New Game Preview
New Game Preview
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Get a sneak peek at the most anticipated games of the year. From action-packed adventures to mind-bending puzzles, we've got something for everyone. Stay ahead of the game with our exclusive previews!
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School Preview: An Entire World of Puzzles & Mystery
Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School Preview: An Entire World of Puzzles & MysteryEscape Academy 2: Back to School brings puzzles to the campus in a whole new way, with a brand-new open world and more.
Previews – CGMagazineJul 5
SPINE Turns Every Fight Into a Balletic Gun-Fu Thrill Ride
SPINE Turns Every Fight Into a Balletic Gun-Fu Thrill RideSPINE may be early in development, but its explosive blend of gun-fu combat, cyberpunk rebellion, and cinematic flair already feels like the John Wick game fans have been waiting for.
Previews – CGMagazineJul 4
Who Is Borderlands 4's Villain, The Timekeeper?
Who Is Borderlands 4's Villain, The Timekeeper?<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/09/1e950a1e/bl4_-_the_game_awards.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC Publisher: 2K Games Developer: Gearbox Software Release: September 12, 2025 ( PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC ), 2025 ( Switch 2 ) <p>Following the events of Borderlands 3, Pandora's moon, Elpis, smashed into a previously veiled planet called Kairos. There, the population exists under the oppressive rule of a dictator known as the Timekeeper, who assumes the role of the primary antagonist in Borderlands 4. During my time at Gearbox's Frisco, Texas headquarters for our <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/borderlands4">Borderlands 4 cover story</a>, my time interacting with the Timekeeper was extremely limited, only hearing his voice from time to time, but his menacing demeanor and obsession with preserving order at all costs led me to seek more information from several members of the Borderlands 4 development team.</p><p>Since the release of Borderlands 2 in 2012, Handsome Jack has been the high-water mark for villains in the Borderlands franchise. In the eyes of many, the franchise has struggled to find a villain as charismatic and hateable as Jack. Nobody – players nor developers – wants to have a cheap imitation of Handsome Jack as the protagonist in a Borderlands game, so the team took a different approach with the likes of the Calypso Twins in Borderlands 3.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/17/9ea832fb/bl4_gi_mountains.jpg" alt="Borderlands 4" title="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> When Elpis crashed into Kairos, it shattered the order the Timekeeper craves and set the events of Borderlands 4 in motion <p>"We're very proud of all the stories and all of the antagonists that we've had before," senior project producer Anthony Nicholson says. "We try to improve and diversify the way that they are, so when we go maniacal crazy, maybe we don't do that for the next one, because there are a lot of stories that we can tell."</p><p>However, while Borderlands 3 featured twin cult leaders bent on the destruction of Pandora, Borderlands 4 seems to be revisiting the dictator antagonist concept with the Timekeeper, a man who has been on Kairos, the new planet on which Borderlands 4 takes place, for thousands of years. The team at Gearbox arrived at the Timekeeper as the main antagonist very early in the development of Borderlands 4, as they wanted to explore themes surrounding a character like him.&nbsp;</p><p>Playing with themes of order and chaos as opposing ideas, and discovering what happens if you go too far in one direction or the other, served as a guiding principle for the team as they began work on Borderlands 4. "We knew very early on that we wanted this to be a story about order and chaos and the spots in between where the players would operate," narrative director Sam Winkler says. "It started as sort of a logical endpoint of, 'When you take order too far, what kind of person does that create? What kind of person has to thrive in that space? And then, how does that person react when the system starts to collapse and the chaos starts to be injected?' And a lot of the railroad tracks just kind of fell into place at that point in terms of the dialogue."</p><p>Building off that initial idea, the narrative team got to work on a villain that could exemplify one of those extreme edge cases. The result was a dictator who craved control and order so much that he would stop at nothing to preserve it. "If you take either of them to their extreme, it can get weird and dark," Gearbox president and co-founder Randy Pitchford says. "If you take the organized, professional, mature side of things... the buttoned-up side of things, and take that to its extreme, you end up with this kind of rigid, almost totalitarian, kind of fascist, like, 'This is the way,' measured to the micron. Everything's precise, and there's no room for creativity or deviation. You take the other side to the extreme, and it's anarchy and chaos, and a lot of bad s--- happens because we're not looking after things. That's an interesting spectrum."