This Borderlands 4 Addition Sounds Like a BL1 Throwback, But That's Not a Good Thing

If the recent hands-on previews for Borderlands 4 have proven anything, it’s that the upcoming entry truly is aiming to turn the series around and innovate on its increasingly familiar formula. Ahead of its release, Borderlands 4 has boasted a vast number of changes coming to the series, including the new seamless planet of Kairos, larger skill trees, new combat systems, and more. Now, the recent previews have shed some light on how those new additions and changes play out, and many of them seem like a step in the right direction.

One reported change, however, is a bit peculiar. In fact, while it is a change from what the last two mainline Borderlands games have done, it’s actually very similar to a feature from the very first Borderlands entry. Exactly why Gearbox chose to go back to a design philosophy from the first game remains to be seen, but regardless, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Specifically, Borderlands 4 now requires that players find their Storage Deck Upgrades (SDUs) in the wilds of Kairos rather than simply purchasing them as they could in the previous two mainline Borderlands titles, which could break the flow of gameplay for some players who prefer just to shoot and loot rather than explore.

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Borderlands 4 Hands-On Preview: Less Borders, More Lands

Game Rant went hands-on with Borderlands 4, and even a short time with its world and systems reveals how much the series is shifting its focus.

Borderlands 4’s SDU System Brings Back an Old Idea With a New Problem

Exploration-Based SDUs Replace the Storefront Simplicity of BL2 and BL3

SDUs are some of the most valuable upgrades in the Borderlands series. Rather than merely enhancing a specific weapon or skill, SDUs improve the broader mechanics of each game, like ammo and storage capacity. These offer substantial help in the long run, so they’re highly sought after. Unfortunately, Borderlands 4 is making that search just a bit more difficult.

In Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3, players could purchase SDUs to upgrade things like their ammo, backpack, and bank space using Eridium or cash, respectively, thereby streamlining the process and making it more accessible. Ultimately, that made SDUs a reward tied to progress and economy, not exploration. Borderlands 4, on the other hand, changes this entirely by requiring players to find SDUs scattered across the world and solve puzzles to unlock them. This adds a new aspect of gameplay for those who are going to love exploring every inch of Kairos, but it also risks alienating players who just want to stay focused on combat and loot without the detour.

Borderlands 4’s BL1-Esque SDU Puzzles May Frustrate Players Who Prefer Loot to Logic

Chasing down collectibles isn’t new to the franchise, but in Borderlands 1, players would find SDUs in just about the same way that they will in Borderlands 4. By finding damaged Claptrap units and then repairing them by finding the necessary tools nearby, players were rewarded with an SDU. To some, this might have been a satisfying gameplay loop, but others might have found it to be a bit tedious. Now, in Borderlands 4, players are essentially being asked to repeat that, only this time, they will be searching for SDUs in a much larger world that doesn’t readily hold their hand. For players who would much rather just loot and shoot than explore, this might be a bit of an issue.

That being said, perhaps Borderlands 4‘s Kairos will be interesting enough that some of those players won’t find the shift to a more exploration-based Borderlands game too difficult of a shift to make. In the end, this is going to boil down to whether exploring Kairos is worth the extra legwork for more than just the SDUs, but that remains to be seen until the game actually launches in September.