Borderlands introduced a brand new paradigm in gaming: shooting and looting. There are games in history prior to Borderlands that combined these two mechanics.
However, this game was able to execute this with perfection, giving players a gameplay loop that never ends. Then it became a juggernaut of a franchise spawning numbered sequels, spin-offs within the same genre, or a totally different genre like the interactive adventure game, Tales from the Borderlands.
Below are 10 games that should trap you in a cycle of killing for loot and looting for kills, exactly what Borderlands had offered, be they in first-person perspective or an over-the-shoulder third-person one.
Borderlands Game Features
 Release Date: | October 20, 2009 |
 Developer: | Gearbox Software 2K Australia Telltale Games |
 Publisher: | 2K Games Telltale Games |
 Platforms: | PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360, OS X, PlayStation Vita, iOS, Linux, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 |
 Genre: | Action role-playing, first-person shooter |
 Setting: | Future, Space |
 Game Modes: | MultiPlayer |
1. Destiny 2
Destiny 2 is a first-person shooter which is more of MMORPG-lite rather than mostly a single-player affair with multiplayer aspect tacked on in the Borderlands series.
This game had its comparisons with Halo but only the gunplay and the general science fiction premise are the things that both games share. The looting and social aspect (not that there is no social aspect in Halo) is akin to MMORPGs rather than those team-based first-person shooters.
In Destiny 2, you build an avatar from one of three classes: Hunter, Titan, or Warlock. Every one of these three classes offers with it a variety of distinct movement and combat abilities.
The Hunter can call a supernatural gun, while a Warlock can shoot lightning from his fingertips like Darth Sidious.
Destiny 2 allows players to control their, for a lack of a better word, destiny. This game is not a straight-up shooter than has to follow a trail in a campaign.
Just like an MMORPG, you go about however you like. You can follow the story content or fight your way in multiplayer. Whatever progress you have, it will carry on wherever you are playing.
Back in 2019, the game followed the free-to-play structure with DLC campaigns as paid components. You can sink your teeth into countless hours of free content and decide later that you want the game all along and purchase each and every expansion.
Both Borderlands and Destiny share a lot in common: looting and shooting, addictive gameplay, and incredible polish. However, they do differ in a lot of significant things. Destiny 2 is a Games-as-a-Service (GaaS) with eternally changing content (until Bungie decides to sunset them).
Borderlands is a traditional game that has a rigid structure upon release, there may be DLCs but nothing too drastic to change the core of the game.
As of this writing, Destiny 2 has evolved into an entirely different game as compared to its release back in 2017. There is new content including a focus on PVE and Crucible. There are also modes that are new to the Destiny franchise including a season pass.
This may sound like it’s tedious and overwhelming, but that is the point of these looter shooters: reach the next power spike until you hit a wall and look again for the next big thing.
- Developer: Bungie
- Publisher: Activision, Bungie
- Release Date: September 6, 2017 (PS4, Xbox One) / October 24, 2017 (PC) / December 8, 2020 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC
2. Warframe
Just like Destiny 2, Warframe is a looter shooter, albeit from a third-person perspective, in a sci-fi setting. Both games are GaaS and are free to play, although the latter feature is Destiny 2’s recent character development.
Another differentiation of Warframe from Destiny 2 is that the former follows the in-game shop for its monetization.
All updates and content are free except for those weapons and classes available only in the in-game shop. The meaty parts of the Warframe are available to players at all times.
Every other looter shooter also has melee combat but not as satisfying as Warframe’s. In Warframe, take the role of the Tenno, an ancient warrior from a mythical past who can wield the titular Warframes.
You awaken in a desolate facility as a hostage of one of the three main Warframe universe factions, the Grineer.
The initial journey to liberate yourself delivers a glimpse of Warframe’s agile fighting as well as the game’s parkour movement.
These are the game’s focal point, and they are what set Warframe apart in a sea of looter shooters, as well as online-only multiplayer games.
Warframe includes nineteen worlds to explore, each of which has basic and straightforward quests unrelated to the overarching narrative of the game.
The game uses procedurally generated tilesets for the majority of the game. This means that the mission’s location of every player may be the same but it would look different in layout.
- Developer: Digital Extremes
- Publisher: Digital Extremes
- Release Date: March 25, 2013 (PC) / November 15, 2013 (PS4) / September 2, 2014 (Xbox One) / November 20, 2018 (Nintendo Switch) / November 26, 2020 (PS5) / April 14, 2021 (Xbox Series X|S)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC, Switch
3. PAYDAY 2
PAYDAY 2 is for Grand Theft Auto franchise fans out there who are not too keen on the cel-shaded art direction Borderlands took. Payday 2 is a mature co-op first-person shooter that immerses the player in high-stakes criminal activities.
