Borderlands 4: Comprehensive Walkthrough and Game Guide

Borderlands 4 is the new installment in the looter-shooter series from Gearbox Software. You can expect the signature comic book style visuals, dynamic gameplay, and restrained humor, especially compared to the third installment. If you run into trouble during your playthrough, use our guide.

For those who are new to the series, we recommend checking out our list of tips for beginners. It will help you master Borderlands mechanics and avoid silly mistakes.

Immediately after the introductory cutscene, you will be prompted to choose who you will play as. We recommend choosing a character whose abilities match your combat tactics.

Follow Arjay and go down. Soon you will find yourself in a spacious room where synths will attack you. Aim for their heads. If an enemy is defeated, your crosshair will briefly turn into a red cross. At this stage, dying is not critical, since an ally will revive you if they're still alive at that moment. Don’t forget to search the crates around you to replenish your ammo. When the last robot falls, take the repair kit from Arjay. This is the local equivalent of medkits.

Go up the stairs. Here, you will be prompted to use double jump for the first time. It can also come in handy during combat, allowing you to flank enemies or shoot them mid-air. Take out the enemies on the right and enter the next room. In the box in the center of the room, you'll find a pistol that's noticeably stronger than your first weapon. You can temporarily make it your primary firearm. To do this, put the handgun in your quick access slot. Search the lockers and press the red button.

Run to the large gates and head outside. Move forward along the fence topped with barbed wire. Take out another group of synths and jump down. Here, you'll face enemies that shoot electricity. Try to dodge their attacks and aim for their heads.

Arjay will give you a grappling hook. It lets you pull yourself to certain points in the level. Like the double jump, this ability can be used during combat to gain an advantage. Use the grapple point to climb higher. Then descend down the steep slope.

Get to dry land. You need to find a rock illuminated by torches. Approach it, crouch, and squeeze through the narrow passage.

On the other side, reach the ledges and climb up. Use the double jump if necessary. You’ll have to fend off wild animals known as Biters. They only attack at close range, so it’s best to keep your distance and shoot them from afar. Climb higher over the rocks and run to the left. Cross the chasm over the trunk of a fallen tree, then talk to Arjay.

Run after the guy, killing Biters along the way. Eventually, you’ll reach a small arena with synths. The greatest danger here comes from shock engines that hit at close range. Try to kill them from a distance. On the left, there are three crates with ammo inside. After defeating the robots, climb up to the next platform.

Use the grappling hook to climb the rock and open the Crimson Resistance cache. There you’ll find an energy shield. This is the local equivalent of temporary armor, like in the Halo series. It absorbs damage and regenerates after a few seconds. However, if the bar runs out, your health will start to decrease. If possible, try to avoid this. Jump down and approach Arjay.

Enter the building. Unfortunately, almost all the prisoners are dead, so you’ll have to act on your own. Head outside and move toward the vehicle. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use it. Instead of leaving the prison grounds, you’ll have to fight the first truly strong enemy in the game.

If you have a weapon that deals corrosive damage (yellow color), switch to it. When the boss’s armor bar is depleted, switch to a pistol or assault rifle with fire damage (red color). The warden will periodically summon synths for help. You won’t be able to kill them all, as they arrive in endless waves. We recommend killing most of those already in the arena, then focusing your fire on the boss.

You can dodge his attacks. Try to hide behind cubes and aim straight for the head. If you get shot, Arjay won’t be able to help you anymore. However, even in this case, all is not lost — just kill an enemy, and you’ll get back on your feet. It’s best to keep track of the robots’ locations with your peripheral vision, so if you’re critically wounded, you can empty a whole magazine into one of them.

After defeating Vredd, be sure to loot his body. In addition to firearms, pick up the grenades. They serve as extra weapons that will help you in battles against groups of enemies and bosses. If you wish, you can swap them out for throwing knives. Help Arjay get back on his feet. After the cutscene, the mission will end and you’ll find yourself in the open world.

Claptrap will give you a tour of the Crimson Resistance base. Just follow him. Along the way, you can shoot at flying Kratches for experience and progress toward various achievements. Then, you’ll be attacked by the familiar psychos from the series. The best option is to keep them at a distance and shoot them from afar. After that, head to the clearing with the big tree and take out the Biters roaming the open area. The greatest threat is the seasoned predator, so don’t let it get close enough to strike with its paw.

Climb up the rusty grate. During the next battle, shoot the Twitchers first. Then turn to the right and clear the grotto of enemies. With the grappling hook, you can pull fuel canisters toward you and throw them like grenades. They’ll come in handy during the fight with the reckless psycho giant, who deals massive damage in close combat. When you’re done, jump down to the reservoir.

Climb higher using the iron grates. Your goal is to reach the arena located on the island. To do this, move right to the metal bridge and jump to the other side. A fight with the second boss awaits you.

In terms of behavior, the brute is similar to the reckless psycho. Keep your distance and shoot him in the head with a weapon that deals fire damage. Make sure you always have room to maneuver and don’t let yourself get cornered. Kill regular enemies as needed or if you need to revive after taking a boss hit. If you dodge his attack, you’ll have a chance to get a couple shots in, after which you should quickly retreat.

When Breakwater drops dead, examine his body. Your story objective is to take the Twitcher chest key. But this boss also drops some decent weapons, especially for the early game. Then open the container marked on the map. This will give you access to a jetpack. With it, you can glide through the air. Reach the edge of the arena and fly to the other side. To do this, perform a double jump and then glide.

Pay attention to the chest on the right. You’ll find a decent weapon there. Return to where you first encountered the Kratches and fly to the isolated rock. Jump onto the ledge and run to the iron grate. Fight off the Biters and climb up. Use the grappling hook to get onto the abandoned radio tower. You need to access the lift. To do this, search the body behind the elevator. Then press the button.

Wait for Claptrap to finish hacking, then shoot the door. Approach the computer on the left and take the access codes. All that’s left is to activate the Shelter using the terminal.