Borderlands 4‘s second Story Pack is called FL4K and the Last Resort and it is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a new Borderlands expansion. There is a new map to explore, a bunch of new weapons to experiment with, and a handful of new boss encounters. All in all, it includes enough content to justify spending another few hours shooting everything that moves while constantly checking whether the gun that just dropped is better than the one you’ve been using for the last ten minutes.
Providence is the new map introduced in Story Pack 2, and it is one of the highlights of the expansion. The tropical setting gives the DLC a visual identity that provides a change of scenery from that seen in the base game and allows the art direction to shine. Littered with lush jungles, extravagant architecture and the bones of ancient behemoth beasts, the environment is a feast for the eyes. Along with the striking set dressing, Providence is also a lot of fun to explore, with tons of verticality and open spaces which take advantage of Borderlands 4‘s movement mechanics. These spaces also give players a range of different options when it comes to choosing how to approach each combat encounter.
With all of that said, this is a Borderlands expansion, so the main thing that matters is how well the core loot and shoot experience works here. Thankfully, the gunplay remains one of the experience’s strongest qualities. I chose to play as C4SH – one of Borderlands 4‘s DLC Vault Hunters – and I found the shooting mechanics to feel just as responsive and tight as you would expect from a Gearbox FPS game. Firearms feel good to use, movement feels pretty fluid and there’s a satisfying rhythm and weightiness to switching between different guns, reloading, and utilizing abilities when you are fighting.
FL4K and the Last Resort doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it also doesn’t need to. Borderlands has spent years refining this tried-and-tested formula, and it works well. The real hook, as always, is the loot. You’re constantly finding new weapons, while you play, leading to you comparing stats, swapping out your current loadout and wondering whether that gun you just picked up might completely change the way you’re approaching combat. Story Pack 2 leans heavily into that dynamic cycle, adding two new Pearlescent weapons alongside 18 pieces of Legendary gear and six Legendary Class Mods.
And some of the new weapons are ridiculously fun to play with. For example, The Astonisher is a Ripper shotgun that consumes its entire magazine with every shot, with its damage increasing based on how much ammunition you’re burning through. It’s a simple idea, but it gives the weapon a completely different rhythm from a conventional shotgun.
Then you’ve got weapons like Lovelorn, a Tediore assault rifle that can spawn automated kill drones to help you mow down enemies. There is also the Hand Frag, which adds a shotgun blast when you reload, and Fourier’s Malady, which throws copies of itself when fired. There’s Avarice too, which is an Order assault rifle that literally spends your money every time you pull the trigger in exchange for increased damage.
These make for some of the most refreshing elements of the DLC, and they provide a good reason for seasoned players to return to Borderlands 4 to check out the expansion. The unpredictability of the loot adds a level of spontaneity and that is where FL4K and the Last Resort excels, keeping things feeling exciting even after you’ve spent countless hours shooting your way through Pandora and beyond.
Numbers and stats are obviously important, but the most memorable weapons have an identity of their own. It would be easy enough just to look for whatever gun has a higher damage figure, but if you play that way then you are severely limiting yourself and missing out. The enemies you are fighting through are less remarkable, though. I played through the expansion solo and rarely found it to feel particularly challenging unless I was caught outside of cover and suddenly overwhelmed and outnumbered. The enemies have some visually cool designs, but I never felt they fundamentally changed how I approached combat.
However, that’s not necessarily a major problem here. The DLC’s enjoyment comes from the combination of movement, gunplay, abilities and loot, and that core loop keeps you on your toes and remains remarkably addicting.
The plot here is similarly safe, it is perfectly functional, but it doesn’t do anything that fans of the genre haven’t seen before.
FL4K himself felt a little one-note to me as a character, but Mr. Chew is an entertaining companion and the basic premise works. There is a reason the “man risks life and limb to rescue his dog” formula has been used so many times. Give the player something they immediately want to protect and you’ve got an easy, legitimate motivation to base the rest of the narrative around.
The writing also fits comfortably within the James Gunn/Guardians of the Galaxy-style tone that has become synonymous with Borderlands. It’s witty enough, energetic enough and self-aware enough to keep the momentum going, but it never challenges the conventions of the series.
And that’s basically how I felt about FL4K and the Last Resort overall. I liked it but I didn’t love it, simply because there isn’t anything here that blew me away. It is fun enough to kill a few hours with and I didn’t encounter anything that I particularly disliked or found frustrating. It’s safe, polished and perhaps a bit shallow, but that’s not necessarily a dealbreaker for long-time fans of the series when the fundamentals are this enjoyable.
I don’t go to Borderlands to have my worldview challenged. I’m playing it for fast-paced dumb fun. To enjoy the ridiculous guns, tight shooting mechanics and colourful worlds packed with things to kill and loot. FL4K and the Last Resort understands that perfectly.
