Handsome Jack’s influence on Borderlands The privilege is undeniable. He’s topped many lists of best video game villains, and with good reason, as have other characters in the series Borderlands The franchise is still recovering from its crimes years after they occurred. While he was terrifying, his sense of humor was also unparalleled, as the presence of Boot Stallion can be attributed to a quick joke from the self-obsessed Hyperion Supreme. His story is also tragic, as he noted Borderlands: Pre-Sequel And Tales from the Borderlands, ensuring that it has plenty of depth. However, he won’t top Handsome Jack. Borderlands 4The basic villain challenge.
While it’s true that any villain that comes out of Gearbox will inevitably be compared to Handsome Jack – and likely criticized when they can’t reach those lofty heights – simply coming up with a new concept for an antagonist will be difficult. Often, Borderlands It relied on using its own arms companies as adversaries, and it did so again in Borderlands 4 It can lead to a recurring story that players feel they’ve seen over and over again. Unfortunately, the alternatives also come with downsides.
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Borderlands 4 is stuck between a rock and a hard place with its own villain
Not only was the lovable Handsome Jack closely associated with Hyperion, he made the company and its bulldozers ubiquitous Borderlands 2 And Borderlands 3Handsome Jackpot DLC, but this is also not the only time the Gunsmith will be an opponent. Players encountered rogue groups of the Dal Vee army Borderlands: Pre-Sequel and Commander Lilith DLC for Borderlands 2and just last year, New Tales from Borderlands He positioned Theodore as the main threat.
To be fair, it’s understandable why Gearbox has returned to this storytelling formula time and time again. Exactly as shown in Borderlands 3 With Maliwan, these weapon makers have their own armies and give players a variety of regular enemies to fight between boss encounters. In a game like Borderlands As attacking is such a big part of the gameplay, it’s crucial, so pitting Vault Hunters against a dangerous CEO is a safe bet. However, with Borderlands Doing this over and over again, going with another corrupt company in Borderlands 4 It feels very predictable.
The next place to look for the villain will be BorderlandsIconic Psychics, however Borderlands 3 Ensures that going this route will also be frequent. The Calypso Twins wields an army made of psychos, with the majority of the main missions pitting players against the Vault Cult. As such, although their token is so recognizable that psychos have always been used in the cover art of major games, they should take a back seat in Borderlands 4.
The last option, and the most likely scenario if Gearbox does finally figure out The Watcher’s War, is a faction of Guardians. Fighting Eridians’ creations in Vaults is always a good time, as their shield-focused health bars and unique abilities make them stand out from other foes. However, there is no telling if Guardians will work as a primary antagonist, as they may be better in small doses. Since they are aliens from another world, bonding with them is much more difficult, and while intriguing characters like The Seer are enigmatic, they will always lack the charisma of someone like Handsome Jack or even Calypsos.
Unfortunately, unless Gearbox can come up with an entirely new evil faction, that will be the case Borderlands 4 He will struggle to offer an opponent who works on all fronts. At the time, Handsome Jack and Hyperion were a new concept, but the evil weapon company shtick was tired of being overused. Psychics have been used a lot lately as well, and the Guardians lack an over-the-top personality Borderlands known b. Hopefully, Gearbox will surprise players with an unforgettable opponent in the next game, where all the obvious options will likely fall out.
More than that: Borderlands 4 should bring back a classic that was abandoned