Gaming Audio Spotlight: Borderlands 3
An overhauled sonic experience pushes this sequel well past its predecessors
Borderlands 3 sounds amazing. The long-running franchise isn’t explicitly known for its audio design; usually the cel-shaded visuals and over-the-top random weapons take center stage of presentation discussions. And that’s fair, honestly. While the sound package in the first several entries is competent, it changed little from game to game, with guns that sounded more like science fiction library sound samples than “real” armaments.
The third game kicks everything up several notches. Its sound mix is epic, explosive, and dynamic. Guns have a dramatic punch and snap that makes them feel more realistic and more frightening. The music is varied and sweeps across several genres while still hearkening back to a few classic twangy guitar themes from the original game. Voice work is well-recorded and far greater in amount, with the cast of player characters and enemies having a lot more to say out in the game world. And even the UI beeps have had an overhaul to make every button press and navigation a little bit more satisfying.
