If you’re awaiting Borderlands 4 or simply want a palette cleanser, these games should be able to scratch a similar loot-driven itch.
Shooter-looter Borderlands 3 and, to a lesser extent, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are brimming with content, but some gamers can plow through even the beefiest games in a matter of days. For something to play between entries in the franchise, the following discussion will present several awesome games similar to Borderlands.
Given how unique Gearbox’s franchise is, none of the games listed are carbon copies, but they all share some elements with it, whether it be the art style, gameplay mechanics, or the addictive cycle of collecting better gear. Besides, trying to exactly replicate Borderlands is a foolish endeavor, since the series does it so well in the first place.
Grim Dawn
Dark Fantasy RPG With All The Loot
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store
Fans of Diablo‘s gameplay will love what Grim Dawn has to offer, with its simple yet engaging gameplay making it worth checking out for any fan of amazing action RPGs that focus on getting as much loot as possible. Many people may find this game to be pretty different from the Borderlands series in every way, with their tone, setting, and gameplay being quite different in many ways.
However, that patented dopamine rush that players feel when bagging a rare piece of loot in this game is pretty similar to the Borderlands series. The looter-shooter gameplay may be fun, but some fans can get tired of playing through titles with this same kind of gameplay over and over again… which is why a title like Grim Dawn can feel like a breath of fresh air!
Gunfire Reborn
Roguelite Shooter With Fun Loot System
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store
There’s no better title to try out for fans of Borderlands than a game that is clearly inspired by it, with Gunfire Reborn being a blast to play through for a group of friends who just want to share a good time together. The roguelike structure of this game means that players will never get bored with playing through this title over and over again.
The game has a palpable sense of progression that helps players feel extremely powerful once they kit themselves out with a bunch of upgrades and powerful weapons. Gunfire Reborn is an excellent title that deserves a ton of love, even if many people feel like the gameplay loop becomes tiring after a point.
Risk Of Rain 2
Fantastic Roguelite Third Person Shooter
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store | Green Man Gaming | Fanatical
There aren’t many games that nail a sequel as well as Risk of Rain 2 does… well, except maybe Borderlands 2. The first game is definitely fun in its own right, but the slew of improvements and refined gameplay Risk of Rain 2 brings to the table make it clear why this roguelite third-person shooter became so incredibly popular.
As the game gets more and more difficult with each level, players must engage in some tight teamwork and try to conserve their health as much as possible while dealing with powerful enemies. These deadly foes can take out the enemy in no time flat, making it imperative to purchase new weapons and improve existing ones to make them even more powerful!
Outriders
A Fun Co-Op Third Person Shooter
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store | Green Man Gaming
Whether something can be described directly as a live service game or simply a cooperative shooter with regular updates is sometimes hard to parse. Outriders certainly falls into this camp. The game is built around cooperative play and requires players to be online at all times, yet it has a fairly definitive campaign that can be finished within the length of most average shooters.
This can be good or bad depending on the type of gamer, but it is just good to know what type of game it is before going in. Updates and expansions have come out since its initial release, but it is nothing on the level of an average live service game. Like Borderlands, this is an adventure best done with friends.
Rage 2
Open-World + Doom-Style Gunplay
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store | Green Man Gaming | Fanatical
The sequel to Id Software’s 2011 FPS has the same dark charm as the cel-shaded shooter franchise. The brutally chaotic barren waste is looked at through a tongue-in-cheek lens.
A couple of principal differences between Rage 2 and Borderlands are the setting – a post-apocalyptic planet Earth – and the lack of multiplayer, so one will have to solo when destroying enemy camps. Avalanche Games worked in conjunction with Id on this project, giving it a similar open-world destructive flare to their Just Cause series.
Dead Island
Zombie Looter
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store | Fanatical
What happens if one takes the Borderlands formula and puts it in a morose zombie-infested atmosphere? It would probably look something like Dead Island.
