Borderlands 4 - State of Play Deep Dive: gameplay, loot, characters and more

Gearbox has just wrapped up the Borderlands 4 reveal with PlayStation in a recent State of Play live stream that showcased many new aspects of the upcoming game, such as the game's new loot, movement, new characters, mechanics, and story teasers.

The 20-minute presentation began with a short gameplay teaser trailer that reveals players will be able to take advantage of new movement mechanics, such as gliding to traverse long distances. Gearbox says players will also be able to dash, double jump, climb, and point grapple, all of which have been designed to increase the amount of fun players will have in combat, and also speed up the time it takes to move around the world.

Another addition to Borderlands 4 that makes moving around the world easier is Silos, which when grappled take players up to extreme heights and let them glide down. Two new vault hunters are available: Rafa, an exosuit soldier, and a siren called Vex, who can summon a phantom called Trouble to assist in combat through various customizable elemental attacks.

Gearbox has overhauled weapons in Borderlands 4, with players now able to completely customize each weapon with multiple attachments and parts from different manufacturers. Players are now able to create a weapon that perfectly fits their playstyle.

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As for loot, Gearbox has overhauled the loot system in Borderlands 4 by changing the drop rates for items, and more importantly, the number of times players will encounter a legendary item. According to Gearbox, finding a legendary gun in Borderlands 4 will "truly be a special event". As for character customization, Gearbox has equipped a vault hunter with three "action skills" and a passive ability. Players are able to swap between each action skill, with the ability to improve each skill through the skill tree.

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Players will be able to easily re-spec their character abilities through various locations around the world, making customization that much more accessible. Gearbox only briefly touched on the game's story, purposely leaving out key elements, as this showcase was for what has changed gameplay-wise. Gearbox wrapped up the State of Play showcase with a teaser on bosses, which the developers say are bigger and badder than ever, putting each of the weapons and player abilities to the test when they are encountered.

Borderlands 4 will be released on September 12, with Gearbox being so confident in the development of the game, they recently announced the release date was moving forward to September 12 from September 23.