Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition

Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition is an action-packed first-person shooter and loot-based RPG developed by Gearbox Software. Set in a vibrant, chaotic galaxy, players take on the role of one of four unique Vault Hunters to battle the fanatical Calypso Twins and their cult. The game features an expansive arsenal of weapons, deep character customization, and both single-player and multiplayer modes, offering endless loot and thrilling combat.

Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition: Review

Introduction

The Borderlands series, a cornerstone of the looter-shooter genre, has long captivated players with its irreverent humor, cel-shaded artistry, and addictive gunplay. Since its 2009 debut, the franchise has evolved from a cult favorite to a juggernaut, defining a subgenre through its blend of first-person action, RPG progression, and billion-procedurally-generated-gun promises. Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition encapsulates this legacy while expanding its galactic scope. This compilation bundles the base game with the first season pass, offering a treasure trove of content that both honors and challenges the series’ conventions. This review examines Borderlands 3 as a culmination of Gearbox’s vision, dissecting its narrative, mechanics, and cultural impact to determine whether it stands as a fitting capstone or a flawed evolution for the Vault Hunter saga.

Development History & Context

Gearbox Software approached Borderlands 3 with a dual-studio effort, leveraging their Texas and Quebec locations. The Texas team, fresh from the burnout of consecutive Borderlands releases, first shifted focus to Battleborn (2016) as a creative reset. Though Battleborn underperformed, its development yielded valuable insights—refined movement systems, expanded skill trees, and a heightened focus on environmental interactivity—that were retrofitted into Borderlands 3. The Quebec studio, tasked with the primary development, notably committed to a crunch-free production, a rarity in AAA development.

Technologically, the game marked a significant leap as the first entry built on Unreal Engine 4, enabling superior dynamic lighting, real-time shadows, and a revamped outline engine that enhanced character detail. This facilitated richer environmental storytelling, such as the intricate Eridian ruins on Promethea. The gaming landscape of 2019 was dominated by live-service models and cross-platform demand, but Borderlands 3 initially omitted cross-play—adding it later via updates. Its PC launch as an Epic Games Store exclusive (March 2020) caused widespread controversy; internal documents revealed a $146 million deal, provoking Steam review-bombing that Valve actively suppressed. These decisions reflected industry trends but also player friction.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot and Characters
Set seven years after Borderlands 2, the narrative follows four new Vault Hunters—Amara (Siren), Moze (Gunner), Zane (Operative), and FL4K (Beastmaster)—recruited by Lilith to stop the Calypso Twins, Tyreen and Troy. The twins, conjoined Sirens with a parasitic power dynamic, lead the Children of Vault (COV) cult, seeking galactic Vaults to absorb their guardians’ power. Their quest culminates on Pandora, where the moon Elpis is revealed as the “Great Vault” key, imprisoning the interdimensional Destroyer. The story intertwines with lore from previous entries: Typhon DeLeon, the first Vault Hunter, is the twins’ estranged father, and Patricia Tannis secretly inherits Angel’s Siren powers after Angel’s death in Borderlands 2. The narrative concludes with Lilith’s sacrifice to seal the Destroyer, cementing her legacy as a martyr.

Themes and Writing
Central themes include the corrupting nature of power (Tyreen’s god complex) and the cyclical violence of corporate greed (Atlas, Maliwan, Jakobs). The series’ trademark humor persists—via characters like Tiny Tina (“Tina”) and Moxxi—but the tone shifts toward melancholy, culminating in Lilith’s death. Critics noted inconsistent writing: while side missions delivered sharp wit, the main plot was criticized for “teenage lunch table improv” (PC Gamer). The twins’ dynamic—Tyreen’s charisma masking Troy’s instability—added depth, though their motivations were occasionally overshadowed by spectacle. Maya’s death, a gut-punch for fans, emphasized the series’ willingness to subvert expectations.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loop and Class Design
Borderlands 3 refines the series’ mission-loot-shoot loop. The four Vault Hunters offer unprecedented versatility:
– Amara (Siren): Ethereal fists for crowd control.
– Moze (Gunner): Mecha “Iron Bear” for vehicular combat.
– Zane (Operative): Gadgets like deployable drones.
– FL4K (Beastmaster): Pet summons (Skags, Jabbers) for buffs.
Each class now supports three equippable Action Skills (e.g., Amara’s Phaseslam or Phasegrasp), allowing deeper build diversity. This replaces the single-skill cooldown system of older titles, fostering creativity.

