Highlights
- Borderlands 4 needs to introduce a new and unique Siren character to keep the class feeling fresh and prevent the game from feeling too similar to its predecessors.
- The Sirens in Borderlands have supernatural powers that offer alternate means of combat, and the next playable Siren should have a power that sets them apart from previous Sirens.
- It would be interesting for the next Siren to have a less virtuous and more self-interested personality, bringing a unique dynamic to the Vault Hunter team.
Sirens are arguably the most iconic class in Borderlands, and Borderlands 4 can add a new spin on this recurring character archetype. After three previous mainline entries, the developers need to keep developing new concepts for the playable heroes, lest the games end up feeling too similar. So far, the series has done an admirable job of providing distinctive characters with each group of Vault Hunters. However, the continual presence of Sirens in each main group offers a challenge. Borderlands needs a new niche with each successive game's Siren in order to keep the class feeling fresh.
The role of the Sirens in Borderlands' lore makes them a defining part of the series. While Borderlands relies on its gunplay, Sirens have supernatural powers that give them alternate means of combat. This has been shown with all three previous Sirens, who could all use their powers to disrupt and deal heavy damage to their enemies without firing a shot. In addition, the reason why players haven't been facing off with many Sirens is because according to legend, only six can exist in the world at once. It just so happens that until Tyreen and Troy in Borderlands 3, the current Sirens haven't been evil. With the next game's playable Siren, there are a few things Gearbox can do to make it stand out.
Borderlands 4 Can Try Something New With its Playable Siren
Whatever the developers have in mind for Borderlands 4's playable Siren, it needs to be something different from what has been shown off in the past. Thankfully, the playable Sirens so far have been quite varied. Lilith is a snarky, confident leader with a power made for stealth and damage, while Maya is a thoughtful monk whose Phaselock is more useful for supporting teammates than fighting solo. The latest playable Siren, Amara, is cocky, proud, and loves to fight, with heavily damaging psychic fists that compliment her personality, Given this track record, Gearbox can likely create another Siren with a unique personality.
There is a common link that can be found in the Siren powers from past Borderlands games. By default, most past Siren abilities have been burst abilities, having an immediate, short term effect. While this is a common ability design, Borderlands has featured other models for character skills that could be taken into account as well. For example, a new Siren with Phaseleech could temporarily gain massive health regeneration from dealing damage, letting them heal quickly, or an augmented Phaselock that lets the Siren directly target and freeze hostiles rather than a single area. Borderlands 4's Siren's power could give them a completely different playstyle from past Sirens.
In previous games, Sirens have always had a rather altruistic role in Borderlands' Vault Hunter teams. Even Amara, the most aggressive of the playable Vault Hunters, had a strong sense of justice and desire to do good. It could be a unique shift in the dynamic for the next Siren to be one of the less virtuous members of Borderlands 4's Vault Hunter team. Not exactly villainous, but more self-interested and roguish, although development over the course of the game could change that. It would put the new Siren into a role that none of the others have taken up to date.
If traditions hold up, then Borderlands 4 will be giving players another playable Siren in its roster. Borderlands' Sirens still have more mysteries surrounding them, and another Siren as one of the next Vault Hunters would help to explore their lore further. At the same time, making sure that Borderlands 4's Siren can offer something that previous playable Sirens didn't is also an important part of the formula. With a tweak or two to the series' usual design for Sirens, Borderlands 4 can shake up the series' status quo.