10 Things You Didn’t Know about Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 will presumably be the next release for the Borderlands series from Gearbox Software. It is known to exist in some sense, but an official announcement for its upcoming release hasn’t been made at this point in time. However, that hasn’t stopped the rumors from popping up. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Borderlands 3:
1. Not the Third Game
Technically, Borderlands 3 isn’t the third game in the Borderlands series. For instance, there was Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel that was released in 2014, which served as a prequel to the Borderlands series but was nonetheless a full-fledged game in its own right. If one counts spin-offs, there are even more Borderlands games that need to be mentioned.
2. First-Person Shooter
Presumably, Borderlands 3 will be a first-person shooter. It is possible that it will see extensive changes in this regard, but unless Gearbox Software is willing to take a huge chance for uncertain benefits, that seems rather improbable because being a first-person shooter is a core element of the Borderlands 3 series.
3. Action RPG Elements
Likewise, it seems safe to say that Borderlands 3 will have action RPG elements in much the same manner as its predecessors. It would be very surprising if players won’t be able to use either skill points or something similar to make their player characters more capable in some ways than others.
4. Space Western
The Borderlands series is an excellent example of a space western series. In short, space western stories are science fiction stories that make extensive use of themes as well as setting elements from westerns. For example, the frontier lawlessness of Pandora mixed with the brutal rule of megacorporations is very much something that one would expect to see in a space western.
5. Science Fantasy
Speaking of which, a good argument can be made that the Borderlands series is science fantasy rather than some other sub-genre of speculative fiction. There has always been considerable overlap between science fiction and fantasy, but what distinguishes science fantasy is that its settings incorporate elements that are impossible under the scientific laws of the real world but nonetheless use scientific trappings to explain them.
6. Distinctive Sense of Humor
The Borderlands series has a reputation for having a very distinctive sense of humor, so it would be surprising to see that change for Borderlands 3. For those who are unfamiliar with Borderlands humor, suffice to say that the series antagonist taunts the player by talking at length about buying a living pony made out of diamonds that he has named Butt Stallion.
7. Handsome Jack Probably Won’t Be Coming Back
Speaking of antagonists, Handsome Jack probably won’t be coming back, but if Gearbox Software wanted to, it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to handwave something in. Technically, the player characters killed Jack in Borderlands 2. However, much of the plot of Tales from the Borderlands involved Jack’s potential return via AI shenanigans. Granted, he was foiled there, but if Gearbox Software isn’t concerned about repetitiveness, it is a plot element that could make a reappearance. No matter how likely it is.
8. Series Favorites Are Bound to Return
With that said, other series favorites such as Claptrap, Mad Moxxi, and Sir Alistair Hammerlock are likely to make a return in some way. For a shooter series, Borderlands gets a lot of its entertainment value out of its colorful cast.
9. New Player Characters Are Likely
However, it seems probable that Borderlands 3 will have a new cast of playable characters like each one of its predecessors. Certainly, it is probable that they will resemble their predecessors in certain respects, but there are bound to be plenty of mechanical changes on top of the new characters with new stories.
10. Be Wary of Rumors
Rumors have been coming out for Borderlands 3. However, interested individuals should maintain a healthy sense of skepticism towards them because of the purported information has been confirmed at this point in time. Moreover, they probably won’t be confirmed for some time to come because there is no indication when an official announcement will be made for the game. Never mind its eventual release. The rumors suggest next E3, but the rumors have already been proven to be wrong about an announcement at The Game Awards.