We have an in-depth preview of our time spent playing Borderlands 3 and interviewing a couple of Gearbox developers, but there are a few interesting pieces of information that didn't make the final cut there. They are as follows.
1. Gearbox increased the amount of gore
When I spoke with Producer and Senior Project Manager Chris Brock, I asked him if they took any fan feedback into account when developing Borderlands 3, and his answer kind of surprised me. According to Brock, they dialed up the gore in Borderlands 3 after hearing that that they reduced it too much in Borderlands 2. Brock noted this isn't because people are monsters or anything like that, he just believes it's because people wanted more visual feedback on when they've killed enemies.
2. Gearbox discussed the possibility of guns leveling with players
The studio ultimately decided against this because they did not want players to get attached to just one gun, but they considered the option. They want players to experiment with weapons and come across new ones that they'll end up loving. It's unclear if this discussion was just a passing thought or if Gearbox seriously considered the feature, but it is interesting nonetheless thinking about how different the game could have been.
3. You do not need to be on Sanctuary III to fast-travel between planets
For anyone worried about needing to be on Sanctuary III in order to fast-travel between planets, don't be. According to Brock, players will be able to fast travel to any planet from any other planet. So although Sanctuary III serves as your space ship, you don't physically need to be on it if you want to hop to another planet.
4. Gun banks to share between characters return
I also asked if we'd have another gun bank like in previous titles where we could share guns between characters. Brock confirmed that a gun bank is returning, but the capacity, unfortunately, will be limited. Brock said the limit will be server space related.
5. Gearbox is not thinking of VR or next-gen releases
Brock said that there are currently no discussions about bringing Borderlands 3 to next-gen consoles, nor are there plans for a VR release at this time. What Brock did tell me was that a next-gen release for Borderlands 3 would mostly be dictated by ensuring that the engine and game are future-compatible, so he didn't rule it out completely.
Prepare for the fight of the galaxy
Borderlands 3 delivers more of everything that made the series so good and looks to be worth the wait. Fans should get to experience it for themselves this September, when it is expected to be released.
