Highlights

  • The Borderlands franchise has a history of using fun licensed music and impactful intro cinematic scores.
  • Borderlands 4 could introduce in-game music listening via ECHO devices, enhancing immersion and lore.
  • The next title might also look to include quests related to music, expanding its use and integration into gameplay.

Borderlands is approaching 15 years since it first dropped players on the planet of Pandora and unleashed its brand of zaniness and action on them. In that time, it has swelled in popularity, becoming developer Gearbox Software's flagship franchise, and Borderlands has risen to prominence as one of the most highly regarded looter shooters around. With the next mainline title now on the way, Borderlands will be continuing down the path laid out over the course of its three previous entries and various spin-offs.

Along with Borderlands' eclectic and extensive cast of colorful characters, the franchise has included a variety of licensed music tracks from a range of artists featuring songs that fit into Borderlands' trademark style and thematic tone. Many of its introductory cinematics are often a highlight of the soundtrack too, with bombastic tunes playing during character splash scenes. Given this, BL4 should finally go all-in by providing a way for fans to listen to and enjoy these freely in-game, and it has the perfect narrative justification for doing so.

Though it has been officially confirmed since March of this year, and some rumors pointed to more information being revealed at Summer Game Fest, this turned out not to be the case, and fans are still awaiting more details such as Borderlands 4 's possible plot and release window.

Borderlands main art golden bandit and guns
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Borderlands 4 Needs its Own Diegetic Music-Listening Mechanic

Borderlands Has Always Had Excellent Music

An appropriate choice of songs for a game can provide an additional touch that greatly enhances the experience. Starting all the way back in 2009, before the series established itself as one of the premiere looter shooter franchises, the original Borderlands trailer was set to Cage the Elephant's "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" accompanying the introduction of the first four Vault Hunters.

It was a pitch-perfect encapsulation of the mix of high-octane action and offbeat humor in its Space Western setting that is deeply ingrained in Borderlands' identity. The song fit the style and tone of its over-the-top zaniness, and this would continue to be the case in subsequent titles, with Borderlands 2's use of "Short Change Hero" by The Heavy as another excellent example, among a number of others.

How Borderlands 4 Could Easily Introduce a Way to Listen to its Music In-Game

Games like Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, and Watchdogs include a plethora of music tracks via in-game radio stations and a method for fans to crank them at will during missions or freeform exploration. A world-building element featured across all entries are Borderlands' ECHO devices– essentially its version of futuristic smartphones.

Players often receive communications on their ECHOs from allies and enemies alike, and they also serve as hidden collectibles that flesh out backstory and lore for diligent players who hunt them out. Later entries included unlockable custom cosmetic skins for ECHO devices. As such, the ECHOs provide the perfect diegetic outlet for Borderlands 4 to offer a similar option as those mentioned.

It may not necessarily need to go as far as the above even, but could perhaps offer at least a handful of tracks available on the ECHO from the start. Borderlands 4 could then possibly go further by having a chain of quests centering on creating or finding new songs, or as rewards from NPCs, adding incentives for fans to engage with them and expand their playlists.

Having this feature would create another great layer of immersion for its Space Western vibes, allowing fans to enjoy their favorite tunes at any given time, blasting them in-game while blasting bandits and psychos, or just leisurely exploring the world. Either way, it would be a welcome addition, and one that Borderlands could easily explain via the ECHOs to show off its fantastic selection of music.