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Borderlands 3 (2009) is a shooting game played with friends or solo to defeat enemies and loot ancient vaults in outer space. This unique setting and story, which it shares with the other Borderlands games, in addition to its unique art style and integration of split-screen or online multiplayer into its main campaign, create a unique experience that makes it stand out.

You play a vault hunter on the fantasy world of Pandora. After decades of unsuccessful, large-scale attempts to uncover the treasures from the vaults, the planets' inhabitants, the Eridians, have gone all but insane. Only a few solo vault hunters, such as yourself, now remain in hope of uncovering the treasure that yet lies hidden.

You choose one of the four classes, each with different strengths, and complete missions given to you by characters or put up on bounty boards. In return, you receive experience and currency you can use for upgrades and buying items.

Gameplay consists of shooting enemies and receiving loot from them and the chests scattered about the map. Loot includes randomly generated weapons, that vary in ammo capacity, damage, and other key areas, giving the game over a billion possible gun variations. You can also find perks that can give you the edge; destroy enemies with fire, ice, and other elemental powers. Whether you choose to play alone or with friends, there is significant strategy involved in picking the best weapons and perks, and also in finding cover and preventing damage to your character while still dealing damage to enemies.

On the PlayStation 5 version, you can make use of Activity cards, which allow you to quickly jump into any given area of the game. This makes it easier to replay missions you enjoy, or go back to an area to find a secret in as few button presses and as little time as possible.

There have been several Borderlands games that have released over the years on several different platforms:
  • Borderlands (2009) PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, Mac and PC.
  • Borderlands 2 (2012) PS3, PS Vita, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, Mac and PC.
  • Borderlands Legends (2012) iOS
  • Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014) PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, Mac and PC. only available on PS4, Xbox One and Switch through The Handsome Collection, called the Legendary Collection on Switch, which collects both this game and Borderlands 2.
  • Tales from the Borderlands (2014) PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, Mac, PC, Android and iOS.
  • Borderlands 3 (2020) Pc, Mac, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 and PS5.

Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Borderlands 3 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 13 months ago.
Kids not old enough for this yet? There are lots of games similar to Borderlands 3 (Series). Here are some similar younger-rated games:

Play StylePlay Style

This is an Adventure and Shooting game with Action and Role-Play elements. You can play with 1 to 4 players in the same room or as a 4-player online game. You can join other people's games, and vice versa, to beat levels. The number of enemies and their difficulty scales with the number of players, so you're not at a disadvantage if you play on your own, but the teamwork and communication involved in cooperative gameplay may make it more manageable.

You can play 2 player split-screen on PS4/Xbox One and 4 player split-screen on Xbox Series X|S and PS5.

 
You can play this game in the following styles:

DurationDuration

Play Time: This game will take between 16 hours and 31 hours to complete.

Age RatingsAge Ratings

Content Rating

Rated PEGI 18 for Violence, Bad Language, Gambling and In-Game Purchases. This game contains frequent depictions of gross violence towards human-like characters. Some of the more powerful weapons found in the game can cause enemies to be decapitated and dismembered. These attacks are paired with strong blood and gore effects which cause pools of blood and body parts to build up on the floor. This game contains use of sexual expletives. The word “f*ck” and its derivatives can be found throughout. This game also contains moving images that teach and encourage the use of games of chance. The player is required to bet on a slot machine as part of a quest. After the quest is completed the player can continue to bet on the slot machines whenever they wish. A small bet must be placed each time for the chance to win money or items.
 
Users Interact: The game enables players to interact and communicate with each other, so may expose players to language usually associated with older rated games.

Rated for younger players in Australia. Rated Mature Accompanied (MA 15+) for Strong Violence, Strong Horror Themes, Strong Coarse Language, Online Interactivity.

Account Rating

  • You need PlayStation Plus to play online with PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita.
  • You need be 18-years-old to to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for online play, but can then configure family accounts for younger players to play online with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
  • You need be 18-years-old to subscribe to Nintendo Online, but can then create accounts for children of any age to play online with Nintendo Switch.
  • You need be 18-years-old to subscribe to PlayStation Plus for online play, but can create sub-accounts for younger players of 7-years or older to play online with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.

CostsCosts

Borderlands 3 usually costs £49.99 to £84.99. 

Borderlands 3

XBox Store Xbox One £59.99
PlayStation Store PS5 £59.99
PlayStation Store PS4 £59.99
Steam StoreSALE PC £49.99 £7.49 until 21/03/2024
XBox Store Xbox X|S -
Switch Store Switch -
App Store Mac -

Borderlands 3: Next Level Edition

XBox Store Xbox One £64.99

Borderlands 3: Super Deluxe Edition

XBox Store Xbox One £69.99
PlayStation Store PS5 £69.99
PlayStation Store PS4 £69.99

Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition

XBox Store Xbox One £84.99
PlayStation Store PS5 £84.99
PlayStation Store PS4 £84.99
There are the following additional costs associated with this game:
  • In-Game Purchases: Additional in-game purchases are offered for items that enhance the experience.
  • In-Game Pass: Purchase a season/battle pass to gain access to limited in-game purchases, reward items and other aspects of the game.
  • You need a subscription to play online:
    • You need Xbox Live Gold to play online with Xbox 360.
    • You need to purchase a Nintendo Online subscription to play online with Nintendo Switch.
    • You need to purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.
    • You need to purchase a Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
 
There are several versions of Borderlands 3, all of which differ slightly in what they offer:
  • The regular edition
  • The Super Deluxe Edition, which includes the season pass and digital extras.
  • The Ultimate Edition, which includes the above Super Deluxe Edition, the second season pass, and a skin pack.
  • The Director's Cut, which includes several extra missions.
  • The Designer's cut, which includes extra skill trees and a new game mode.

Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck is a piece of add-on content that adds to the story with new locations and missions.

All of these extras can be bought individually in the regular game as well. the season passes include this content as well (Season Pass 1 has the "Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck" add-on and some cosmetic items, Season Pass 2 has the Director and Designer cuts and more cosmetic items). 
 
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
 

DetailsGame Details

Release Date: 20/10/2009, updated in 2019

Price: 85% off

Out Now: Android, Mac, PC, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox X|S and iOS

Players: 1-4 (4 online)

Genres: Adventure, Shooting (Action and Role-Play)

Accessibility: 37 features

Components: 3D First-Person

Developer: Gearbox Official (@GearboxOfficial)


Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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