borderlands 2.

Handsome Jack is the Vault Symbol Burned into the Borderlands Series

My wife and I have been enjoying a lot of gaming over the holidays. We paused our Baldur’s Gate 3 game – we might come back to it eventually, but probably not – and decided to revisit the Borderlands series. We haven’t spent a huge amount of time on any single game, but we’ve completed several playthroughs of each one except Borderlands 4. We’ve finished all the main story content and plan to play through it again. I’m especially curious to see what made Borderlands 2 so special compared to the other games; experience has taught me that’s where the best stuff often is.

I’ve played through Borderlands 4 twice so far, once with my wife and once with my buddies.

I suspected there was more to the story than just Handsome Jack being the villain. My partner and I played through Borderlands, with me as Roland and her as Brick. Looking back at Borderlands 1 in 2025, it definitely shows its age – it feels like a game from 2009, though some games haven’t held up as well. We completed all the downloadable content, and even though it hadn’t been long since our last playthrough, I was surprised by how fresh it still felt. Aside from the T.K. boss fight and the twist with Ned and Zed in the Zombie Island of Dr. Ned DLC – which is still the best Borderlands 1 expansion – very little felt familiar.

Playing Borderlands 2 feels wonderfully familiar and comforting – it’s the perfect game to revisit during the holidays. My wife and I kept encountering moments that brought back great memories. From the early scenes with Claptrap losing his eye to a Bullymong, to Jack’s hilarious comments about Butt Stallion, and finding the original Vault Hunters like Lilith, Mordecai, Roland, and Brick – especially Brick as the Slab King – everything felt like a nostalgic nod to the series’ history. We even immediately jumped to the simple, fun side quest of just shooting a guy! Every quest in the game feels like a cherished memory from the Borderlands franchise.

  • Bloodwing’s death? That still hurts, especially because Mordecai was my first Borderlands Vault Hunter.
  • The threat of the Warrior? As memorable as the destroyer, if not more so.
  • Angel’s real role in the franchise? It’s one of those moments that really changes how you perceive the game on later playthroughs, even if (or especially because) it was obvious in hindsight.
  • The DLC Vault Hunters, Krieg and Gaige, are iconic and exactly why fans have always wanted DLC Vault Hunters in other Borderlands games.
  • The plot twist with Angel and Lilith, like why Angel did not want Lilith in her chambers, still hits.
  • Roland’s death? Oh, it still hurts.
  • Claptrap’s commentary on Stairs: Gold.
  • Jack’s defeat and the map of all the Vaults? A solid ending.
  • Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep? Using Dungeons and Dragons to process grief? Inspired.

Borderlands 2 is the Exception Because of Its Memorable Moments

CAAAATCH A RIDE!

Honestly, saying a great story needs memorable moments feels kinda obvious, but it’s true – good stories do have them. I recently replayed Borderlands 2, and it hit me how much of it has stuck with me years later. The first Borderlands feels distant now, and I can’t really recall anything specific about Borderlands 3 or even 4. Handsome Jack definitely made things better, but it wasn’t just him. The whole story and how it was presented in Borderlands 2 really set it apart. So much of what happened in that game still defines the series. Like, Assault on Dragon Keep is a big reason Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands even exists, and it’s why people are still hoping for a sequel!

When it comes to looter shooters, gameplay is the most important part. The Borderlands series generally does well in this area, but Borderlands 2 remains the best because it perfectly balances fun gameplay with a compelling story. While later games had interesting characters like the Calypso Twins and The Timekeeper, they didn’t quite reach the iconic status of Handsome Jack. Despite this, the stories in those games could have enhanced the experience further, but unfortunately, they didn’t quite live up to their potential, leaving the games feeling somewhat lacking.

Honestly, playing Borderlands 4 felt really disappointing. Even some of my favorite characters, like Lilith, just didn’t feel like themselves – they were way too toned down. And Claptrap? They completely ruined him! He used to be so annoying and important, but now he’s just a joke. There’s even an option to silence him, which feels like a perfect way to describe how the game treats all the characters. The shooting is still fun, don’t get me wrong, but the story just didn’t stick with me. It’s not going to beat Borderlands 2, and it doesn’t even feel like it’s trying to improve on Borderlands 3. It just… doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

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2026-01-05 20:06