Every Borderlands game ranked in 2024 from worst to best

Can you take a looter shooter video game — where the plot is thin, bullets fill 99% of the screen, and for every line of dialogue spoken, at least seven raiders get shot or blown into pieces — and make it into a movie? Surprisingly, yes, you can! Whether it’ll be a hit or a total disaster is another story, but that didn’t stop director Eli Roth from taking on the challenge with the Borderlands movie.

The movie has been out for a while, and the reviews, unfortunately, have been quite a mixed bag. Some viewers found it to be a “pretty decent adaptation,” but the majority seem to feel otherwise. Reactions range from a desperate “No…” — very much like Claptrap’s encounter with stairs — to a dramatic “SHOOT ME IN THE FACE! IN THE FAAAAAAAACE!” – a fitting homage to Borderlands 2’s beloved psycho, Face McShooty. We’ve seen the movie, too, and while we try to be objective and find the silver lining, we have to admit – that it didn’t quite satisfy our craving for the mayhem-filled, chaotic adventures on Pandora.

But we’re not here to slag the movie to pieces, at least not entirely. Instead, let’s lock, load, and dive back into the franchise to establish the best Borderlands game – in case you want to revisit the series before the film. So, grab your craziest guns, check your skill trees, and prepare for a mayhem-fueled ride through the Vault-hunting madness!

What is the best Borderlands game?

If you’ve only recently tuned into the BL franchise, you might be surprised to discover just how many different genres it sprawls across. Sure, the backbone of the series lies in the three main, over-the-top shooters that everyone knows and loves. But there are also spin-offs, including narrative-driven adventures where words do more damage than bullets, and even a bold, though extremely off-target, foray into mobile RTS territory. 

Without further ado, we present to you every standalone, major Borderlands game ranked in 2024.

8. Borderlands Legends

(source Scott Nichols)

We kick off our ranking of every Borderlands game with a title that might be unfamiliar to even some of the most die-hard fans: Borderlands Legends. This mobile RTS experiment was released in 2012, only to quietly vanish from the App Store just four years later. The game put us in command of the original characters  — Roland, Brick, Mordecai, and Lilith — and sent them through repetitive, kill-them-all missions that, unfortunately, felt more like a grind than the usual mayhem-packed fun. Plagued by a slew of bugs, a lack of content, and generally lackluster execution, Legends earned poor reviews, leading to its swift demise.

What’s truly disappointing is the squandered potential. We totally believe that, with a bit more love, care, and an extra sprinkle of that classic chaos, a real-time strategy and RPG hybrid set on the wild Pandora planet could have been a vault full of riches. Instead, Borderlands Legends fell short, missing the chance to forge a new path for a tactically-focused spin-off series.

7. New Tales from the Borderlands

Gearbox may be experts at creating chaos-driven, loot-based FPS games, but when it comes to narrative-focused projects, their success can be hit or miss. Case in point: New Tales from the Borderlands. As the story-driven successor to the beloved original Tales, it lands in the ninth spot on our ranking for a reason — it just doesn’t recapture the same magic.

Don’t get us wrong though – the New Tales from the Borderlands is not completely devoid of entertainment. The story follows three unlikely heroes: Anu, an idealistic scientist; Octavio, a street-smart slicker; and Fran, a frozen yogurt shop owner with a grudge. Their misadventures in the war-torn world of Promethea did occasionally make us laugh and feel interested. However, weaker writing, a barrage of tedious mini-games and QTEs, and a rushed final episode keep the game from reaching the same heights as its predecessor. So, if you are a die-hard fan of the original, New Tales might still be worth your time. But if you decide to skip this one, you won’t be missing anything groundbreaking.

6. Borderlands The Pre-Sequel

You can play as Claptrap — 11/10, ranking’s over, go home! 

Well, while we wish it were that simple, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a bit more complex, offering a mix of the good and the not-so-good within the Borderlands series. The game sticks to the tried-and-true formula of chaotic gunplay, explosive mayhem, and relentless stuff gathering that we adore. It also tries to keep things exciting by adding some fresh twists, like setting a big chunk of the action on Elpis, Pandora’s moon, where the gravity is more, well, “moon-like”. In addition, apart from bullets, grenades, and teeth of your enemies, you now face a new, formidable foe – breathing. Or, the lack of it, if you run out of oxygen. But what really sets The Pre-Sequel apart is its story. Set between the events of BL1 and BL2, it delves into the origins of Jack, showing how he transformed into the unhinged villain we all love to hate. 

However, despite all of that, the game still feels a bit too much like BL2, lacking enough innovation to truly stand out. For that reason, we’ve given Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel a respectable position 6 in our ranking.

5. Borderlands

For all you cinephiles out there, here’s some intriguing info: the Borderlands game is the foundation for most of the characters in the Borderlands movie cast. You’ll encounter Roland, Lilith, Claptrap, and a slew of supporting characters like Moxxi, Marcus, and Dr. Tannis, all of whom make appearances in the film. So, if you want to see your favorite movie characters in their original gaming habitat, this is the place to go. And since it’s also the first entry in the franchise, it naturally holds a special spot.

However, a word of caution: while the first Borderlands was groundbreaking at its release, it hasn’t aged particularly gracefully. Although we can overlook outdated graphics, clunky user interface, and some technological limitations, other aspects are harder to ignore. The game can come across as somewhat repetitive, and the combat may not be as engaging as in the newer installments. The special powers of our Vault Hunters also seem lackluster compared to their more refined counterparts in later releases. We cherished the first Borderlands when it launched, but returning to it after enjoying the more modern entries might leave you feeling a bit disappointed.

4. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

We will unashamedly admit – at GG.deals, we have a soft spot for all tabletop and card games. That’s why, when it came to deciding which Borderlands game is the best, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands had us in a bit of a pickle. After all, it’s almost like stepping into a Dungeons & Dragons session! Only it’s called Bunkers & Badasses. And the famously unhinged Tiny Tina takes on the role of the Dungeon Master. Oh, the sweet chaos of fantasy – here we go!

If you haven’t ventured into Wonderlands and are worried it strays too far from the classic formula, don’t fret. In reality, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is essentially a re-skinned BL3, swapping out the sci-fi settings for a fantasy extravaganza. Instead of taking down psychos and robots, you’ll be unleashing mayhem upon goblins, undead, and other mythical baddies. Weapons, too, are reimagined to fit the fantasy theme, yet the game retains the franchise’s signature chaotic gameplay, so if you’re a fan – you’ll feel right at home. We almost slotted it in the top three, but ultimately, it felt a tad too close to BL3 to claim a higher spot.

3. Tales from the Borderlands

There’s something undeniably heartwarming and adventurous about movies where two polar opposites, thrown together by circumstance, end up becoming great partners — or even best buddies. That’s why we love films like Bad Boys (1995), Breaking Bad (2008), and even Zootopia (2016). This same dynamic is at the heart of Tales from the Borderlands, a narrative-driven game crafted by Telltale Games – the storytelling masters.

This beloved 2014-2015 episodic adventure puts us in the shoes of Rhys, an ambitious Hyperion employee, and Fiona, a sharp-witted con artist. The unlikely duo forms a shaky alliance for noble and altruistic reasons – just kidding! They want to find a legendary vault and become filthy rich and powerful. With an engaging story, believable characters, and the franchise’s signature humor, Tales from the Borderlands easily secures the number three spot on our ranking.

2. Borderlands 3

What if we took all the mayhem, humor, and loot that made our series iconic — and then just 10xed it? Was that the thought running through Gearbox’s minds when they embarked on creating Borderlands 3, we can only speculate. One thing is certain though: this installment embraces the classic sequels formula — more of everything!

Yes, Borderlands 3 introduces us to four brand-new characters, but each is more customizable than ever before, with not one but three unique abilities per character that significantly boost replayability. Yes, we start our vault-hunting escapade on the familiar grounds of Pandora planet, but this time, we visit other visually stunning planets as well! And don’t even get us started on the sheer number of weapons and upgrades, because, frankly, we stopped counting. Couple all of that with fantastic gunplay, a solid storyline, lovable characters, and top-notch graphics and sound design, and it’s easy to see why we love BL3 so much. After all, we’ve even added it to our list of the best looter-shooters! But, even it had to bow down to the winner of our ranking, which is…

1. Borderlands 2

There it is, ladies and gentlemen, the best Borderlands game and a surprise to precisely no one: Borderlands 2. This sequel introduces new characters — Axton, Maya, Salvador, Zer0, and through later DLCs, Gaige and our favorite, the delightfully unhinged Krieg, who even made it into the movie. These heroes band together to topple the silver-tongued, mildly deranged villain Handsome Jack, the tyrannical CEO of Hyperion, who dreams of making the world his personal playground.

There’s nothing we can say about Borderlands 2 that hasn’t already been shouted from the rooftops. It’s a single-player experience as addictive as searching for new guns – and the multiplayer makes it even better! The unrelenting insanity and relentless humor are the perfect recipe for making it one of the most exhilarating games ever. While it didn’t kick off the franchise, BL2 is undoubtedly the game that propelled the series to its legendary status and paved the way for a plethora of spin-offs and DLCs. If by some cosmic twist of fate, you haven’t played it yet, grab a great deal, rally some friends, and dive into one of the greatest co-op looter shooters ever crafted.

Everything we know about Borderlands 4 so far

Let’s finish this piece with a big BOOM, shall we?!

During Gamescom 2024, while promoting the Borderlands movie, 2K and Gearbox Software surprised fans even more by officially revealing Borderlands 4! Without giving away too much, we know that the end of Borderlands 3 witnessed a catastrophic event that Lilith heroically sacrificed herself to stop. However, the new Borderlands 4 trailer teases that things didn’t quite go according to plan, showing a planet – either Pandora or an entirely new one – getting blasted by meteorites. Based on the hints dropped by the developers, it seems more likely we’ll be exploring a brand-new planet!

And that’s not all. This time, we’ll be meeting four completely new Vault Hunters. How their journeys connect to the fates of our beloved returning characters is still a mystery. While details are scarce for now, one thing is clear: Gearbox isn’t planning to reinvent the wheel – Borderlands 4 will still be a co-op looter shooter at its core.

Regarding the Borderlands 4 release date, 2K has hinted at a launch during Take-Two’s Fiscal Year 2026, which translates to the second half of 2025. Of course, that’s subject to change. As for platforms, Borderlands 4 is confirmed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, and it will be available on both the Epic Games Store and Steam. However, there’s no word yet on PS4 or Xbox One, so last-gen console owners might be in for a disappointment.

That’s it for now, folks! We’d love to hear your thoughts on both the movie and the games in the comments below. Also, are you excited about Borderlands 4? We definitely are! Though there’s still a long wait ahead, we’ll be keeping a close eye on any new details and sharing them with you as they drop. Until then, may your adventures be epic, and may you discover every hidden vault!