Borderlands 3 features a new array of Vault Hunters eager to take on the next challenge in the Borderlands franchise. While you’re going to see plenty of familiar faces, the four characters have something unique about them. They play differently than the previous Vault Hunters we’ve seen in the last games, and here’s the break down of who you should play based on their abilities and preferred playstyle.
Vault Hunter Playstyles in Borderlands 3
Amara “The Siren”
A unique type of character in the Borderlands universe is the Siren. There can only ever be six Sirens in the universe. They are a group of women adorned with flashy, colorful tattoos and come packed with strange powers. Every Borderlands game has had a Siren as a playable character so far, and Amara stands out as potentially the toughest among them. Previously, the Sirens got associated as the support or healing role. Now, though, Amara is set to change up that previous dynamic.
She’s not going to serve well for anyone interested in playing the game long-range. She’s all about getting in an enemy’s face and fighting them as close as possible. Several of her Siren abilities focus on enhancing her melee attacks and giving her talents to do damage up close. Amara summons six magical arms that surround her, fighting back enemies with them Amara’s skills have an elemental edge to them. However, she can change what element she’s attacking with, meaning she can optimize to face any foe, regardless of their weakness. If you’re looking for a close-range powerhouse, Amara is your ideal choice.
FL4K
Want to play the game alone, but still want to take a pal with you to watch your back while you deal damage for a safe distance? FL4K, the loveable robot does precisely that. FL4K serves as the hunter class, with a series of pistols he fires from long-range, with the usual sniper rifle choice, as well. What makes FL4K unique are the three different pets he can summon to assist him in combat. These change based on what skill tree you go down. There’s the Spiderant Centurion for the strictly Hunter tree, the Guard Skag for the Master tree, and the Jabber Sidekick for the Stalker. Each has a different playstyle, granting FL4K access to different skills to help synergize with the pet from the distinct tree.
He specializes with landing critical hits and focusing on a single target. The pet he summons provides ample support as he tears through the individual enemies, taking them at a steady rate. For those who feel like they want to tackle the game by themselves, you’re going to feel right at home with FL4K. You’re going to have to balance the pets he summons, learning which of them you’re going to need for any given combat situation.
Moze
Do you want to take the most hits on the team and stand in front of the fire, handling every enemy on the battlefield? Moze may fit your playstyle if you find yourself assuming the role as a tank. She’s the gunner class, meaning she’s designed to have the biggest, most dangerous guns of the group. Like her previous iterations in the game, she has a turret. But Moze’s turret, the Iron Bear, is slightly different in that instead of having a stationary unit to rely on, this massive gun comes with a pair of legs. It’s a mobile gun that Moze can add specific weapons to it through her various skill trees.
The guns you can equip to the Iron Bear are as endless to the number of weapons you can loot in the game. You can fit railguns, miniguns, grenade launchers, flamethrowers, punching fists of doom, and rocket launchers to reflect your array of wild, crazy weapons. Moze is going to suit players who want to see plenty of explosions, while also having the ability to climb into the Iron Bear, crushing your enemies in front of you while your team follows your lead.
Zane
For those who like to stick to the shadows and have a sneaky edge to your gameplay, Zane’s stealth and clever technology give you the exact style of play you’re looking to engage. For those played Borderlands 2 and fell in love with the silent assassin, Zer0, you’re going to feel right at home with Zane. Not only does he prefer the same weapons, but he also summons a holographic projection of himself to draw aggression from his enemies while sneaking around the side to perform a counterattack. The two feel similar when you compare the smaller details about them.
However, unlike Zer0, you can remove your use of grenades for one of the other abilities from your skill tree. Now, you’re not limited to the single hologram to distract enemies. You can use the hologram to distract your foes and summon a forcefield to protect your new position as your enemies attempt to shoot at you. Or, instead of the forcefield, you bring out a drone to cause even more disturbances in the fight, given Zane a more significant advantage. He’s going a squishy character to play. Those who pick this character might want to go with a friend because you might struggle against some of the stronger bosses if Zane can’t properly reposition during a fight.
Borderlands 3 releases for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on the Epic Games Store on Sept. 13.