</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/17/1bf43f9c/bl4_gi_dominion.jpg" alt="Borderlands 4" title="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> The Timekeeper's stronghold city, Dominion <p>In his efforts to preserve his perfect vision of order, the Timekeeper cloaked the planet to prevent the outside universe from finding them and installed Command Bolts to control the population. &nbsp;"His demeanor is very calm," Nicholson says. "He likes things very neat, he likes things very orderly. He's unrattled. You won't get him flying off the handle because he's very confident in why he's doing what he's doing. As Vault Hunters, we need to discover what that is and, ultimately, push back against it because we can see the chaos that this order is bringing in every region on the planet."</p><p>The narrative team worked to ensure the Timekeeper's mission had a degree of believability and understanding for why he would want the goal he's hoping to achieve. Still, at the end of the day, players should easily conclude that his approach is far too extreme. "He's a control freak," Winkler says. "He is literally and metaphorically getting his hands dirty in the world of Kairos in a way that has made everyone unsettled and is preventing them all from having peace. And I think he knows it. He knows that he has this effect. He signs off a lot of conversations with 'I'll be watching,' and people around the world are looking over their shoulder. I wanted this character to be someone who knows the effect that he has on people. But he's also, at the same time, a bit victim to his own system. The bounds on him are very rigid, because he wants it that way; he wants everything to be rigid. And as we start chipping away at those boundaries, I really liked showing off how he responds to that and how it becomes a very personal thing for him."</p><p>Though he's clearly unhinged in his approach to achieving order, he's far from the kind of over-the-top personality that past villains in the series have presented. During my hands-on experience, I had the opportunity to hear him a few times, and he remained true to how Nicholson describes him: cool, calm, and calculated. "Borderlands has definitely become known for the character that calls you up and tells you you're an assh---, and we wanted to try a character that was a little bit more reactive and a little bit more ominous," Winkler says. "He's very present, but a lot of his presence is soft touch. And he reaches out and screws with you very directly. We wanted to make sure that he wasn't just talking the talk, he was walking the walk, so the player is frustrated at this guy and wants to kick his ass."</p><p>And though Handsome Jack evoked similar feelings, he did so in a completely different manner. "We really wanted to have someone really be a bad guy and embrace the vibe of a bad guy in a different way," creative director Graeme Timmins says. "Whereas Handsome Jack was a bit of a smartass and he had a sense of humor, we wanted to approach this guy with a little more like, 'No, he's just a badass.' He's really about control. He doesn't have that kind of warm personality that you could kind of buddy up to. He's just a bad guy. And it feels good to kill bad guys, so that was a big deal. So, we just wanted to make sure it was like, right to the point, this is a bad guy. When you start the game, you'll see why he's a bad guy, and you'll be on the ride for the rest of the game."</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/61e2f5b0/timekeeper.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" alt class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Though the Timekeeper has kept his thumb on Kairos and its inhabitants for an extended stretch, the illusion started to fade following the events of Borderlands 3 when Lilith teleported Pandora's moon, Elpis, into the space occupied by Kairos while the Timekeeper cloaked it. This resulted in the cloak being destroyed and Psycho masks raining down, giving birth to a new faction of Kairos denizens who ripped out their Command Bolts to regain their free will at the cost of mutilating their bodies and minds.</p><p>Though the Timekeeper has clearly lost any kind of moral standing with the people of Kairos, we'll learn more about his backstory through gameplay. "We are entering in media res for the Timekeeper's story," managing director of narrative Lin Joyce says. "He's been around in this position, so thinking about, 'Who is he right now for the player?' but also for us, 'How did he get there? What was his journey up to that point? Why is he this way? Why does he hold onto order so tightly?' Then, only in answering those questions are we able to challenge and help crack this perfect façade that he's built. But that's all spoilers, so I'm not going to tell you!"</p><p>I didn't have too many interactions with the Timekeeper, but I did take on one of his followers, whom Winkler calls the Timekeeper's "number-one fanboy" in Idolator Sol. That battle was prolonged and frantic, and it set a high bar for the escalation that is sure to occur with the Timekeeper's other followers and, eventually, the Timekeeper himself. I am already looking forward to smashing through the Timekeeper's order and injecting more than a little chaos when Borderlands 4 arrives on September 12.&nbsp;</p>
Game Informer PreviewsJul 4
Out of Words Is About What We Can’t Say—and How We Connect Anyway
Out of Words Is About What We Can’t Say—and How We Connect AnywayOut of Words is a beautiful stop-motion journey about love, vulnerability, and learning to connect when language fails.
