At Gamescom, MeinMMO chief editor Leya played the demo of Borderlands 4 and spoke with the developers afterward. They discussed how the shooter feels more mature now and what it actually means to have already created a legend like Handsome Jack.
What do you do when you have created one of the most iconic villains in gaming history and set the bar incredibly high for yourself for all who follow?
This is exactly what I have been wondering for years when I think of Borderlands. I love this loot shooter very much, have played everything in the series – and Handsome Jack, with his smug, cunning, and calculating nature, remains unmatched as a villain to this day.
At Gamescom, I spoke with Senior Project Producer Anthony Nicholson and Lead Level Designer Jason Reiss about the question that has been burning in my mind for so long.
I will embed the 10-minute interview here as a video. Small warning: Unfortunately, we had technical problems and my audio quality is poor, but Anthony and Jason are easy to understand:
The Legacy of Handsome Jack
After I had about 40 minutes to shoot through the demo of Borderlands 4 and had a lot of fun doing so, I was able to talk with both developers for another 10 minutes. When we generally discussed the topic of the villain, I asked them straight out if it actually puts pressure on them to create a new villain at the level of Handsome Jack. Anthony immediately had a clear answer to that:
Yes, absolutely.
I think every artist, every creator has this thing that they are constantly trying to either look up to or surpass, but that is not our goal. We’re not saying: Oh, that was done that way, now we have to do everything to make sure that happens [again]. No, we have super creative and very talented writers. And together with all the directors and leads of our project, who all contribute to making the story what it is, how we tell it and what the characters can do over time.
Jason added that each Borderlands has a separate story with different meanings and that many different directions can be taken here.
Why this question was swirling in my head was also due to the predecessor Borderlands 3. At that time, the Calypso twins were criticized. Their direction looked like this: The villains parodied narcissistic Twitch streamers, got on many people’s nerves and never had the depth that Handsome Jack possesses. One could say they were one of the biggest criticisms of the game.
Borderlands 4 aims to be more serious – and the villain?
While I was playing the demo at Gamescom, I especially noticed that the gameplay felt much more mature. Because from my perspective, Gearbox has focused primarily on modernizing the shooter gameplay while also significantly improving the movement. With grappling hooks, gliding, swimming and more vertical gameplay, the loot shooter feels much more refined.
As I couldn’t quite explain to myself why I felt this way, I asked both if they had a theory as to why Borderlands 4 feels more mature to me. Anthony explained how, in his view, their new antagonist, the Timekeeper, likely contributes to this:
I think when we develop games and we evolve and move forward, we grow up too. And the players grow with us. And so there’s an approach that improves, but also looks at things through a different lens so we can continuously try to make things better and better.
But I also think about how much is at stake with this part with the Timekeeper and what he is. It’s much more serious. The entire planet is at risk because of what this person is doing. You can see how environmental storytelling contributes and how different factions have risen up and tried to resist.
And yes, from everything we know so far about the Timekeeper, he seems to be going in a megalomaniacal and very dark direction.
The Timekeeper rules as a dictator over the prison planet Kairos, which has long been protected from external influences by a barrier created by him. He is the leader of the faction “Order,” which operates with mind control and total surveillance. Unlike previous Borderlands villains, he acts calmly, calculatingly, and is difficult to provoke, making him particularly threatening.
The actual motives and true nature of the Timekeeper are meant to remain mysterious and will be revealed further along in the game.
All of this already sounds like a very harsh dystopia and, according to Anthony, is supposed to reflect in the game’s visuals, which are also kept rather dark. They want to settle the atmosphere somewhere between Borderlands 1 and Borderlands 2.
I personally liked the Calypso twins for what they were. I didn’t expect much depth from narcissistic influencers either. But I must say, this new villain really intrigues me, as he seems to be the exact opposite of the usual colorful characters one encounters in Borderlands.
Gameplay reflects what the antagonist is meant to be
After processing my impressions of the gameplay and my conversation with both developers a bit, I get a cohesive overall picture.
Jason made a good point regarding worldbuilding and gameplay. From his perspective, Borderlands 4 also feels more mature now, due to the logic that had to be created in the world:
When you think about what we could do before, we created levels. There was a level transition, where you appeared somewhere else. And we could be a bit vague about how big this thing is and what the path looks like, all these things. But with the seamless world, everything is real. It’s a realer world. Everything is interconnected. Everyone. The river you see flowing has to reach all the other interesting sights. And it has to be fully realized or we create a large world that connects everything.
I think that creates a more mature type of environment.
Because Borderlands has now evolved again in its systems and is more mature, a loot shooter has been created that feels more grown-up. But I can promise you, the chaotic feeling and absurd moments will remain. I mean: I threw away my weapon with an empty magazine, which then ran alongside me and shot with me automatically. Delightful!
When I now think about why Handsome Jack was so iconic back then, he may have even been ahead of Borderlands 2 in development. Because with his way of trying to pull you to his side and his motives in the end, that had depth, it was dark, it had maturity.
And so the series has not managed to create such a refined villain that it already had back in 2012. But Borderlands 4 seems to be right there, and I have high hopes for the Timekeeper. It would be cool if a villain on the level of Handsome Jack is presented here – but oh, I understand the pressure the developers are under. These smug remarks, that nasty laugh, that false charm… it’s just a major cinematic experience.
What are your hopes for Borderlands 4?
After all, Randy Pitchford is already very confident about his game: The head of Borderlands 4 says his game is worth 170 euros but would prefer to give it away. Let’s hope he’s right. But I have a good feeling about it.
