As an avid looter shooter fan with over 1000 hours across the Borderlands series, one question I get asked constantly is whether Borderlands 3 is still worth playing in 2023.
With new loot-driven games releasing all the time and competition growing ever fiercer in the genre Borderlands pioneered, how does Gearbox Software’s 2019 magnum opus hold up after 3+ years?
In short – Borderlands 3 remains an absolute must-play looter shooter in 2023 thanks to continued long-term support from Gearbox, offering players over 200 hours of content and retaining the signature Borderlands style of humor and addictive gameplay loop.
Take it from me – a passionate Borderlands fanatic who has already sunk 300+ satisfying hours into Borderlands 3 alone. I’m here to definitively outline exactly why this game deserves your attention – even years after launch.
Ongoing Content Updates and Support
One of the most impressive things about Borderlands 3 in 2023 is that Gearbox has continued rolling out massive content updates and long-term support years after launch – releasing 4 major paid DLC expansions and 12 free seasonal events to date.
Significant updates over the years have added exciting new ways to play, expanded endgame content, sweeping quality of life changes, and limited time seasonal events featuring unique gameplay twists and themed loot rewards.
For example, the Director’s Cut DLC added an entirely new rogue-like dungeon crawler mode called Arms Race situated on a frozen mountaintop. This strands players with no equipment, tasking them will battling through intense enemy spawns and random loot drops to see how far you can survive.
The Designer’s Cut update focused more on new skill trees and action skills for the existing Vault Hunters, enabling brand new builds and shifting up the playstyles for experienced players.
These major DLC updates would be impressive alone for the first year of a game’s life cycle. But Gearbox has supported Borderlands 3 well beyond that – releasing new DLC over 3 years after the initial launch and continuing to support seasonal events into 2023.
This ongoing support and lengthy content roadmap keeps things feeling fresh every time I return to the world of Borderlands 3.
Every Borderlands 3 DLC Expansion Explained
Let’s take a more detailed look at what new content and features each add-on DLC brought to Borderlands 3 over the years:
- Moxxi‘s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot – Expanded the lore of franchise favorite Moxxi and introduced a flashy new casino zone to plunder.
- Guns, Love, and Tentacles – Pitted Vault Hunters against otherworldly occult forces across an eerie, Dark Souls-esque planet.
- Bounty of Blood – Took a Wild West turn with jetpack-clad dinosaurs and high noon showdowns on a dusty frontier colony.
- Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck – Let players journey through the demented mind of fan favorite Psycho Krieg while introducing procedural generated zones.
- Designer’s Cut – Added new skill trees to expand each Vault Hunter’s builds and abilities.
- Director’s Cut – Introduced Arms Race mode and Ava’s Murder Mystery missions while unlocking Vault Hunter skins and room decorations.
- Final Form Cosmetic Packs – Added ultimate cosmetics so Vault Hunters can face off against the greatest threats in style.
As if that wasn’t enough value already, Gearbox has supported seasonal events over the years which add limited time gameplay changes, enemies, loot and cosmetics – essentially becoming like mini DLCs themselves!
Borderlands 3 has built up a staggering amount of content – easily over 200 hours worth – supported by ongoing developer love way beyond what most service games receive.
Addictive Looter Shooter Gameplay
Of course, all of that content would be meaningless if Borderlands 3 didn’t retain that addictive, satisfying core gameplay loop the series is known for – scoring epic loot by blasting bizarre enemies with a ridiculous arsenal of guns.
Gunplay and Movement
Thankfully, Borderlands 3‘s first-person shooter gameplay feels extremely polished, with tight responsive controls, awesome recoil and sound design on its guns, and plenty of creative special effects across its procedurally generated weaponry.
Vault Hunters also feel great to maneuver around the environment this time around thanks to added mobility options. Sliding into enemies, double jumping to avoid attacks projectiles while unloading clips into the masses maintains that aggressive, empowering feedback loop.
One thing that keeps the gunplay feeling fresh is the sheer volume and variety found with the procedurally generated guns. I’m still finding wild new effects and weapon archetypes – over 300 hours in – thanks to over 1 billion possible weapon configurations.
Character Progression and Endgame
Of course, weapons are only one part of player progression. Leveling up your Vault Hunter also feels immensely rewarding between customized skill tree paths, bonus stats to fit different builds, unlockable passive abilities, and expanded cosmetic options.
The endgame pushes that character growth even further for the most dedicated players. Mayhem levels can ratchet up enemy toughness and loot quality over 11 tiers. True Vault Hunter kicks the campaign into a harder difficulty with level scaling. Circle of Slaughter arenas and Proving Grounds offer horde and boss rush challenges. Plus multiple raid bosses exist for the ultimate cooperative challenges at max level.
Having this many options to continue progressing a character while tackling greater challenges keeps that gameplay loop feeling gratifying long after the credits roll.
Expansive Cooperative Multiplayer Options
Of course, one of the joys of looter shooters is teaming up with friends to take on challenges no vault hunter could handle alone. Borderlands 3 offers extensive multiplayer and co-op options so you never have to loot alone (unless you want to).
