Borderlands followers observed that as an alternative of the minimap launched in Borderlands 2, the latest Borderlands 4 gameplay deep dive incorporates a compass bar that factors towards aims. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford confirmed that the minimap is gone throughout a PAX East panel on Friday, and requested followers to carry judgement till they’ve performed the sport.
The map discuss begins at about 28 minutes into the video embedded above. Borderlands 4 takes place on a brand new planet, Kairos, and boasts the largest map the Borderlands collection has seen “by far,” based on Pitchford.
“There is no load instances, simply, you see one thing wherever on the display screen, a mile away, up within the sky, it is possible for you to to get there,” stated the CEO, echoing Todd Howard’s well-known line about seeing mountains in Skyrim and strolling up them. (Though I’ve by no means fairly understood why that promise got here to suggest exaggerated claims, since you might in actual fact discover Skyrim’s mountains.)
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“We made a giant freaking world,” Pitchford stated concerning the choice to not embrace a minimap. “And loads of the belongings you do may be native house, however loads of the belongings you do or need to do are on the market [in the larger world], and an area house map will not be a great way to navigate once you’re eager about aims and alternatives—a number of on the identical time that may be miles away—and a compass actually helps us do this.”
Pitchford additionally stated that 2D minimaps may be complicated in multilevel environments, and “you are going to have extra verticality in Borderlands 4 than you’ve got ever seen earlier than in a Borderlands sport, by far.” The compass makes use of little arrows to point when a goal is above or under you.
“So we made a dedication, and we put all of that funding into this compass system, and you continue to have the massive map,” stated Pitchford. “It is one click on away. And we put extra cool stuff in there than we have ever accomplished earlier than. We even have, like, an AI-driven form of navigation system that gives you a GPS on the massive map to indicate you the road of the place you possibly can go.”
We’ll even have a brand new robotic companion, Echo-4, in addition to different instruments that assist with navigation, he stated, ending the phase by asking followers to belief Gearbox on the difficulty for now.
“Look, we’re open to eager about issues sooner or later,” he stated, “however play the sport first and perceive the alternatives we have made, and I believe you may see and perceive once you notice how massive this world is and the way enjoying the sport on this planet is healthier than enjoying the map.”
The panel additionally included new particulars on Borderlands 4’s vault hunters, weapons, and new motion talents, in addition to the anticipated energetic hype-building from Pitchford.
Gearbox just lately introduced a barely earlier launch date for Borderlands 4 than was beforehand set—it’s going to be out this 12 months on September 12—and Pitchford reiterated through the panel that the date change displays the studio’s confidence within the sport.
“We’re on offense, you guys,” he stated. “Generally we’re like, white-knuckling to the touchdown, ? And we have loads of work to do. We’re working our asses off. However the momentum is insane. The speed is insane. I do not assume we have ever been in a greater spot this removed from launch as we’re with Borderlands 4.”
