Borderlands May Have Deserved a Different Kind of Adaptation

Gearbox Software is gearing up for the next iteration of Borderlands, with the fourth main entry having recently been officially confirmed. After years of rumors and sly teasers, Borderlands fans thus have good reason to celebrate and look forward to the next installment of the popular looter-shooter series in the forthcoming Borderlands 4. With an ensemble of characters and longstanding related plot threads to address, BL4 has a lot to juggle, and speculation about what, and how, it will do so, has been widespread.

In 2015, it was announced that the franchise would be receiving a big-screen version with an all-star cast attached. Though many fans are excited about it, the Borderlands movie also had its share of criticisms based on what has been shown about it in marketing material so far, and it remains to be seen what reactions will be like to the full experience. But given Borderlands‘ general sensibilities and especially its hallmark comic book-like cel-shaded art style, perhaps another avenue would have served it better for an expanded adaptation—that being an animated episodic structure.

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An Animated Borderlands Adaptation Might Have Been a Much Better Fit for the Franchise

Other Gaming IPs Have Found Success in the Animated Medium

Film adaptations of videogames have a long history of often being known for being lower quality, and subsequently not particularly well-received by either portions of the core audience or reflected in ticket sales and critical response. One issue that is usually mentioned as contributing to this when adapting game properties to the big screen is that often the format, by nature, doesn’t have enough time to properly establish all the existing components while telling a coherent story that audiences composed of both casual and longtime fans can understand and appreciate.

However, more recently, several gaming franchises were adapted into animated series, and it seems to be a place where they have been thriving, at least compared to previous film attempts. Some notable ones include:

Castlevania was praised for its nuanced character work along with its takes on what is already a darker fantasy setting. Similarly, Arcane was an intricate exploration of the tragic backstories and relationships between some of its well-known figures, particularly Jinx, Vi, and Jayce.

Borderlands’ Art Style and Sense of Humor Would Lend Themselves Extremely Well to an Animated Adaptation

Borderlands has nearly 15 years of material to draw from, and almost any of it would be ripe for further fleshing out in an animated structure. Borderlands‘ extensive cast of characters, world-building, and complex lore, all already have numerous elements in place that seem like they would translate fairly seamlessly into an animated version. As mentioned, the longer format would provide more space for much of the groundwork to be built without perhaps feeling pressured into getting to the thick of the Action immediately. That Action too, though, could appear as flashy and colorful as the games‘ vibrant cel-shaded design.

Borderlands contains many crass and crude elements, but beyond those, it also has narratively and emotionally engaging aspects, such as the mystery behind the Sirens, the rise and fall of Handsome Jack, and much more. Seeing the world and characters brought to life in animated form and given the space it might need to properly explore them, might be just the trick that makes for an outstanding adaptation. Though the Borderlands movie looks poised to provide an enjoyable experience, so long as it adheres broadly to the tone and feel of the games, Gearbox might consider creating an animated version in the future, as it would likely be a great fit.

Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3 is the fourth installment in the Borderlands series. In this looter shooter, players take missions from NPCs and seek out Vaults, similar to the rest of the series.

Released

September 13, 2019

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer , Online Co-Op , Local Co-Op

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

25 Hours

Metascore

91

Platforms That Support Crossplay

PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

Number of Players

1-4

Engine

Unreal Engine 4

Split Screen Orientation

Vertical or Horizontal

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Local Co-Op Support

1-4 Players