Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelwas an interesting game to say the least. While it is viewed by nearly everyone as a significant step-down fromBorderlands 2, it had its share of strengths, some of which the community continues to bring up years later.Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel’s grinder is brought up often, while many are still hoping that there will eventually be a payoff to whatever The Watcher was warning theVault Huntersabout. Further, though the game struggled at launch, the Claptastic Voyage DLC ensured it ended on a high note.
Great writing and a tragic ending for Claptrap helped set up his role inBorderlands 2, but they were far from the only upsides of the DLC. Glitched weapons were fun to use, the environments in Clatrap’s mind were interesting to explore, and the Cortex offered a replayable arena mode for those looking to challenge themselves. However, it is the brutally difficult final boss that stands out the most, and it is something that the rest of theBorderlandsseries should look toward for inspiration.
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Borderlands’ Final Bosses Are Often Far Too Easy
Shadowtrap’s Eclipse mech is more threatening than some ofBorderlands’ raid bosses, and that is a good thing. With a massive health pool, turrets to draw attention from the player and add some attacks, and a second form in EOS, there is a lot to overcome. A giant boss as tall as a building with a second form that sees it becoming a version of the Helios space station makes for an unforgettable visual as well, and players will likely die several times before they fell the boss.
Shadowtrap being so difficult to defeat just felt right, as he served as the true final boss ofBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel’s Claptastic Voyage DLCand the game as a whole. Unfortunately, the franchise has struggled to make its final boss fights difficult, as more often than not they feel like a cakewalk. With many players completing side quests, leveling up, and gathering good loot before they battle the last major enemy of the story, Gearbox should consider delivering more final boss fights on par with Eclipse and EOS.
It is not hard to find scenarios where final bosses inBorderlandswere too easy. In the original game, there was the Destroyer, a giant alien eye with minimal attacks and a clear weak spot.Borderlands 2’s Warrior was another spectacle fight without much challenge, and Lilith constantly warning that the lava was rising did not add much intensity to the experience. The Destroyer-powered Tyreen was a pushover, too, withBorderlands 3’s Troy Calypsoboss fight being far more memorable and feeling like an actual finale.
Unfortunately, easy final bosses have been seen across theBorderlandsexpansions as well. Outside the first game’s expansions, tough final bosses inBorderlandsDLCs are few and far between. Captain Scarlett was extremely easy inBorderlands 2, as was the Handsome Sorcerer. InBorderlands 3, the fight against the heart in Guns, Love, and Tentacles was too simple despite an interesting premise, and even though she was charismatic throughoutBounty of Blood, Butcher Rose was ultimately just another cakewalk. These are hardly the only examples, as the versions of Jack seen in the DLCs and the Psychoreaver are more evidence of the problem.
Obviously, there are a few exceptions, such as the Seer fromBorderlands 3’s Director’s Cutand General Knoxx from the Secret Armory in the first game. More often than not, though,Borderlands’ main campaigns and expansions are capped off by a fight that most players can finish in seconds. While not every boss needs to be a raid-level fight like Shadowtrap, that would still be preferable to the main villain of the DLC or campaign being weak. Hopefully, Gearbox learns from this to deliver some slightly tougher boss encounters inBorderlands 4.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelis available now on PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
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