Earlier today, developer Gearbox Studios hosted Borderlands 3’s gameplay reveal event. With the title announced earlier in April, Borderlands 3 is the direct sequel to the last entry and will reunite players with a variety of familiar characters. Today we finally got our first look at what to expect from the latest entry.
During the event, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford showed off Borderlands 3’s opening. In the demo, we learned about the new evil faction dubbed The Children of the Vault. Led by the Calypso Twins, this cult is filled with ruthless bandits who blindly follow the leaders. We were introduced to some new traversal mechanics including mantling and sliding.
Some guns now include an alternate firing mode, which is completely new to the franchise. These can range from switching gun types to alternating between different elements. Damage numbers are still displayed every time an enemy is hit and some cover now degrades when it’s shot. Explosive barrels can now be meleed to launch them at opponents or away from you in battle and the player can ignite oil spills to set your enemies ablaze.
Another new addition is the ability to both revive NPCs and have NPCs revive you, which was typically reserved for other players. Every character will have three skill trees, each of which boasts unique abilities and sub-skill trees. For example, the new Siren can contain enemies inside of an energy ball or craft a projection of herself to kill foes. Inversely, the Operative Zane can have up to two skill active at once, giving him a bit more flexibility.
Loot Instancing is a new feature that allows co-op players to obtain their own loot at their own level, regardless of what rank their friends are. However, if you prefer to fight over loot or use an overpowered character you can enable this feature via the Classic Mode. Gearbox Software explained that Borderlands 3 will have “more bosses than ever before.”
Watch Borderlands 3 Worldwide Gameplay Reveal from Borderlands on www.twitch.tv
Sanctuary 3 – a massive spaceship – acts as the main HUB world for the player. There’s a new lost found that will hold all of the loot you may have missed or lost while exploring the different worlds. Users will have their own room, which appears to be customizable and new guns can be tested at a shooting range. Yet, the biggest change to Borderlands 3 is the ability to leave Pandora and visit other worlds.
Outside of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, this is the first time players have left Pandora. We only got a deeper look at one of the new planets, which housed a massive, futuristic city that was under siege by the Maliwan corporation. The new trailer also shows off a host of new enemies, locations, and weapons – including a rocket that you can manually guide. Randy Pitchford also confirmed that Borderlands 3 won’t have any microtransactions.
Borderlands 3 is set to release on September 13 for Xbox One, PC, and PS4.