Borderlands Mobile came out of nowhere, and while its debut was certainly surprising, the bigger shocker is how good it seems to be. Developed by Zynga, the FPS gameplay is unexpectedly smooth for a mobile game, with players moving around and controlling the camera just as they would in a console or PC Borderlands experience. The (auto)shooting and looting is satisfying, the humor is there (even if several lines are taken right from Borderlands 3), and the cel-shaded visuals are spot on. However, there’s obviously room for improvement.
To be clear, Borderlands Mobile is in a fairly good spot even in its current form. The ability to upgrade gear essentially means that players can hang onto their favorite Legendary weapons forever, and day one raid bosses and modes like Circles of Slaughter are a huge win since the mainline games have been lacking on this front. However, every game has flaws, and there are a couple of things that it would be great to see Borderlands Mobile address between the time it goes offline and whenever it ends up returning to mobile storefronts.
Borderlands Mobile’s Exo-Tank Character Is a Hodgepodge of Overwatch Heroes
Based on info for Borderlands Mobile’s Exo-Tank Vault Hunter, it’s clear how the character works similar to certain Overwatch characters
Borderlands Mobile’s Monetization Hopefully Won’t Be Predatory
One of the biggest lingering questions about Borderlands Mobile is its potential pricing. While it can be assumed the app itself will be free-to-play given its surprise test period, there’s certainly room for the full version to milk its player base’s wallets. Practically everyone has heard of mobile games that timegate progress to encourage currency purchases or lock important bits of content behind paywalls, and there’s room for Borderlands Mobile to do the same. Whether it actually does so is anyone’s guess, though.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible.
EasyMediumHardPermadeath
Borderlands Mobile is confirmed to have a battle pass system and paid cosmetics for its Vault Hunters, which would ideally be the limits of the microtransactions. However, there could easily be more that players could buy once the game is complete. Keys for loot chests seem like a no-brainer, while a more problematic approach could see the Vault Hunters being buyable and only the Summoner being free. This would be hugely frustrating, but isn’t impossible. Alternatively, perhaps early paid access with an earnable option could be a middle ground Zynga takes. With monetization having room to be damaging to this mobile game, though, and its core mechanics being so strong, the biggest wish to make is that paid content will be fair and focused entirely on cosmetics.
Borderlands Mobile’s Vault Hunters Will Hopefully Gain More Personality
When playing Borderlands Mobile, the Vault Hunters will likely feel very reminiscent of those from the original Borderlands, as they’re blank slates that lack individual personalities. Skill trees are simple, they lack names beyond their class type, and the back-and-forth dialogue between the Vault Hunters and NPCs that has made most Borderlands games more enjoyable is nowhere to be seen. In a series that has shined partially because of its variety in playable characters, as ability synergies and unique pairings can make co-op sessions more fun, Borderlands Mobile can definitely do more with its cast of protagonists.
The full version of Borderlands Mobile could benefit from deeper Vault Hunters all around. Larger, more interesting skill trees would be a win, as would character trailers making the Vault Hunters more than just generic Summoners and Assassins. Battle chatter from the characters, not just the mobs they fight, would go a long way to making moment-to-moment gameplay more immersive. Lastly, though it may seem simple, focusing more on proper names would go a long way. Nobody calls Borderlands 4’s Amon by his class of Forgeknight; he’s just Amon, the likable and honorable monster hunter.
Borderlands Mobile Will Hopefully Expand Its Audience
The most disappointing part of Borderlands Mobile’s test was how limited its audience was, as Android users and those outside of America were out of luck, having no way to access the game. Thus far, all Android fans have to go off of is datamined files that suggest Zynga could be working on an Android port. Coming out and confirming that Borderlands Mobile will be on more than just Apple devices would go a long way to getting fans hyped, and there’s even a case to be made to go beyond mobile. Given Borderlands 4’s awkward Switch 2 situation, and no release date being in sight, perhaps Borderlands Mobile could be a good addition to that platform. With controller support already offered for the phone version of the game, it wouldn’t be too big of a leap to port it to Switch 2, and could be a good alternative to BL4. With Borderlands Mobile being a solid experience so far, opening it up to the biggest possible audience would be wise.
