On paper, Google Stadia’s release window lineup is impressive, consisting of highly-rated triple-A experiences likeRed Dead Redemption 2,Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Gearbox Software’s big looter-shooterBorderlands 3. But a big problem with these games is that many of them have been available on other platforms for months if not years, and it’s likely that everyone that has wanted to play them has already done so. The draw of a Stadia port is to give these games portability that they otherwise lack, with players able to take them on the go and play them basically anywhere with a stable Internet connection. So it boils down to whether or not this is enough to convince players to double dip, and while it may make sense for some games, it’s highly unlikely thatBorderlands 3fans will be satisfied by the Stadia version.
One of the biggest issues with theBorderlands 3Stadia portis that it’s outdated compared to other versions of the game, missing various quality of life improvements, balance changes, and content updates available elsewhere. And if theBorderlands 3Stadia port fails to drum up much interest, it’s hard to see Gearbox Software seriously supporting it for the long run. Considering this, it’s easy to see a scenario whereBorderlands 3on Stadia is constantly lagging behind its console and PC counterparts, making it a questionable investment.
There are also some Stadia-exclusive issues to mention, including occasional lag and framerate dips when playing on a wireless connection. When testingBorderlands 3’s Stadia port on a wired connection using a PC, there were zero issues, including no input lag to speak of. But if playingBorderlands 3on Stadia without any issues requires one to use a wired Internet connection, then they might as well just get the PC or console versions.
Really it’s hard to understand who the target audience is for theBorderlands 3Stadia port. There are no cross-saves, meaning that dedicatedBorderlands 3players can’t take their established characters on the go. There’s no cross-play, so while some may be able to use theStadia Buddy Passto get their friends to play, the more likely scenario is that Stadia owners will be experiencingBorderlands 3as a solo adventure. WhileDestiny 2on Stadia doesn’t support cross-play either, it at least supports cross-saves, so it’s a lot easier to see why some fans may double dip in that case, but there are no extra incentives forBorderlands 3players to buy the game for a second time.
One scenario is that there may be some people who are boycotting theBorderlands 3PC version and may get the Stadia port in the meantime. For those that don’t remember,Borderlands 3is exclusive to the Epic Games Storeon PC for about a year, which has rubbed some Steam devotees the wrong way. Stadia provides a way for people who refuse to give Epic their money a chance to play the game on PC, but otherwise it seems mostBorderlands 3enthusiasts have no reason to pick up the Stadia version over other versions of the game.
Those that do decide the ability to play a laggierBorderlands 3on the go is worth the money will have to contend with some issues that have since been fixed in other versions of the game. As previously mentioned,Borderlands 3on Stadia is an outdated version of the game, meaning that things like being able toskip the opening cut-sceneare unavailable here. The beginning ofBorderlands 3in general is quite slow, taking around 15 minutes before players are even able to shoot a gun. It’s a bore to go back through these first few missions, especially for someone who has already played through the game with multiple characters.
Borderlands 3on Stadia is inferior for other reasons as well, mainly due to its lack of local co-op. It may already be a long-shot for Stadia users to find people to playBorderlands 3with online, as it doesn’t have the benefit of being a free Stadia Pro game likeDestiny 2was, and the lack of local co-op means that most people will likely be playing alone. The lack of split-screen co-op in theBorderlands 3Stadia port is especially disappointing sinceStadia’s local co-op capabilitiesare impressive, and it would have been nice to see them implemented in a game like this.
With all that being said, if one puts the Stadia-related issues and half-measures to the side, what they’re left with is still a solid and content-rich looter-shooter.Borderlands 3is a fun game that will last Stadia players dozens of hours, especially if they attempt to complete all of the side quests and fully experience everything that it has to offer. It’s certainly the worst way to play throughBorderlands 3, but if one has never played the game before and are going in completely fresh, they will still get a significant amount of quality playtime from the Stadia version.
As previously mentioned, the Stadia version ofBorderlands 3runs perfect on a wired connection. We were able to crank up the stream quality as high as it would go and had no performance issues whatsoever. The technology behind Stadia is still quite impressive, and there’s a certain novelty to being able to play a massive game likeBorderlands 3instantly without having to download anything. So it’s not really Stadia’s fault that it’s the worst way to playBorderlands 3- the blame lies at the feet of the developers for releasing a shoddy port that simply can’t measure up to the other versions of the game.
In future, theBorderlands 3Stadia port should improve as Gearbox releases quality of life updates that the other versions of the game already have and new content is added. TheMoxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot DLCis particularly good, and that will give those who decide to buyBorderlands 3on Stadia plenty of new high quality content to play through once they’ve wrapped up the base game. And maybe if cross-saves are implemented, as has been done in other Stadia games, theBorderlands 3Stadia port may become a much more appealing prospect. As it stands, though, it doesn’t make sense for players to bother with the Stadia port when objectively higher quality versions of the game are available on other platforms.
Borderlands 3is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. Game Rant was provided a Stadia code for this review.
