Sometimes, the focus of a game isn't on story, and that's okay. Games like Apex Legends strive on lore bits and delivering a solid multiplayer experience, whereas others like Borderlands 3 have a gimmick or genre it actually defines. As a threequel to the original looter shooter, many held Borderlands to this light, in which it mostly delivers, yet there will always be gamers who prefer a solid story.
Plot holes can sometimes mess with a solid story, and sometimes things just don't make sense. That doesn't necessarily ruin a story, as there will always be the "rule of cool," but it's always nice to notice these little things. As such, here are 5 things about Borderlands 3 that make absolutely no sense.
The Watcher
At the end of the Pre-Sequel, the Watcher warns Lilith and the Vault Hunters that a war is coming and that they will need all the Vault Hunters they could get. This led to rumors of a more live-service, shared world style shift for the franchise, but of course, that did not come to pass. Still, players expected a war chock full of Vault Hunters with greater implications for the galaxy...and that doesn't fully come to pass. With the opening of the Great Vault, there is surely more to come.
But was the War with the COV the one the Watcher warned of, which ultimately proved to do little? and what about the Vault Hunters? Several are missing in this game, with it recently being rumored that Krieg the Psycho was cut for some reason, despite having a fun-sounding uncover mission with the COV. Ultimately, it could be that the Watcher's War has yet to arrive, but given that it hyped Borderlands 3 in this regard, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
The Sirens
Little is known about the Sirens, their connections to the Vault, and the Eridians, but more and more has been revealed as time has passed. In Borderlands 3, it's revealed the Sirens can transfer their powers to someone intentionally (so it seems) or to someone random at the time of death. Siren powers, in this regard, seem to be a constant, as Ava inherits Maya's powers and Tannis inherits Angel's powers. The Leech power of Tyreen seems to be an exception, as Nyriad supposedly died on Nekrotafeyo to seal the power away, with it having been hidden for so long until manifesting in Tyreen. This breaks the rule of six if the power was sealed for long, and what of Asha? Is her power canon and is it a constant? What about Commandant Steele; where did her powers go? It may be some time before Borderlands 3 answers these questions about the Sirens, but every entry seems to step closer to putting them in the lime light.
Tales from the Borderlands
The biggest mystery connecting Borderlands 3 and Tales from the Borderlands connects Handsome Jack, Rhys, and Fiona. Rhys and Fiona, for example, were incredibly close, and she was a self-proclaimed Vault Hunter, so where is she during the events of Borderlands 3? Rhys may also be a full-blown CEO now, but it doesn't make a lot of sense that he would just hold the Vault Key fragment instead of selling it without her knowing?
Finally, it's still unclear which ending to Tales was canon. While it appears that the destruction of AI Jack would be, due to its absence, that fills like a missed opportunity that diminishes featuring Rhys in the Borderlands 3 story.
Amara the Siren, Specifically
In a similar manner to Borderlands 2's Maya, the very fact that Amara is a Siren gets too often ignored. Lilith couldn't enter Angel's chambers in BL2, and while Tyreen is powerhungry for Siren abilities in Borderlands 3, Amara gets completely ignored by her (in this regard) throughout the game. The general sense of ignoring her Siren abilities is off-putting, even if it's due to the nature of the game's class system. Furthermore, there's a full background for Amara that needs to be filled in, beyond being the Tiger of Partali, that could help flesh out her Siren origins more.
Handsome Jack's Legacy
In-game and out of it, it's clear that Handsome Jack casts a huge shadow over Borderlands 3. Troy and Tyreen fail to live up to Handsome Jack, which is to be expected, and bringing him back is off the table. Yet, the Heist of the Handsome Jackpot DLC has no issue using his image, which shows how deeply wounded Moxxi was by the characters. It's been 7 years, sure, but was his little stint in Borderlands 2 all the character will actually amount to? In the grand scheme of things, the role of the Destroyer, the Eridians, the Sirens, and everything else involved with Borderlands 3 lore, Handsome Jack is small potatoes in a sense. It would be interesting to see if his actions on Pandora with the Warrior ever return, much like the Destroyer, as he was a great villain with a relatively limited scope. And it would be a shame for his legacy moving forward to be relegated to leftover sentiments.
Borderlands 3 is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
