Borderlands 2 released back in 2012, giving players an experience that redefined the FPS genre. Besides the love-it-or-hate-it Borderlands: The Pre Sequel released in 2014, fans of this series had to wait more than half a decade for a new release on the dedicated timeline.
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Gearbox finally delivered with Borderlands 3 in 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. While the game suffers from mild performance issues and some questionable decisions, the improvements it made to the series are greatly appreciated. However, Borderlands 3 missed the mark in a few areas when compared to the 2nd installment. Here's what Borderlands 3 does better than Borderlands 2 and vice versa.
Updated on January 4th, 2020 by Juliet Childers: Fans have had some time now to sit with the plot and performance of Borderlands 3. After all, it was a 6-month long Epic Store exclusive and, even if fans waited until the Steam release, there have been critics and stans alike. The scope, villain approach, and characters differed from Borderlands 2. But fans found pluses and minuses across both titles. What does Borderlands 2 do better than Borderlands 3? What does Borderlands 3 have over its predecessor?
14 Borderlands 3: Locations
The Borderlands franchise has gotten better with including interesting locations through each game. While there are some crazy DLC areas in 2, Borderlands 3 contains some of the coolest locations in the series so far.
The game transports players from cult-worshipping buildings on Pandora to Promethea -- synthwave city aesthetic. Traversing these locations is fun, as well, thanks to new vehicles players can use that they can fully customize. While there are no inspired areas like Borderlands 2, the planets you can explore in BL3 are all well made and beautiful to look at.
13 Borderlands 2: Character Classes
Borderlands 2 has 6 classes for players to mess around with-- 2 of whichwere included with DLC throughout that game's lifespan. Borderlands 3 only has 4 and Gearbox has made it clear there are no intentions to expand the roster.
This is unfortunate as the DLC characters in BL2 were the best additions to the game. Gaige can build a unique resource called Anarchy to deal insane damage up close. Krieg can be played as an explosive character that detonates enemies nearby.
In contrast, the characters in Borderlands 3 fill rather rigid playstyles. Moze uses explosives, Zane uses kill skills, FL4K is great for criticals, and Amara can be played as an elemental character or a melee one. The options available in BL2 are just more interesting than what Gearbox believed with the third installment.
12 Borderlands 3: Late-Game Modifiers
The Mayhem system adds unique modifiers that make higher-level content more engaging than the OP levels from Borderlands 2. Unlike OP levels from Borderlands 2, you don't need a DLC to experience them. Mayhem modifiers can make certain builds stronger while nullifying others, which is a good and bad thing in its own right.
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Elemental damage can get massive bonuses, for example, while skills deal significantly less damage. These modifiers make each zone more varied and encourage flexibility with teams. Unfortunately, it can feel frustrating getting modifiers that ruin your build, something Gearbox has addressed as an issue they want to resolve.
11 Borderlands 2: Mods
Because Borderlands 2 has beenout longer than its sequel, players have found methods of modifying the game to make it more interesting. Mods exist that allow for the manufacturer limits on guns to be removedso thatplayers can find Hyperion parts on Vladof barrels with Tediore stocks. One of the coolest mods, however, is Borderlands 2 Reborn.
This mod is a complete rebalance of the game, making Slag less essential and adding hundreds of new items into the game. These sorts of modifications don't exist for Borderlands 3 at the moment, and it will likely stay that way for quite some time.
10 Borderlands 3: Movement
Movement in first-person shooters has changed dramatically since Borderlands 2 released. Games like Titanfall have shown how amazing high-speed movement can be in an FPS title.
Borderlands 3 decided to take somecues from more modern games and include clambering and sliding. While those two additions seem rather tame compared to full-on wall-running, these two systems add a sense of momentum and speed to engagements that are simply missing from the previous titles. Clambering on objects is near-instant and always works while sliding is useful to get into cover or cross a large distance quickly.
9 Borderlands 2: Variety of Content
The amount of DLC released for Borderlands 2 is staggeringwith 5 major DLCs and tons of small headhunter packs. With level increases and new characters, it's easy to see why some fans prefer BL2 over 3.
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Not only is there a long main story to go through, but there are multiple endgame bosses you can fight, sidequeststo complete, and 6 characters to level up to the ludicrous level 72 cap. While Borderlands 2 lacks anointments for gear, the sheer amount of legendaries and pearlescent gear will keep fans engaged for hundreds of hours.