2-4 player online co-op means you can form a full squad to plunder planets together, while difficulty and loot scale appropriately. But you can also easily drop in or out of friends‘ sessions, allowing for flexible party sizes.
Split-screen couch co-op also returns to enable old school multiplayer madness – though performance can occasionally struggle to keep up when playing on last-gen hardware.
But perhaps my favorite option is Crossplay support added post-launch between all platforms. This means not only can I team up with PC and console friends alike, but it expands the online player population available for matchmaking activities.
In total Borderlands 3 features one of the most robust multiplayer ecosystems among modern looters – while still catering nicely to solo vault hunters when I just feel like lone wolfing the plunder.
Signature Borderlands Presentation & Humor
Of course Borderlands isn’t just about the loot or gunplay – it has an essence all of its own embedded within the presentation, writing, and humor as well. I’m happy to say Borderlands 3 recaptures that signature tone fans have come to love over the years.
The latest entry doubles down on the vibrant, stylized comic book aesthetic the series in known for – realized beautifully thanks to cutting edge graphics powered by Unreal Engine 4. Paint-spattered landscapes dabbed with dynamic lighting and environmental effects make for striking alien vistas.
And the outlandish cast of returning and new characters stays true to form with hilarious dialogue exchanges and absurd questlines sure to make me cackle out loud while exploring. Even bit characters seem to have wild backstories or randomized name generators for maximum entertainment.
Some subtle quality of life conveniences have been added of course – like displaying Item Score values for comparing gear at a glance andauto-pickup for ammo and cash. But by and large the Borderlands experience feels wonderfully familiarrather than changing what wasn’t broken.
Is Borderlands 3 Perfect? Room for Improvement
For all its strengths and refinements though, Borderlands 3 is of course not without some flaws. While these hardly ruin the experience for me personally, there is room for improvement by Gearbox.
The early game can still be a slow burn before builds really come online or legendary drops start accelerating. The storyline itself is relatively basic and more backloaded – a step down from the creative highs of Borderlands 2 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
Performance continues to be less than ideal across all platforms as well. Smoother frame rates and faster load times would go a long way – especially for splitscreen on base last-gen consoles.
There are also some series-wide improvements I would love to see implemented at some point. Allowing players to respect skills without restarting characters would help experiment with builds. Expanding backpack, bank and lost loot space would alleviate inventory management headaches when juggling so much gear.
But again, these are mostly minor nitpicks rather than dealbreaking flaws for me.
How Borderlands 3 Stacks Against Other Looter Shooters
These days there is no shortage of looter shooter games vying for our attention. So even if Borderlands 3 remains a gem years later, how does it compare to up and coming competitors in 2023?
Against fellow looter shooter juggernauts like Destiny 2 and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Borderlands 3 more than holds it own even years later thanks to sizable content updates from Gearbox.
Outriders deserves credit for daring to innovate the genre. But its lackluster endgame and support challenges make Pandora the superior co-op playground.
Upstarts like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and the upcoming Destiny 2: Lightfall expansion demonstrate how the genre continues to evolve as well. But for raw playtime and value, Borderlands 3 remains near the top of the mountain.
Frankly, I believe there is room for multiple loot shooters to co-exist and satisfy different aspects I love about the genre. But even among increasingly stellar competition, Borderlands 3 should absolutely have a spot in any fan’s library.
The Verdict: Still an Absolute Must-Play Looter Shooter
After over 300 delightful hours (and counting), I confidently declare Borderlands 3 a must-play looter shooter in 2023 – whether you‘re a series veteran or newcomer.
For fans, it offers the definitive evolution of everything you loved in past Borderlands games while opening up exhilarating new worlds.
For fresh faces, it remains an excellent entry point – recapturing the signature Borderlands aesthetic and gunplay with unprecedented build diversity to explore.
Very few service games manage to not just launch impressive but continue delivering years later like Gearbox has for Borderlands 3. Honestly I feel the value proposition has only gone up over time between expansions, events and improvements.
So if you have yet to set across the galaxy and collect some vaults, I couldn’t recommend Borderlands 3 more as THE premier PvE co-op looter shooter – now enhanced for next-gen platforms as well.
So what are you waiting for? Jump in and become the galaxy’s next ultimate badass vault hunter today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to play the previous Borderlands games to understand the story in BL3?
I’d highly recommend playing Borderlands 2 at minimum to meet familiar faces returning here and appreciate some cameo appearances/references. But those new to the franchise can still enjoy BL3 as a solid entry point.
How is the endgame and post-story content?
Extremely robust offering dedicated players months of satisfying progression chasing better loot, tackling True Vault Hunter mode, competing in Circle of Slaughter arenas, and dominating raid bosses.
How is multiplayer and is splitscreen supported?
Up to 4 player online and 2 player local splitscreen couch co-op allows you to loot in good company. Performance can occasionally struggle in splitscreen but overall works smoothly.
Are the additional DLC expansions worthwhile?
Absolutely – all major DLCs add exciting new zones, enemies, loot pools and gameplay modes. At this point there’s practically a sequel’s worth of content available beyond the base game.
