Even Borderlands 4’s Side Content Keeps One of The Game’s Biggest Promises
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Ahead of its release, one of the biggest promises Borderlands 4 had to live up to involved its tone. For many, Borderlands 3 was the turning point where the franchise lost its footing in the comedy and narrative balancing act, and the reaction to that game made it clear things needed to shift in terms of story. Gearbox seems to have taken these criticisms to heart, as even in its most silly, inconsequential moments, Borderlands 4’s narrative is heartfelt.
Borderlands 3 was considered by many fans to be a “mutable” experience; a game with great gameplay that loses very little with dialogue volume off. This opinion, in large part, was due to an ill-advised ‘jokes-per-minute’ approach to storytelling. In response, the narrative team behind the sequel ensured a new approach to Borderlands 4’s narrative.
Borderlands 4’s New Narrative Tone Shines, Even in Its Side Quests
In the full release of Borderlands 4, players can feel that promised tone shift everywhere, and it’s admirable just how daring the team decided to be. There are very few returning Borderlands characters to rely on, and yet, every zone manages to tell compelling tales. The most impressive thing about this feat, however, is that Borderlands 4 didn’t have to sacrifice the series’ staple humor to do it, and two early side quests perfectly showcase that fact.
These two side quests vary in size and scope, but both manage to walk the line of humor and heart deftly. It’s unrealistic to expect this level of depth from all the game’s side quests (especially in a series so known for its commitment to comedy). Still, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford spoke about improving Borderlands 4’s side quests, and to be fair, these two fit the bill. Both quests are found in Borderlands 4’s first area, the Fadefields, and coincidentally, both have the player working for robots.
Borderlands 4’s Ready to Blow Side Quest Balances Humor and Heart
The first quest worth mentioning is Ready to Blow, and though it might be too early to call, it might just be one of Borderlands’ most memorable side quests. After accepting the mission at the Launchpad, players find a defective missile in the center of a village. Inspecting the missile, they find it is sentient, and the device — Gigi — actually wants to explode, feeling it is their purpose to do so. The quest sees players setting out to help her do just that, but while the humor of this quest comes from the absurdity of the situation, the narrative power lies in the process.
Whilst players collect the parts necessary to build Gigi a new missile, the AI core cycles through the misgivings they have about their purpose. Gigi questions if it’s what they truly want, and struggles with their initial failure to explode after defining themselves by that purpose. It’s a shockingly touching meditation on finding meaning, one that’s made even more insane given it’s a missile doing the pondering, and that all of this is found in a Borderlands side quest.
Ready to Blow also does a great job of showcasing Borderlands 4’s improved Vault Hunter dialogue, as the player character’s voice lines are meaningfully involved.
Borderlands 4’s No Place Like Home Side Quest Does The Impossible
The other noteworthy side quest manages to do something truly incredible: give Claptrap a meaningful character arc. No Place Like Home sees players collecting various Pandora memorabilia for Claptrap, the feckless leader of the Crimson Resistance. Though it might seem at first like a simple fetch quest, the mission gives one of Borderlands’ most iconic characters a very welcome new dynamic.
Claptrap has always been Borderlands’ prototypical fool, but for some, the act has grown tiresome; so much so that Borderlands 4 even has a Claptrap voice slider. No Place Like Home shines a light on the cost of his character, and with each collected trinket, Claptrap laments the circumstances and qualities he’s responsible for that brought him to be so unloved. It’s genuinely funny, and genuinely sad, and though it won’t be spoiled here, by the end of the quest, these two feelings pay off in a big way.
In the No Place Like Home side quest, there’s even a callback to Claptrap’s Frankenstein-esque companion, VR-0N1CA from Borderlands 3, which players built during that game’s side content.
Two Borderlands 4 Side Quests Show Gearbox’s Commitment to a New Narrative Approach
These two quests, when considered together, tell a story of sincere consideration of feedback. Borderlands 3 players had serious concerns with the series’ future narrative, and if these two quests are any indication, those concerns weighed heavily on Gearbox. It’s no doubt a good sign that, in correcting course, they haven’t managed to lose the humor so central to the franchise’s identity.
The game is by no means perfect, especially considering the technical issues plaguing Borderlands 4 players currently, but it’s absolutely worth acknowledging the effort put into a new narrative approach. Tone was one of Borderlands 3’s most significant challenges, and by and large, it seems Gearbox managed to overcome that legacy. If the studio can maintain this level of quality, Borderlands 4’s story DLC promises even more value.