8 Borderlands 3: Customization
Borderlands 2 allows players to select unique head cosmetics and a color palette for their character, but Borderlands 3 takes this character customization to a new level.
Character customization includes heads and colors asfans might expect, but now there are also emotes for the player character. Better yet, weapons are now customizable! Unique skins and colors can be earned for weapons players prefer. Fans caneven pick up little trinkets that hang on the side of their weaponsto give the gear a more personalized look.
7 Borderlands 2: End-Game Content
While mentioned briefly, Borderlands 2 has multiple raid bosses for players to take on, as well as farming specific bosses for items they want. Giant threshers, varkids, and even dragons are tough bosses players can go out of their way to fight. These enemies drop some of the best and most interesting loot in the entire game.
Digistruct Peak is also a location that players can enter to do a long gauntlet to test their builds by fighting a large variety of tough enemies. If that is still too easy, turn the game up to OP8 and make enemies over level 80, giving players an excuse to play through the story nearly 10 times!
6 Borderlands 3: Gunplay
Going back to Borderlands 2, it's hard to enjoy the bazillions of weapons that the game has when the core gameplay loop is lacking meaningful impact and feedback.
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Arguably the best change Gearbox made with Borderlands 3 is the total overhaul to gunplay. Weapons have unique recoil patterns and provide great sound and visual feedback when they hit targets. Enemies flinch and duck for cover when hit as well, and the well made animations help sell the power fantasy this game does so well.
5 Borderlands 2: Story
Handsome Jack is one of the best video game antagonists seen in an FPS title. His sharp wit and genuine disgust withthe playercharacter make it all-the-more satisfying to kill him at the end ofthe journey. Borderlands 3, for all of its technical improvements, just didn't make the landing for its main story.
The Calypso Twins come off more as annoying teenagers than powerful, intimidating antagonists. Side characters introduced in this installment don't have the same charm or development previous characters in the series received. Without spoiling it, the way Gearbox handles some essential characters from Borderlands 2, The Pre-Sequel, and Telltale's amazing Tales From the Borderlands series just feels lazy and like a huge missed opportunity.
4 Borderlands 3: Justice For Krieg
Krieg was a fan favorite character despite being a non-original vault hunter from a DLC. It might be his own "endearing" personality or the fact that people got to play as the same berserker psychos they fought. Regardless, Krieg got his own DLC for Borderlands 3.
This was especially great for fans of him and Maya, as the DLC shows fans a little bit more about their relationship. Sadly, the jury is still out on whether or not he is Tiny Tina's father.
3 Borderlands 2: Justice For Roland
Fans who have played BL2 (and the first game along with Pre-Sequel) know what an important role Roland plays in the series. Though he started as a vault hunter for players, he was already an ex-Atlas soldier at that point. That means he already had a ton of baggage, which is maybe why he andthe Firehawkmade such a great couple/team.
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Unfortunately, Lilith barely mentions Roland at all in BL3 and her room is barren of anything from her history. It just reuses the same assets from NPC rooms aboard Sanctuary III. Roland's history and his sacrifice seem to just fall by the wayside. Long-time fans were not quite pleased with his "send-up" in the form of a statue BL3.
2 Borderlands 3: Satire Of Real-World People
Gearbox clearly explained that the Calypso Twins were a parody of streamer culture. The literal cult they have in BL3 satirizes the fandoms of people like Pewdiepie amped up to 11. While it is highly unlikely thatreal-world fans are out there eating people to prove their loyalty, there are some questionable choices that streamers make in order to grow their fan bases.
Though the Twins fail as being Big Bad Villains, they do succeed in parodying streamer culture. The only odd choice was having Tyreen be the main focus as famous streamers tend to be male-aligning people such as Ninja, Dr. Disrespect, and others.
1 Borderlands 2: Satisfying Final Boss
As mentioned earlier, BL2 just has more raid bosses and epic feeling battles than BL3. Nothing exemplifies this more than the final boss battle at the end of each game's main story. The Troy/Tyreen fights vs. the fight against the Warrior and Handsome Jack is simply no contest.
BL2 offers a way more epic feeling boss fight as opposed to the afterthought that Tyreen was despite being this all-powerful Siren.Fighting the Warrior feels like a knockdown, drag-out fight for the player's life. Fighting Tyreen just kind of felt formulaic and protracted. After all, the player has already faced her like three times by that point.
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