Tackling the story and side quests can be done solo, but journeying through the ruined island paradise with friends is what really makes this game shine. Focus steers away from guns, and instead, players rely more on melee combat to beat down the undead hordes terrorizing people in Techland’s 2011 title. Firearms play a bigger part later on, however, and players even start battling humans, giving a sense of progression and variety.
Note!
Dead Island 2 is also a fun game, although it is much more streamlined than a typical Borderlands release.
Fallout 4
An Earth-Based Wasteland
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store | Green Man Gaming | Fanatical.
The older Fallout games are timeless classics, but Fallout 4 makes it on the list for the changes it makes to the formula. Instead of shaping the narrative through choices and ethical dilemmas, the 2015 game instead switches focus to exploration and combat.
Some bemoaned this change in identity, but it feels more like a dungeon crawler these days, making it more akin to Borderlands than the prior titles. Narrative and dialog still feature heavily throughout the story, though, so veteran fans aren’t left completely in the dust. If players are hankering for a multiplayer title, then they can jump into Fallout 76. This newer title had an admittedly rocky launch, but it has been much improved upon since its release and has plenty of content to devour with friends.
Destiny 2
Tight Gunplay, Plenty of Loot
Where To Buy Addons & DLCs: Kinguin | Fanatical | Green Man Gaming
Bungie’s ambitious multiplayer shooter took a while to find its footing, but now it’s in a better place than ever. Much of the content is free-to-play, meaning newcomers can enjoy dozens of gameplay hours before having to fork up a dime.
By then, its hooks will be so deep in the player, they won’t mind ponying up some cash to keep going. The distinct advantage Destiny has over other multiplayer shooters of its ilk is the near-perfect shooting mechanics. One would expect nothing less from the makers of Halo, after all.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Stuffed With Content & Lots Of Loot (Albeit Fairly Grounded)
Buy at: Kinguin | Xbox Store | Green Man Gaming
The first Division launched to a rough start, but the developer kept their heads down and worked to bring the product to quality. With The Division 2, they used all those lessons previously learned to give fans a great game out of the gate.
The ruined Washington DC setting makes for the perfect backdrop to the chaos occurring throughout the world. The multiplayer shooter has something for everyone. Newcomers tackle the story missions with friends, while hardcore players can spend their time in Dark Zones, where the stakes are high, but the loot is more valuable.
Remnant 2
Soulslike Co-Op Shooter
Buy at: Kinguin | Green Man Gaming | Fanatical
Soulslike games are, naturally, very different from Borderlands, but they tend to be decent picks if someone is craving loot. Unlike most of the entries in the subgenre, Gunfire’s Remnant focuses on ranged combat, with melee serving as a secondary option rather than the core appeal. As good as Remnant: From the Ashes is, its sequel is the better overall package, even if it did have some issues at launch. Remnant 2 sends players on a surprisingly varied adventure as they travel to different universes to fight the root, and each of these worlds has a unique aesthetic and enemies that set it apart from the rest.
With a few archetypes to pick from (along with unlockable ones), Remnant 2 emphasizes character customization and builds through a solid progression system and stat-based loot. While weapons and armor generally have to be purchased, players regularly pick up other items like amulets and rings that provide a wide range of benefits. It is not quite the same thing as Borderlands, but it works well enough. Crucially, Remnant 2 is a fantastic co-op option, to the point that the project is arguably designed around it. However, the game does not ignore solo players either.
Warframe
Free-To-Play Looter Shooter (& Slasher)
Buy Addons & DLCs at: Kinguin
This free-to-play title launched alongside the PlayStation 4, giving early adopters a constantly adapting game to try out. It is nearly unrecognizable from the first incarnation, with countless updates and expansions consistently giving fans more content to explore.
Whether one is into exploring open environments, player vs. player action, or cooperative experiences, Warframe offers something for every type of player. It does not look like the developer will slow the game down anytime soon, so now is as good a time as ever to jump in.
