Highlights
- Borderlands lacks impactful melee combat, unlike Destiny 2's diverse melee abilities for each subclass.
- Borderlands 4 should consider implementing unique melee abilities for each Vault Hunter to enhance gameplay and character distinctiveness.
- Assuming that each Vault Hunter gets multiple trees like in Borderlands 3, Borderlands 4 could make it so that every tree has its own melee ability.
The list of differences between the Borderlands and Destiny franchises is extensive. Though there is obviously some depth to Borderlands’ narrative for fans to explore, the amount of lore in Destiny is frankly absurd, allowing fans to dive into the backstory of alien races or even individual weapons like The Last Word for hours. Speaking of weaponry, the way both games approach guns is vastly different, as Borderlands encourages players to constantly swap out weapons while Destiny 2 wants them to get attached to their favorite Exotic. Still, that does not mean the games cannot influence each other, and there is something Borderlands should consider borrowing from Destiny 2.
To be fair, fans of Bungie’s MMO-RPG hybrid will likely have several suggestions for how Destiny 2 can influence the Borderlands series. These could range from the implementation of lore books to the addition of patrol zones that feature fun content like Destiny’s Public Events. However, it is Destiny 2’s approach to melee combat that should be examined closely, as melee opportunities in the Borderlands franchise have always been surprisingly limited. If Gearbox takes notes from Bungie, Borderlands 4 could finally offer melee combat deserving of its unique Vault Hunters.
Two Destiny 2 Subclasses Deserve the Forsaken Treatment
Some of Destiny 2’s Subclasses are missing out on an old feature that has been a game-changer for the few Subclasses that have received it.
Borderlands 4’s Vault Hunters Could Use The Melee Depth of Destiny 2’s Guardians
Melee Combat in the Borderlands Series Thus Far Has Been Forgettable
Since Gearbox has always been quick to point out the millions of guns available in Borderlands, it is a bit surprising that the other common form of video game combat is so lackluster. While there are certainly builds that leverage melee damage, as well as the Face-Puncher Legendary weapon, it is completely outclassed by the series’ guns. Obviously, guns should always be Borderlands' focus, but it would not hurt to give each Vault Hunter unique melee abilities, as it would make them stand out even more from their fellow protagonists and give fans another reason to choose one over another. In Borderlands 3, the only thing different about Vault Hunter melee attacks is how they look, and in the next game, they should be more than some unique animations.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands , a recent Borderlands spin-off, featured melee weapons that indicated an interest from Gearbox in improving the mechanic. However, while melee weapons are a fun idea in a fantasy setting, swords and hammers make less sense in a Borderlands game where Buzz Axes are usually the melee weapon of choice, meaning character-specific melee abilities would be preferable.
How Borderlands 4 Can Improve Melee Combat
The difference between melee attacks in Destiny 2 and Borderlands is night and day, as it takes one look at the former to realize how much can be done with the concept. Take Destiny 2’s Hunter, for instance. This role provides players with several different melee attacks, with each subclass providing a standout ability when pressing the melee button. Solar Hunters can throw knives, discs that freeze enemies with Stasis, a catchable Spike for Strand, a stealth-focused smoke bomb when using Void, and chained electric punches with Arc. This is only for the Hunter, too, as Titans and Warlocks have their own melee attacks to make subclasses more distinct and fun to play.
Assuming that Borderlands 4 takes the same approach with its Vault Hunters as Borderlands 3 did, giving each of them three skill trees (four after the Designer’s Cut DLC), every tree could have a distinct melee ability. For example, Borderlands 4 could have a Phaseleech Siren that wields Tyreen’s abilities, and her melee attacks could see players draining foes to death from a distance to self-heal, crystallizing them with a large AoE blast, and so on. A Soldier could wield a bowie knife, which grants them a super strong stab, a melee chain like Spectre from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, or the ability to throw the knife and instantly recharge it with a headshot like in Destiny 2.
While the individual melee animations in Borderlands 3 were better than nothing at all, it is about time that a bit more attention is paid to melee combat. Like in Destiny 2, it would make builds more diverse and add some extra personality to the Vault Hunters. While another Vault Hunter with a special melee ability like Brick could be added in Borderlands 4, or someone who shines with melee builds like Krieg, it would be better to make every Vault Hunter more fun to use when up close and personal.
