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Unlike previous entries in the series, Borderlands 4 is an open-world game. When you arrive from the oppressive prison complex onto the shores of Clap-Trap’s paradise (which is basically hell), it can feel overwhelming at first.
But don’t worry too much. This is still a classic Borderlands game—focused on shooting everything that moves until you’re a loot-fueled machine with a treasure chest full of shiny weapons. To help you get started and adjust to the main changes, here are some important tips.
Don’t Explore Until You Get Your First Vehicle
It might be tempting to start wandering around right away, but it’s better to stick with the main story until you finish the “Down and Outbound” mission. This quest rewards you with your first Faction Town and a digistruct vehicle. You can summon this vehicle anytime by pressing right on the D-pad or pressing X on a keyboard—no Catch-A-Ride stations needed on Kairos.
Having a vehicle makes traveling much easier. It can even glide over water, so it’s worth unlocking before you start exploring on foot, which can be exhausting without it.
Your Repkit Has More Uses Than Just Healing
Borderlands 4 introduces the Repkit, a stim that you inject yourself with for a quick health boost. But it’s not just for healing. You can find different Repkits that come with extra perks. For example, some increase reload speed or have more charges, making them more useful beyond just healing. Keep an eye out for these upgrades—they can work well with your build and add new layers of strategy.
Grenades Now Have a Cooldown
Grenades are no longer unlimited. Instead, they have been replaced by “Ordnances,” which include grenades, throwing knives, and heavy weapons like the Fermionic Monsoon shown above. You don’t need to loot ammo to refill them anymore; they now have a cooldown timer after each use.
You Can Fish for Free Guns Using Your Grappling Hook
Borderlands 4 isn’t a relaxing game, but you can go fishing in Kairos. There are spots around the map where you’ll see splashes in the water. Using your grappling hook, you can pull in junk and weapons from these spots. It’s a handy way to find gear between fights, and you can sell what you catch at vending machines for quick cash.
The Minimap Isn’t Enabled by Default
The game’s compass helps keep track of objectives, but in tight spaces filled with enemies, it can be hard to see where everyone is. Luckily, there’s still a radar, but it’s off by default. To turn it on, go to the options menu, select the “Gameplay” tab, and at the bottom, toggle “Radar Display” to ‘On’. You’ll then see both the compass and a radar for better situational awareness.
Boss Rematches Offer Better Loot
Another new feature in Borderlands 4 is the ability to rematch bosses at Moxxi’s Big Encore machines. For a small fee, you can reset story bosses, side quest bosses, and world activity bosses to earn more XP and better loot.
You can also queue for boss rematches from the main menu via the matchmaking options. Additionally, if you want to replay specific quests, you can do so from the “Replay” tab in the Missions menu—useful if you missed any optional objectives.
Upgrade Your Backpack As Soon As Possible
Many utilities—like cosmetics—are now managed through the player menu. The SDU, for example, can be accessed anytime, without visiting a vendor. From this menu, you can upgrade your weapon ammo capacity, inventory limit, bank storage, and how much of your lost loot is saved, using tokens earned through collectibles and challenges.
Starting ammo is already quite high, so investing tokens into your backpack early is a good idea. This prevents constantly sorting through your inventory during the early part of the game.
The Hover Pack Lets You Dodge
Early in the game, you get a hover pack that does what it sounds like. Unbeknownst to many, you can also use it to dodge. On PC, press shift plus a direction key. On consoles, tap B or Circle while moving sideways, forward, or backward. Mastering this movement expands your traversal options and helps you avoid damage, making fights easier and survival possible longer.
Respeccing Is Cheap and Easy, So Do It Early
If your current build isn’t fun, you don’t have to restart the game. Respeccing is unlocked after completing the “Down and Outbound” mission and costs just enough cash to be affordable early on. Use this feature to tweak your skills and abilities until you find a playstyle that suits you. When you do, focus on finding loot that complements your chosen build.
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