Combat and Loot
New movement mechanics—crouch-sliding (inspired by Titanfall) and wall-mounting—add fluidity, while destructible cover (e.g., wooden barricades) enhances tactics. Radiation replaces slag as the elemental debuff; it deals damage over time and spreads via explosions but lacks slag’s direct damage boost. Manufacturers now define weapon quirks: Tediore guns explode when reloaded, Atlas bullets track enemies, and Hyperion weapons have reverse recoil. The Guardian Rank system replaces Badass Rank, offering persistent buffs across characters.

Loot and Multiplayer
The “one billion guns” boast holds true, with procedurally generated weapons featuring manufacturer-specific parts. Loot distribution introduces two co-op modes:
1. Cooperation: Per-player loot scaling, ideal for mixed-level parties.
2. Coopetition: Shared loot (series tradition).
Endgame content includes Mayhem Mode (scaling difficulty with modifiers), Circles of Slaughter (wave-based survival), and raids like Proving Grounds. The Super Deluxe Edition’s season pass adds story DLC (e.g., Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot) and cosmetic packs, extending playtime beyond the 35-hour main campaign.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Setting and Atmosphere
Expanding beyond Pandora, the game visits Promethea (neon-drenched corporate hub), Eden-6 (swampy Jakobs territory), and Nekrotafeyo (Eridian homeworld). Each planet boasts distinct biomes and factions—Maliwan’s sci-fi aesthetics, COV’s anarchistpunk vibe—creating a lived-in galaxy. Sanctuary III, a flying hub, facilitates fast travel and inventory management, while environmental storytelling (e.g., Eridian runes) deepens lore.

Art Direction
The cel-shaded art style evolves into higher fidelity, with exaggerated character designs and vibrant palettes. Cover art—featuring a Psycho in a “Sacred Heart” grenade pose—provoked debate but became iconic. Visuals strike a balance between cartoonish chaos and narrative gravitas, especially during Lilith’s sacrifice.

Sound Design
Jesper Kyd and Michael McCann’s score blends orchestral motifs with electronic beats, heightening action and melancholy moments. Voice acting is a mix of returning talent (Ashly Burch as Tiny Tina) and controversial recasts (Ray Chase as Rhys, Jim Foronda as Claptrap). Sound design excels in weapon variety—from Jakobs’ thunderous blasts to Maliwan’s electric crackles—while environmental audio (e.g., Elpis’s winds) immerses players. Ice-T’s AI teddy bear, Balex, adds unexpected levity.

Reception & Legacy

Critical and Commercial Response
Borderlands 3 launched with 5 million copies sold in five days, a series record. Reviews were “generally favorable” (Metacritic: PC 81, PS4 78, Xbox One 82), praising refined combat and loot variety. Critics highlighted the PS5 version’s “universal acclaim” (91) for its 60fps 4K performance. However, technical issues (PC performance hiccups, console framerate drops) and writing critiques (underdeveloped characters) were common. Sales surpassed 18 million by 2023, cementing it as the franchise’s most successful entry.

Awards and Influence
The game won Best Multiplayer at Gamescom 2019 and earned Webby Awards for art direction. Its legacy includes:
– Borderlands Science: A tile-matching mini-game (2020) that aided gut microbiome research, outperforming computational methods.
– Cross-play Implementation: Added in 2021, fostering a unified player base.
– Narrative Impact: Lilith’s sacrifice and Tannis’s Siren revelation set up Borderlands 4 (2025), while the Eridian lore expanded the universe.

Conclusion

Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition is a triumphant yet flawed culmination of Gearbox’s decade-long saga. It elevates core gameplay with smoother mechanics, deeper class builds, and a galactic scale that satisfies fans. The narrative, while uneven, pays off long-running character arcs—Lilith’s sacrifice in particular resonates as a defining moment. Technical hiccups and writing inconsistencies prevent perfection, but the sheer volume of content (base game + DLC) and addictive loot loop ensure enduring appeal. As a gateway to the franchise, it remains unparalleled; for veterans, it’s a bittersweet send-off to an era. In the annals of looter-shooters, Borderlands 3 stands not as a reinvention, but as a confident refinement—a testament to a series unafraid to embrace mayhem, heart, and the endless pursuit of better guns.

Final Verdict: A must-play for fans and newcomers alike, the Super Deluxe Edition delivers the definitive Borderlands 3 experience—chaotic, heartfelt, and endlessly rewarding.