Replaying Borderlands 2 Revealed the Secret Ingredient Borderlands 3 and 4 Are Missing (& It’s Not Just Handsome Jack)

In general, I think it’s safe to assert that Gearbox has successfully iterated on its looter shooter gameplay throughout the Borderlands series, save maybe for the current endgame of Borderlands 4. Not only are there good quality of life improvements, but a solid expansion of available loot from game to game. Nowhere is that more obvious than playing them, progressively, from Borderlands to Borderlands 4. But to many fans, Borderlands 2 reigns supreme. The reason why feels incredibly obvious in hindsight, but I’ve grappled with a big question in recent weeks: why is that?

My colleague Drew Swanson recently opined that Borderlands 2 proved to be an exception for the franchise, not the rule. Indeed, neither Borderlands 3 nor Borderlands 4 (so far) have had the staying power or reception of Borderlands 2, and it’s doubtful they ever do. With solid, iterative gameplay, it feels like the obvious answer to my question is Handsome Jack.

He is, far and above, the best villain in the franchise, with the Calypso Twins and The Timekeeper being several paces away from his domination. He is widely regarded as one of the best villains in gaming, after all, but I’ve come to the conclusion that Jack is more a symbol of Borderlands 2‘s greatness and not just the instigator.

Handsome Jack is the Vault Symbol Burned into the Borderlands Series

Over the holidays, I’ve played a lot of games with my wife. We decided to abandon our current Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough, maybe picking it back up some day (doubt), and return to the Borderlands series. I wouldn’t say we’ve played any of the games a lot, but we’ve definitely put a few playthroughs into every game except Borderlands 4. We have beaten all of its main content, and as part of this marathon of sorts, we’ll do another playthrough. But experience is the best teacher, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t hope to see what secret sauce Borderlands 2 had that the others lack.

I was convinced it couldn’t just be Handsome Jack; there had to be something more. We played through Borderlands, of course, and I was Roland and she was Brick. In 2025, I can promise that Borderlands 1 feels like a 2009 game; it has not aged all that well, though I’ve definitely played games that’ve aged worse. We played through all the DLC, and even though it hasn’t been that long since I’ve played it all, I was surprised by how new it all felt. Other than T.K., the Destroyer boss battle, and Ned/Zed’s heel turn in the best Borderlands 1 DLC, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, nothing felt all that familar.

On the other hand, Borderlands 2 feels like a comfy, cozy, home game—a perfect choice for the holidays. At every turn, my wife and I found ourselves walking through a hall of memories. The beginning with Claptrap where he loses his eye to a Bullymong. Classic. Jack’s comments on Butt Stallion? Yes. Finding Lilith, Mordecai, Roland, and Brick? That’s a great integration of the past few Vault Hunters, with Brick’s role as the Slab King being a simple, but effective, stamp on the ole noggin. We even rushed to the side quest that’s simply shooting a guy in the face. Beyond that, every quest feels like a golden memory of the franchise:

• Bloodwing’s death? That still hurts, especially because Mordecai was my first Borderlands Vault Hunter.
• The threat of the Warrior? As memorable as the destroyer, if not more so.
• Angel’s real role in the franchise? It’s one of those moments that really changes how you perceive the game on later playthroughs, even if (or especially because) it was obvious in hindsight.
• The DLC Vault Hunters, Krieg and Gaige, are iconic and exactly why fans have always wanted DLC Vault Hunters in other Borderlands games.
• The plot twist with Angel and Lilith, like why Angel did not want Lilith in her chambers, still hits.
• Roland’s death? Oh, it still hurts.
• Claptrap’s commentary on Stairs: Gold.
• Jack’s defeat and the map of all the Vaults? A solid ending.
• Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep? Using Dungeons and Dragons to process grief? Inspired.

Borderlands 2 is the Exception Because of Its Memorable Moments

I think saying a good/fantastic story needs memorable moments to be effective is a bit reductive and trite, but a good story does have memorable moments. Replaying Borderlands 2 showed me how its story and its moments have stayed with me for years after. Borderlands 1 felt so foreign, and try as I might, I cannot remember anything especially memorable from Borderlands 3 or Borderlands 4. Handsome Jack plays a role in elevating these moments, but he’s part, not the whole, where the overall framing and story make it a cut above the rest. So much of what happened in Borderlands 2 still defines the franchise; Assault on Dragon Keep is why Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands exists, partially, and why fans still hope for a Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2.

Logically speaking, gameplay should be the main factor of a looter shooter game. There, Borderlands games stand strong against their rivals, but against Borderlands 2, they will always lose because the story has taken more of a backseat to the gameplay. Borderlands 2‘s story elevates the world and the gameplay, leaving so many scrumptious crumbs and life-long memories that defined the franchise in so many lackluster ways. The Calypso Twins and The Timekeeper could never compare to Handsome Jack, but the story still could have elevated the games more. Instead, they suffered.

Borderlands 4 is even worse for it because the few iconic characters that do return, even Lilith, feel so muted. Claptrap goes from an annoying, important figure in the franchise to a complete bit, with a Borderlands 4 setting to mute Claptrap being symbolic of how BL4′s treats the franchise’s characters. The gameplay may always be fun, but the world needs another shot of storytelling. It may never replace Borderlands 2, but it doesn’t even feel like Borderlands 3 or Borderlands 4 try because they leave no lasting memories.

Released

September 18, 2012

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol