Borderlandshas been one of the more successful first-person shooter franchises since its inception, with its installments consistently hitting the mark with fans and critics. With previous entries performing so well,Borderlands 4may be under even more pressure to deliver high-quality gaming experiences to players, but one visionary feature fromBorderlands 3could make Gearbox Software’s task a little easier. The Mailbox allowed players to send weapons to their friends in-game, helping to foster a much-welcomed sense of community, and theBorderlandsfranchise could take the element to the next level with a few tweaks.
Expanding the abilities of a popular mechanic can be tricky to navigate, as developmental changes can easily alter the elements that drew applause from the consuming public, but the developer has a unique opportunity to develop the Mailbox feature that tookBorderlands 3community by storm. In prior editions,Borderlandsplayers could only share guns through the co-op mode, which entailed both players being online simultaneously and consisted of one dropping the weapon and another picking it up. This element wasn’t the most convenient for community gameplay, so Gearbox Software introduced the Mailbox feature with therelease ofBorderlands 3, facilitating the movement of weapons between friends even when they were not playing together. To further advance the feature, the developer could add a trading system that allows players to barter.
RELATED:Borderlands 4 Shouldn’t Sideline One Character Like in Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3’s Mailbox Has Untapped Potential
While the Mailbox was a step in the right direction for higher-quality gameplay, one area for improvement is the mechanism’s capacity. InBorderlands 3, players could only send one weapon or item to friends at a time, a limitation that could become frustratingly repetitive if multiple “transactions” needed to be done. Despite this rather primitive constraint, the feature gained a wildly popular status among fans due to its newness - a mark of innovation by Gearbox. However, players will not overlook the one-item limit so easily inBorderlands 4- especially after waiting so long for the installment - and the developer needs to eliminate this issue and incorporate an increase in the Mailbox’s ability to transfer items between players.
Asides from the easily identifiable upgrade to the Mailbox’s capacity, Gearbox Software could introduce a full-blown trade system toBorderlands 4. Popular sportsgames likeMaddenUltimate Teamhave since brought this technology into the fold, with thousands of its player base using the feature with every new edition. The Ultimate Team trade system fosters communication among its player base - somethingBorderlandscould use more of going forward, albeit with a few rules governing trade. Through the years, EA Sports used a few rules to safeguard players from the risk of being shortchanged in their transactions, andBorderlandscould implement something similar in its upcoming installment.
Replicating Ultimate Team’s successful formula, transactions don’t always have to operate in an “eye for an eye” fashion, and Gearbox could employ different techniques to ensure smooth trading in its player base. First among these, of course, iseridium - one ofBorderlands' currencies. Most games with trading systems encourage players to purchase items with in-game money alone, although the associated price tag is often hefty for the average user to cough up.
To ease the trade fee inBorderlands 4, Gearbox should allow gamers to swap multiple weapons for others, letting the forces of demand and supply take their natural place. To ensure items don’t go on the cheap, legendary weapons on the market could require a minimum bid. With such measures in place and the enhancement of the Mailbox feature,Borderlands 4’s gameplayshould already be exponentially more enjoyable than its predecessor, although fans will surely still be expecting more improvements.
Borderlands 3is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
