ThoughBorderlandshas a beloved cast of characters, they usually only find their footing after they have been playable. For instance, in the originalBorderlands, Lilith, Roland, Mordecai, and Brick were essentially blank slates and were only differentiated by their abilities and character designs.Borderlands 2was slightly better, but the cast was still too quiet, with figures like Zer0 andGaige really hitting their stride inBorderlands 3.Borderlands 3, while a step in the right direction, can also be outdone by its successor when it comes to dialogue.
The biggest strength ofBorderlands 3was its Vault Hunters, as while the added quality of life features and the core gameplay were excellent, build variety and the dialogue included for the cast made them the best playable roster in the series. Hearing Moze or Amara respond when spoken to during a quest was enjoyable, and having so much dialogue for each character meant that replays of the game with a different Vault Hunter felt fresh. However, while each Vault Hunter had a distinct personality inBorderlands 3and felt more like their own person, their relationships with each other were lacking. To fix this, Gearbox should introduce conversations betweenBorderlands 4’s cast of Vault Hunters.
RELATED:Borderlands 4 Would Have More to Lose than Gain With Another Corrupt CEO Villain
The Benefits of Character Conversations in Borderlands 4
For a source of inspiration, Gearbox could look atTreyarch’s olderCall of DutyZombies modes, specificallyBlack Ops 3andBlack Ops 4. In these games, the four characters would regularly have conversations with each other. While some were humorous, many were more down-to-earth, with the cast commenting on the events of the previous map and pondering what will happen next. They would conflict over opposing world views, share their doubts about each other, and, over time, the dialogue would show them becoming allies or even friends. The lack of conversations inBlack Ops Cold War Zombieswas one of the biggest complaints fans had, and sinceBorderlandshas not yet had this feature, players may not know what they are missing out on.
Borderlandshas established some great dynamics between members of its cast, but these usually are not reflected properly through gameplay. Lilith and Roland’s romance or Brick and Mordecai’s brother-like bond are perfect examples of this, as nothing indicated that either was going to come about in the originalBorderlands. But, sure enough,Borderlands 2made these dynamics clear, and they had a huge impact on the narrative.Borderlands 2’s Krieg and Mayadynamic is another relationship that could have been great to see more of in-game, as many love them together and wanted more from the pairing. Dialogue between the two happening regularly could have provided that.
The best part about this approach is that there would be a lot of variety in dialogue. Not everyone playsBorderlandsin a full group of four, with some preferring to pair up with just one friend before taking on Pandora’s foes. These two-player dynamics could lead to some memorable one-on-one conversations, as had they been inBorderlands 3,FL4Kand Amara discussing his hunting while Moze and Zane could have debated over whether his clone or her mech is superior. Full groups of four could have lengthier conversations that encompass everyone, building camaraderie between the group.
Anyone that has played their share ofBorderlandswill know there are moments of silence when exploring a map or not doing any quests. These sections of the game would be a perfect place to add this kind of dialogue, as would quiet moments aboard Sanctuary 3. To verify everyone hears the dialogue even if they are far apart, the other Vault Hunters could call throughBorderlands 4’s ECHO devices.
Ultimately, making it seem like the next four Vault Hunters are starting to bond inBorderlands 4instead of waiting untilBorderlands 5to provide that development would be ideal. WhileBorderlands 3’s dialogue did a nice job of making each character feel distinct, and the responses during quests were immersive, the system can still be better. Whether they are discussing a serious moment in the story or cracking jokes about one another, letting theVault Hunterscommunicate in-game would be a welcome addition.
