The humor of Borderlands is a polarizing topic for fans. Some enjoy the zany, often juvenile quips characters dole out, while others bemoan their frequency and how most of them miss their mark. The recently released Borderlands 3 has received both praise and criticism for how familiar it feels to its older siblings, and this includes its sense of humor.
For all its writing's faults, even the most ardent detractors cannot deny that the jokes are great every once in a while. To see the argument from both sides, the following list will detail five gags that had gamers facepalming, and five that were legitimately funny.
Updated On June 25th, 2020: Even though Borderlands 3 came out in September, the co-op shooter is still going strong and Gearbox is continuing to support it with updates and DLC expansions, the most recent of which is Bounty of Blood. To celebrate the continuing saga of Borderlands 3, we decided to add several more jokes from the main campaign which either fall flat or have players laughing uncontrollably. Not every joke lands, but at least the shooting is always top-notch.
15 Fall Flat: Project DD
During the story mission "Beneath the Meridian," Ellie sets the Vault Hunter up with a sweet ride with which they can easily get to their target. The vehicle is named Project DD, referencing a large bust.
This must have been written by one of the writer's thirteen-year-old children. Perhaps the thirteen-year-old is head of writing for the whole game, if any of the other jokes referring to body parts are any indication.
14 Laugh Out Loud Funny: Guess There's Lots Of Rest For The Wicked, Huh?
A common trend among the funniest bits in the game is how they come from NPC's one-liners during gameplay. This line uttered by Claptrap in Sanctuary is funny because of its call back to the first game's iconic introductory cinematic. As fans are aware, the Vault Hunters and Marcus introduce themselves as Cage The Elephant's "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" plays in the background. This line would be funny enough in a cutscene, but it's elevated by the fact that the robot says it out of the blue.
13 Fall Flat: Bronette
Vaughn's brotastic attitude can easily get on people's nerves, but he means well. People who call everybody bro aren't necessarily evildoers, but trying to turn the word into a feminine form as a joke crosses a linguistic line.
The underwear-donning bandit says "bronette" no short of several thousand times during the "Head Case" quest in regards to his comrade Vic. The quest is funny, with the player learning how much Vic really dislikes Vaughn, but it could have done without the stale "bronette" joke being said once, let along the many times Vaughn utters it.
12 Laugh Out Loud Funny: Bury Me With My Money
On its own, this line comes off as bizarre, like many of the death gargles enemies spit out as they are eliminated. However, older gamers may recognize the homage to the classic side-scrolling western Sunset Riders.
In that arcade shooter, one of the first bosses says this after the player defeats them. References aren't only funny because they allude to something else; surprise is a big factor in how they land.
11 Fall Flat: He's Clearly Compensating For Something, And I Know Exactly What that Something Is
Moxxi says this in regards to her ex husband, Killavolt, during the "Kill Killavolt" mission. The side quest is a parody of the exceedingly popular Battle Royale video game genre, and the sensual bartender wants the player to enter it with the goal of offing her former spouse. Most everything Moxxi says are double entendres, and tired ones at that. Fortunately, as a character Moxxi is always on the player's side and usually helps out when needed.
10 Laugh Out Loud Funny: Rhys Will Remember That
After helping the Atlas corporation fend off a hostile takeover by Maliwan, Rhys still tasks the player with one vital duty: judging his mustache. The answer is ultimately unimportant, but either will prompt the character to say "I will remember that" and a notification will let the player know the same. The moment is a nod to Telltale Game's revered Tales From The Borderlands where Rhys made his debut.
9 Fall Flat: I'm Through Playing Games, Unless That Game Is Killing Monks. That'd Be Awesome
Many of the characters, especially villains, like to remind the Vault Hunter how much they enjoy slaughtering innocents, such as Captain Truant when he spouts this line on Athenas. It fits in with the cartoonish world, but they really hit the player over the head with it until it's numbing. Fortunately, it doesn't take away from the more dramatic moments in the story, but pulling back on it would make some of the darker humor shine a little brighter.
8 Laugh Out Loud Funny: First Jakobs To Sell A Firearm To A Man Without A Mustache, A Man Of Great Vision
One part of the game sees the character solving puzzles involving statues of Wainwright Jakobs' ancestors on his estate. While walking through the steps, he gives a brief description of their contributions to the corporation.
Of one of the last statues he remarks how this Jakobs was the first person to "sell a firearm to a man without a mustache, a man of great vision." This quip hits the comedic sweet spot between inanity and logic. Old fashion villains and gunslingers often had notable facial hair, but this implies people without mustaches abstained completely from firearms.
7 Fall Flat: You Saved My Skin And The Skin Of Every Atlas Employee, And Skin's Important
This line points out a major fault of the game's humor and of many lackluster comedies. The joke is completely harmless, but it's simply not funny. When someone goes for a punchline and it doesn't land, it's worse than if they didn't try to tell a joke at all. Had Rhys just thanked the Vault Hunter for the help, the game would have rolled on as normal. Instead, many gamers moaned at this quip's lack of solid humor.
6 Laugh Out Loud Funny: The Results Of The Kill Poll
Further into the game, the Calypsos conduct a poll to find out who their followers want to see iced next. They kidnap Tannis and upon streaming the video to sanctuary they say "Weird Scientist Beat Out Annoying Robot By Just A Bit" in regards to the poll.
This prompts Claptrap to utter an expletive to voice his disappointment by not being picked first for the kill poll. Some fans despise Claptrap, but even they have to admit this moment of him being upset at not being marked for death in a popularity contest is clever.
5 Fall Flat: Under Taker
Vaughn has already been the topic of a prior entry, but the character is a veritable well of bad humor. In this quest, someone stole his underwear and the player is tasked with recovering it. The thief's name is Under Taker, a terrible pun based on his actions. The only saving grace is the player killing this thief, letting the player literally destroy a bad joke.
4 Laugh Out Loud Funny: Buff Film Buff
One quest has the player help out an aspiring, egocentric filmmaker screen his arthouse film on Pandora. He assures the player that his work is a masterpiece the world needs to see. Of course, this being Borderlands 3, helping the quest giver involves massacring a lot of enemies. The whole endeavor and the character is an obvious nod to Tommy Wiseau, most well known for his cult-classic The Room, often considered one of the worst movies ever made.
3 Fall Flat: Ace Baron
One early quest has the player find medical supplies for Ace Baron. It is an innocent enough favor, but the quest giver constantly hounds the player to listen to his raps. They are boring and uninspired rhymes. It would not be so bad if he tried it once or twice, but he mentions his mixtape several times throughout the whole quest. It makes one want to give up on the mission right then and there.
2 Laugh Out Loud Funny: Max And Rax
The "Maliwannabees" quest involves the player reaping vengeance for someone. The only problem is, the quest giver is unsure who murdered her family. Both Max and Rax claim to have done the atrocious deed. The dark humor perfectly exemplifies Borderlands' world. Ultimately, they never find out who does it, and the player can choose to kill both of them. While only one ultimately did it, even claiming to have killed them is deserving of punishment.
1 Laugh Out Loud Funny: Ratch'd Up
This quest is equal parts funny and sweet. Players have to find Terry. Once they reach the quest area, they find Glenn, whose brain was put into a Ratch by Terry because he was sick. After finding Terry's dead body, Glenn returns the favor by asking the player to take his friend's brain and put it into another Ratch. The mere idea of putting people's brains into these creatures is funny.