Previews – CGMagazineJul 1
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview – Ape Escapade
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview – Ape EscapadeMy banana is ready The post Donkey Kong Bananza Preview – Ape Escapade appeared first on WellPlayed .
Preview – WellPlayedJul 1
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview: Smashing in every direction
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview: Smashing in every directionMuch like Super Mario Odyssey transformed Mario games, Donkey Kong Bananza opens up our hero to a whole new world. Here's Matt's Donkey Kong Bananza preview. The post Donkey Kong Bananza Preview: Smashing in every direction appeared first on Stevivor .
Previews | StevivorJul 1
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview - Our Impressions After Two Hours Of Gameplay
Donkey Kong Bananza Preview - Our Impressions After Two Hours Of Gameplay<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/26/e8c3362c/ns2_donkeykongbananza_scrn_25.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> Platform: Switch 2 Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Release: <time datetime="2025-07-17T12:00:00Z" class="datetime">July 17, 2025</time> Rating: Everyone 10+ <p>I already <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2025/04/03/tearing-down-walls" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="92715d04-480f-41df-aec2-430bcbefadef" data-entity-substitution="canonical">got my hands on Donkey Kong Bananza</a> in New York back on the same day it was announced. Though I came away impressed by the level of destruction and exploration packed into the various areas, the short amount of time I played at the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event was not nearly enough to fully understand why I should be excited about this game outside of it being the first 3D Donkey Kong platformer in more than a quarter-century. Last week, I was given the opportunity to return to New York to play Donkey Kong Bananza. However, this time, I was given two full hours of hands-on time, and as a result, I emerged extremely excited to go bananas with DK later this month.</p><p>Like my April session, my hands-on time with Donkey Kong Bananza began in the Ingot Isles Mines, which serves as a tutorial location. Here, I relearn to smash terrain in all directions, slap the ground to pick up loot and locate secrets, and collect Banandium Gems and gold wherever I can find it. It also reminded me of the impressive level of destruction at play in Donkey Kong Bananza; I loved punching through every kind of terrain to forge new paths and unearth various collectibles. Plus, it's just so super satisfying to smash through walls with DK's fists. Though I'm afforded some exploration in the mines, I'm eager to see areas I haven't seen before, so I run towards the giant Banandium Gem at the end of the area and kickstart the main story.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/a38d1f03/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_05.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Following that reintroduction to Bananza in the Ingot Isles Mines, my time with the game took me to three main areas: the Lagoon Layer, the Canyon Layer, and the Forest Layer. Lagoon Layer was comprised of SL100 and SL101 (numbers seemingly indicating the areas' progression within the game). It featured several pillars that I needed to destroy in order to unplug the water. With each destroyed pillar, the water level rose, opening access to new areas. This felt similar to Wet-Dry World in Super Mario 64, except it seems like the water only rises as you destroy more pillars.&nbsp;</p><p>While there, I also unlocked the first of DK's transformations: the Kong Bananza. This powered up his punching so he could not only destroy enemies and objects that normal Donkey Kong couldn't without the aid of harder terrain, but also destroy other objects with ease. Not only that, but each Bananza transformation has its own vocal track from Pauline. Bananza transformations only last a short amount of time, but they are incredibly powerful. &nbsp;This was particularly true as I moved on to the next area of my demo.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/23e3a84f/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_04.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Following an extended period in the Lagoon Layer, I explored the Canyon Layer (SL300), which allowed me to experiment with different terrain and offered a bit more vertical and underground exploration. It was here that the destruction really started to sing as I dug deep into the canyon in search of collectibles. Aided by the Kong Bananza's powerful punch, I started racking up Banadium Gems from across the map. As you hit certain milestones in your Banandium collection, you earn skill points, which can be used for upgrades to DK's health, punching power, and collection radius; they can also grant new abilities to Donkey Kong, like a skill where he can use terrain he ripped from the ground to surf across water or the ability to slam a chunk he's carrying into the ground after jumping. You can opt to use skill points to upgrade your Bananza transformations (more on that later).