Even in the original, Claptrap was an annoying little robot gag that frequently rattled on with useless banter. Weapon descriptions were pretty funny at times, but more or less could have been written by Gearbox's Randy Pitchford himself. Then there’s the overall zaniness of the entire series. The Borderlands franchise continues to lean more into this immature, irreverent comedy that may have been hilarious to players when they were children.
But now, with Borderlands 3, the wacky and over-the-top satire is getting old.
An Unfunny Industry
Pulling off comedy in videogames isn’t an easy task. The few games that do it right might include Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row, though many would beg to differ.
Fortnite is another contender that more or less tries to be funny, yet fails. This problem has a lot to do with writing and overall tone. How does a game pull off something comical while still implementing serious tones into the game? It boils down to a trend of forced comedy, which is often cringe-worthy rather than humorous. Simply put: video game comedy is bad.
This is where Borderlands comes into the fray. At times, the games can have funny moments. But that humor is clouded with a kind of Pitchford-esque weirdness that doesn’t reach the audience as intended. Take, for instance, Borderlands 3 and its many pitfalls. As James Davenport says in his PC Gamer review (a lowly 63 out of 100):
"Borderlands 3 walks by dog poop, points at it, and laughs, and then sets it on fire. Borderlands 3 stays up until 11:30 pm drinking soda and googling crass Flash animations, taking detailed notes."
The biggest pitfall, at least for the game's more recent iteration, would have to be the writing. While the marketing campaign may have been an absolute riot, the same can’t be said for the actual gameplay. Despite new weapons and characters, the game requires far better comedic writing for a potential sequel. This is one of the reasons Borderlands 4 might be in trouble.
A Satire on Vault Hunting
Many Redditors, like those in this 3-year old and 6-year old post, have asked similar questions: “Am I the only one who thinks Borderlands' humor is mostly bad and hurts the game?” Certainly not. Although the first game had its fair share of laughs, this humor wouldn’t become a staple of the series until the sequel. The only thing that made the original humorous was Claptrap, who more or less grew into a parody of himself.
While Borderlands 3 is over the top in its approach to comedy. For example, in-game characters laugh after causing 69 damage to opponents, a testament to the game's sensibilities. The original Borderlands, on the other hand, didn’t need all of the sixth-grade jokes. It just was good in its unique way. It didn't forcibly attempt humor that, in the end, gets muddled and laughed at (not for being funny, but for trying and failing miserably).
Borderlands 2, and even Tales From the Borderlands, suffered in similar ways, though Gearbox was merely trying to find its footing.
“The first game could get a little morose, a little monotone, and the second one could get a little meme-y and silly," said art director Scott Kester in an interview with The Guardian.
The sequel had its share of TV references that worked well with the story, but now seem forced and stale. Handsome Jack, among the most memorable video game villains, offered a plentitude of hilarity. Yet the character sadly felt forced for the plot.
“What sort of villain just randomly talks to you about naming his horse Butt Stallion, or tells you a story about getting attacked by a man wielding a spoon?” Twinfinite’s Sterling Silver asks.
Artistry Over Comedy
One thing that Borderlands does right, however, is the art. With years of irreverent and wacky comedy, Gearbox has failed to see the actual splendor inherent in their games. It’s like playing a comic book. Instead of diving into the foray of satire, Pitchford and company should bear witness to the beautiful reality they have engineered. They already have a voice — loud and obnoxious as it may be — but very few games have their own style and artistic perception. Two of the only games that come to mind with similarly self-stylized artwork are merely Minecraft and LSD: Dream Emulator.
As more players turn to Pornhub instead of playing the actual game, it’s clear there’s some disconnect between developer and audience. Alexander Pan so eloquently relates in an article on GOAT:
"While Borderlands 3 has no shortage of laughs (depending on your mileage since humour is subjective) and comedic bits, it definitely isn’t a comedy game."
Maybe it’s time for Gearbox to let go of the laughs. With such incredible stories to tell in a world rife with absolute wonder and breathtaking possibilities, why waste it on silly one-liners and half-handed dramatics? Players understand it’s a crazy, zany world out there on Pandora, but they're through with it. Time for them to mature. And, maybe it will show in Borderlands 4, though all hopes are low.