The Level Matching Mechanic in Dead Island 2 Might Just Change How Borderlands Approaches Weaponry in Its Upcoming Installment
Dead Island 2 and the anticipated Borderlands 4, despite their distinct premises, share remarkable similarities. Both games feature four-player co-op gameplay, powerful character control, and a vibrant sense of humor across their characters. Additionally, the focus on loot constantly drives players to swap out their weapons in Borderlands’ Pandora and frequently change melee gear in Dead Island 2’s Hell-A. However, Dead Island 2 introduces a groundbreaking mechanic: players can maintain attachment to their weapons without the fear of them becoming obsolete.
In Dead Island 2, despite the sheer volume of weapon drops, players can hold on to a cherished weapon rather than feeling compelled to constantly swap it out. If they find a Kukri or Claws with appealing perks and stats, they can ensure its viability at their current level with a simple process involving in-game currency. Borderlands could significantly benefit from adopting this mechanic in its next installment.
Level Matching from Dead Island 2 for Borderlands’ Loot System
Present Issue in Borderlands: Discarding Quality Weapons
Borderlands presents a situation where obtaining numerous weapons is common due to the multitude of options available. However, players often hesitate to part with the best guns they acquire. Legendaries, known for their potency and various stat variations, tend to lose relevance as players level up. This leads to a scenario where players might need to find a better version of a gun they already possess, creating an unnecessary grind that level matching could effectively address.
Note: The problem of gear becoming outdated in Borderlands isn’t limited to reaching the base game’s level cap; it extends to DLC releases. As the level cap increases, weapons previously farmed for at lower levels lose their effectiveness.
Implementing Level-Matching in Borderlands 4
Dead Island 2’s level matching system, which uses in-game currency similar to Borderlands, could seamlessly integrate into the Borderlands universe. In Borderlands 4, players could potentially upgrade a weapon’s level to match their current standing. Holding down a button on an item could facilitate its level scaling up, ensuring its stats align with the player’s current level. This wouldn’t eliminate the grind, which is integral to the Borderlands experience, but it would spare players from farming for the same items repeatedly.
Borderlands 4 might introduce methods to elevate base game gear to match the player’s current difficulty level, necessitating additional resources. Options could include using Eridium, merging with higher-quality copies of the weapon, or demanding substantial in-game currency. With limited uses for Eridium and money in Borderlands 3 post-cosmetic purchases, utilizing them for weapon level matching in BL4 could maintain their relevance throughout the game.