&nbsp;</p><p>My time in the Canyon Layer culminated in a boss battle against Grumpy Kong. This employee of the dastardly corporation VoidCo creates a multi-terrain golem with a giant club made of rock, which he violently swings. After absorbing a few hits, I scurried to grab some apples to restore DK's health. I was tempted to use the Kong Bananza, but I wanted to do this as standard DK. I punch through a layer of softer terrain before realizing I could rip rocks out of the golem's body and use them as a way to break the harder material making up the body of the monster. In a "eureka!" moment, I decided to rip chunks out of Grumpy Kong's club, which, after a few rounds, reduced it to a near-harmless nub. After eating away much of its armor, its vulnerability point was exposed on the top of its head, and DK was free to beat Grumpy Kong into submission and defeat the boss.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/6a2b4f1f/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_13.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>After moving to the final area of my session, the Forest Layer (SL-600), I realized that the easy exploration I experienced in the previous layers would not last. Poisonous lakes, thorny plants, and more aggressive enemies littered the Forest Layer, making for plenty of challenge. Thankfully, in this final session, I could utilize the Ostrich Bananza, which allows DK to transform into a bird-like hybrid and glide for a limited time. I was surprised by how short his flight is, but you can upgrade that using skill points. During this section of my demo, I used a skill point to unlock a move where DK can drop egg bombs while in his Ostrich Bananza form.&nbsp;</p><p>During my hands-on time, I completed various Challenge Courses and Battle Courses, two types of sectioned-off rooms you discover throughout the explorable areas of Donkey Kong Bananza. These curated challenges offered puzzles, platforming obstacle courses, timed combat scenarios, and even barrel-blasting exploration. Whether I was precariously navigating around thorny vines, avoiding moving walls while hanging from a grate and climbing, or defeating a group of enemies before time expired, I eagerly looked forward to each new challenge room. And since they offer optional Banandium Gems for completing optional tasks or finding hidden areas, it seems like you'll have plenty of reason to spend extra time or replay these fun rooms.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/9d419d65/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_14.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>I was perhaps most eager to play through a 2D sequence as shown in the <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/2025/06/18/everything-we-learned-during-todays-donkey-kong-bananza-direct">Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct</a> a couple of weeks ago. These are mixed in with the Challenge Courses, and the one I stumbled upon threw a labyrinthine barrel course at me. This felt like a superb throwback to the Donkey Kong Country stages we all remember, but DK retains his complete moveset, including Bananza transformations. My primary concern with these stages – that, like other 3D platformers that incorporate 2D sequences, the physics wouldn't feel quite right in 2D – was soothed when I had the chance to run and jump from this perspective. I'm happy to report that it felt terrific in 2D, even given the limited time I had and despite the platforming I was doing not being particularly challenging.</p><p>The only negative I can really say from my hands-on session is that the framerate really struggled to keep up with the action unfolding on screen on a fairly regular basis. While it's nowhere near as bad as some other games we've seen on the original Nintendo Switch, it's slightly concerning that the second major first-party title for the company's new, more powerful hardware can't consistently perform well. However, it is entirely possible that the build I played isn't fully optimized the way the launch version will be.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/27/d37d051b/switch2_dkb_media-broll_scrn_10.jpg" alt="Donkey Kong Bananza" title="Donkey Kong Bananza" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>Before concluding my gameplay session, I participated in a brief co-op play session. The second player controls Pauline's vocal blasts, which can emulate different terrain, smash through walls, and even defeat enemies. You can control Pauline's crosshairs using the mouse mode of the Joy-Con 2, motion controls, or traditional gamepad controls. It's a more active co-op experience than either Super Mario Galaxy or Super Mario Odyssey. However, it still feels more like a fun way to incorporate a less-experienced player into the fun rather than a destination mode.</p><p>Midway through my demo, I felt a strong sense of excitement overtake my mind. I was still focusing on the gameplay, but I was more looking forward to the long nights I will inevitably spend exploring the many layers and biomes with Donkey Kong and Pauline when Donkey Kong Bananza arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17.</p>
Game Informer PreviewsJul 1
We Played Two Hours Of Donkey Kong Bananza | New Gameplay Today
