Like many gamers right now, I've been playing Borderlands 4 as much as I can since it was released, and I still can't get enough of it. Fortunately, I haven't encountered the performance issues that many of those also playing on PC have, so my ride has been fairly smooth sailing and I have very few, if any, complaints. In fact, for what it's worth, I am enjoying this particular entry more than I ever have a Borderlands game since Borderlands 2. I love the story, I find the combat mechanics some of the best in the series, and I can't get enough of Kairos.
In fact, Kairos is probably one of my favorite things about Borderlands 4. I've never been one of those to hate the idea of a map being as large as this one before a game is even released, so I was already excited about what was in store. However, I still didn't expect it to grab me as much as it has — and it has, so much so, that it has revived a playstyle in me that I thought was dead and gone.
Borderlands 4 Has Revived the Completionist in Me
I Was Once an Avid Completionist
Once upon a time, I was an avid completionist. Regardless of how big a map was or how many activities and collectibles there were that were of no benefit to complete or collect, I got a thrill out of doing it all, even if it took me hundreds of hours to do so. Every Assassin's Creed game, every Zelda game, you name it — if it had more to do or collect than just the main story or what was required, I would do it. But that playstyle came to an abrupt halt once I had kids, as my time became more precious than ever and simply couldn't be given to the more menial things of gaming.
Gaming is something that primarily happens for me at night now, once my family is in bed, and it's entirely by choice. I prefer to be present when my family is awake, but that also means the time I need to be efficient with the time I spend gaming. The outcome, then, is that my Steam library is full of games that are shorter and offer good stories, and any that are longer or larger generally end up unfinished. However, Borderlands 4's Kairos has reawakened the completionist in me, not to the point of me being absent to my family in order to play it, but more so that I'm willing to spend however long it takes to complete everything it has for me, simply because I find it immensely fulfilling.
Borderlands 4 Makes Me Want to Complete and Collect Everything
There is so much to do in Borderlands 4, from the main story to side quests, and from countless collectibles to simply taking in the sights. If I remember right, after putting 20 hours into it, I was only 15% of the way through the campaign, if that says anything about my approach. Just as it was in the old days before my kids were born, I refuse to leave the immediate area until I've done everything there is to do there, and it's not just because it's a checklist I absolutely have to check off either. It's because it's so rewarding to do it all.
Completing an optional activity in Borderlands 4 has the chance to offer me valuable things like better gear, SDU tokens, worldbuilding lore and more backstory on my Vault Hunter, and XP toward my next level. I've done so much of what is considered optional in Borderlands 4, that I had fully upgraded my backpack space and significantly increased my ammo capacity for almost every weapon type within just 10 hours of gameplay. Why? Because Borderlands 4 makes it all worth it. And no matter how long it takes me to finish this game, I'm going to go at my own pace, playing with the few hours I get every night, until I've done everything there is to do.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