We Played Two Hours Of Donkey Kong Bananza | New Gameplay Today<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2025/06/30/6221f70d/donkey_kong_bananza_new_gameplay_today.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-thumbnail" /></p> <p>The Switch 2 launched with the very strong <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/review/mario-kart-world/roam-if-you-want-to">Mario Kart World</a> – a game we will undoubtedly be playing for years – but arguably the big launch window game that we're more excited for is Donkey Kong Bananza. Unlike Mario Kart, a franchise we reasonably know what to expect from, Donkey Kong Bananza is something entirely new. It's not Donkey Kong's first 3D platformer, but it is the first one that Nintendo has made (Donkey Kong 64 was developed by Rare).</p><p>Brian Shea played the game for a few minutes at a pre-release Switch 2 hands-on event, but more recently, he was able to spend two hours with the game, playing through some of its early areas. You won't see Brian's gameplay below, but you will see the sections he played and hear us talk about it.</p><p>To read Brian's impressions, <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2025/07/01/our-impressions-after-two-hours-of-gameplay">head here</a>.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" frameBorder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6vIDbh6D414" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay" allowfullscreen="true">&nbsp;</iframe><p>Donkey Kong Bananza is coming to Switch 2 on July 17. To see all the games coming to Switch 2 in 2025, <a href="https://gameinformer.com/2025/05/29/2025-nintendo-switch-2-game-release-schedule">head here</a>.</p>
Game Informer PreviewsJul 1
The Seamless Open World Of Borderlands 4
The Seamless Open World Of Borderlands 4<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/17/db8aaeb0/bl_gi_vehicles.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default" /></p> Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PC Publisher: 2K Games Developer: Gearbox Software Release: September 12, 2025 ( PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC ), 2025 ( Switch 2 ) <p>The Borderlands franchise has always given players wide-open areas to traverse and explore, but with Borderlands 4, Gearbox is taking it to the next level. The latest game from the looter-shooter pioneers at Gearbox introduces a seamless, open world full of missions, NPCs, encounters, and side activities to take part in. Though Gearbox explained the difference between its past approach to crafting its worlds and what it accomplished in Borderlands 4, I didn't truly understand the scope of just how different it is from the franchise's past explorable worlds until I spent hours exploring the world this team built.</p><p>The world of Kairos, the new planet debuting in Borderlands 4, is much more open and explorable than Pandora. My journey started in the Fadefields, which offered a ton of side activities and main missions scattered throughout, and when the time came to move to my next zone, Carcadia Burn, I did so with no loading times. Not only that, but the transition from the Fadefields' lush greenery to the wasteland setting of Carcadia Burn felt natural. Slowly, the blades of grass gave way to grains of sand as I rode my Digirunner into the sand-blasted wasteland that took the brunt of the damage when Lilith teleported Pandora's moon, Elpis, into Kairos at the end of Borderlands 3. Though in the moment, it all felt natural as I played, upon reflection, I was shocked at how few loading screens I encountered during my several hours playing Borderlands – even as I was entering completely new areas.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/09/15eb82a3/borderlands_4_screenshot_-_vehicles.jpg" alt="Borderlands 4" title="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>According to senior project producer Anthony Nicholson, the team never set out to make an open-world game, but once it established the seamless nature and began filling it with various side activities, the form of Borderlands 4's world took shape. Still, despite how many core tenets of open-world games the world shares, the team seems to prefer the term "Seamless World." The term comes from the core philosophy of giving players as few reasons to stop playing as possible. "It's really in service of helping the players be able to be in the game as long as possible and feel that immersion," Nicholson says.&nbsp;</p><p>In talking with the Gearbox teams, Borderlands 4's world feels like the realization of the direction the team has wanted to go for a while. But to do it right, it needed to harness new technology.&nbsp;</p><p>"Coming right off the launch of Borderlands 3 and going into the DLC, it was pretty clear where we wanted to continue some of the work that we wanted to hit that we couldn't hit on the prior generation," Nicholson says. "Now, we run in Unreal [Engine] 5, so that gave us other advantages to be able to do things and kind of went into being able to make a seamless world and things of that nature."</p><p>The openness of Borderlands 4 is enticing for players, but proved challenging as Gearbox began adapting to this new approach when combined with the massive additions to on-foot traversal like grappling and gliding. "We've always made big levels at Gearbox, but we usually do these hub-and-spoke kinds of things and always transition from a large level to a linear level," world building director Jason Reiss says. "I feel like we've flipped that formula where we have large levels that sometimes go into a linear level, but I think we're building a lot more 360 combat areas where players can enter into spaces from any direction, including from the air – and we have to account for that now with all these crazy movement abilities. It's been all about, 'Let's create a large, dynamic, awesome place where players can feel like badasses.'"</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/17/9e643546/bl4_gi_firstperson.jpg" alt="Borderlands 4" title="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>The more open areas also caused hurdles for the combat and encounters team since they could no longer hide enemies without removing the immersion. "It definitely created a lot of challenges for enemy building since our line of sight is significantly larger than it's ever been before, and we have to deal with higher enemy counts than we've ever done before," lead game designer Josh Jeffcoat says. "But enemies have to be alive and doing things from so far away, where they need to look like they're naturally a part of their environment whenever you're looking at them through your scope from a mile away."</p><p>The game drops you into the Fadefields, a lush, beautiful, green area full of grass and vegetation, completely different from the starting areas we've come to expect at the start of a Borderlands game. "A lot of time has been spent making the environments as diverse as possible," art director Adam May says. "You start off in the Fadefields, which is extremely saturated and bright and vibrant, but that's specifically so that as you travel out into the world, you get to dive deeper into the darker and more desolate and post-apocalyptic vibes that you'd expect out of the Borderlands universe. We want to start at a real high, beautiful note so that you can really feel the difference as you travel through the rest of the world."&nbsp;</p><p>Though there are always main missions to pursue as the Vault Hunters fight for their lives and work to help the various denizens of Kairos existing under the thumb of the oppressive Timekeeper, the side activities truly feel worthwhile as you make your way through the multiple zones of the planet. Whether you're in Fadefields or Carcadia Burn, or even exploring the Timekeeper's stronghold city of Dominion, you will have a ton of different side missions and world diversions to tackle.</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/17/f1e8a1ee/bl_gi_combat.jpg" alt="Borderlands 4" title="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>"For us, it's about really being immersive in what it is that you're playing and what you're going about doing through the narrative or the missions themselves," Nicholson says. "But then we also have Crawlers and Silos and different activities. Whenever you drive up to them, there's a seamless mission objective that happens, so you could be exploring, and then it just happens, and you don't have to go into your menu, find the mission, or find the mission giver like you would on the main mission."</p><p>Those side missions are impactful and enticing as you work your way through the world; I constantly found myself veering off to complete side quests and complete in-world activities that present themselves as you move toward your destination. The side missions range from story-based, like one I completed involving helping Claptrap recover mementos of his good times with other characters, to recurring world activities that appear from zone to zone.&nbsp;</p><p>"I think I enjoy the side stuff the most because it's so varied," lead level designer David Ruiz says. "I know I can follow the mainline and I can get a good story that's meaningful, but I know I can dip into the side and have a little bit of zaniness, a little bit of fun, and in some cases, there's actually one in one of the regions where, as a player, I deal with gaining something and then I lose something, and I feel like I'm losing it forever. At some point towards the end of that mission, I get it back. I was way more excited after that moment, just having that peak and valley and going back up. Having those opportunities, I think, is great for the player to just go through those emotional rollercoasters, whether it's serious or fun."</p> <img loading="lazy" src="https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2025/06/17/82175c84/bl_gi_shatteredlands.jpg" alt="Borderlands 4" title="Borderlands 4" typeof="foaf:Image" class="image-style-body-default"> <p>These side activities almost always offer loot of some kind – this is Borderlands, after all – but you'll find a diversity of rewards and experiences as you complete different recurring missions. Crawlers are pseudo-puzzles where you need to figure out a way to get a battery up to a slot to unlock various rewards – in the one I completed, I unlocked a cosmetic skin for my Digirunner. Silos task you with figuring out how to reach the terminal, which releases a balloon that launches you into the air for you to glide far distances, and helps you find Vaults. You can clear Safehouses to unlock fast travel and bounty boards, while Rift Champions are difficult enemy variants that spawn in the quarantined spheres in the world and drop massive amounts of loot. That’s not even including Drill Sites, Auger Mines, Survivalist Caches, Propaganda Towers, and various collectibles scattered throughout Kairos.</p><p>Though it takes a longer time than I had with Borderlands 4 to truly get an idea of the quality of a massive world like this, I can tell it's designed in such a way that will sink its hooks in. The game constantly encouraged me to investigate each and every corner, and with fewer loading screens and breaks in the action than ever, Gearbox's goal of giving the player fewer reasons to stop playing feels well on its way to being accomplished. After leaving Gearbox's headquarters, I'm already budgeting extra time to spend in Kairos when Borderlands 4 arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on September 12. It will come to Switch 2 at a later date.</p>
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