Players partake in activities that will result in ultimate infamy. As they progress, they will gather a massive collection of completely configurable weapons, skills, and characters that will be synergized for the next robbery.
The game has seven levels of difficulty to ensure that even the most well-organized squad with a meticulous strategy is tested. PAYDAY 2 might be as difficult as Metroidvanias only this time misery loves company.
Coming off the story set by the original Payday: The Heist, PAYDAY 2 retains what the series is known for: Co-op heisting and looting.
The single-player component is an afterthought. You play this game with friends or strangers for maximum enjoyment.
Scarred mountainsides, lovely cities where the money falls from the sky, and numerous city blocks atop a parking garage are just a few types of playing locations in PAYDAY 2.
Smaller locations may be made up of a single multi-story building or multiple smaller structures that make up a block or so.
The heist may be totally indoors, partially indoors, half outdoors / half indoors, or entirely outdoors. Boats may also be the targets, even the White House is not safe from your criminal enterprise.
- Developer: Overkill Software
- Publisher: 505 Games
- Release Date: August 13, 2013 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) / June 16, 2015 (PS4, Xbox One) / February 27, 2016 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC
4. Shadow Warrior 2
Borderlands had its own style going. Compared to most shooters, it is lighthearted and does not take itself too seriously. Shadow Warriors 2 is the same too. The main difference is that Shadow Warriors 2 is a gore festival taking the path of Wolfensteins and DOOMs.
You control Lo Wang, the protagonist of Shadow Warrior 2. After the events of the first game, the world has been overtaken by demons. This time Lo Wang has become a mercenary, a funny mercenary that should make you squeal with laughter every now and then.
You’ll quickly get access to a plethora of weaponry, each of which feels fantastic to use. You have the usual sword, and make it two, as in dual swords.
Other weapons include axes, claws, and even a chainsaw katana that you’ll use to slice and dice your enemies. For the shooting department, there are assault rifles and SMGs, or go medieval with crossbows, and blast everything on site with rocket launchers and gauss cannons.
Using these weapons is incredible to due sound and visual feedback.
Enemies will often drop gems, which you may socket or remove from your weapons at any moment. Each of them enables you to routinely tweak your weapons with features such as elemental damage or a higher fire rate.
You’ll also receive rarer gems, which will let you dual-wield your SMGs or make your rockets break into little bits for more damage.
The effect of these gems varies from minor to major, but you can see it all in real-time, making hot-swapping components to obtain the right build entertaining.
- Developer: Flying Wild Hog
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Release Date: October 13, 2016 (PC) / May 19, 2017 (PS4, Xbox One)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC
5. Risk of Rain 2
The original Risk of Rain is a 2D sidescroller, and the sequel Risk of Rain 2 changed it all up as a 3D third-person shooter.
Some players may not like the direction the developers took for the sequel, but those craving more Borderlands game loops should take a sip of this amazing game.
In Risk of Rain 2, you begin each run as a hopelessly weak, ill-equipped survivor, placed into a bleak, strange world with no idea where you are or what’s going on. This game has rogue-lite elements but it is also incredibly focused on looting.
For every successful enemy kill, you earn some currency. The amount you earn would depend largely on how strong the fallen enemy is.
Stronger foes are equal to a greater amount of moolah. Risk of Rain 2 will have you overflowing with money since combat is always happening.
With all the currency you earn you can buy crates, kiosks, and boxes with varied loots to get. Items are varied and will net you with different effects.
Some items give you regeneration upon killing an enemy. Some items will give you armor-piercing rounds. Some items have effects that are more subdued like increased movement speed.
Risk of Rain 2 is also a challenging game, adding that to an addicting progression system, incredible combat, and splendid exploration largely due to the art style and enemy design, all of which are Borderland’s inherent strengths.
- Developer: Hopoo Games
- Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
- Release Date: August 11, 2020 (PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC, Switch
6. Outriders
Outriders’ launch was not disastrous due to its launch day connection issues but aside from that, it is an exceptional looter shooter. This game is also heavy on RPG elements too.
Outriders is a sci-fi game set on the planet Enoch. Enoch shares a lot of Earthly properties like lush environments, ice-stormed mountains, active volcanoes, and crawling rivers. This makes sense, since, in the game lore, Earth was devastated and mankind needed a new planet to live on.
Your character was betrayed and left for dead in the early colonization attempt of the planet. Luckily, you survived by being frozen for decades.
Your character can choose from the four characters: Trickster, Pyromancer, Devastator, or Technomancer. The Trickster teleports behind enemy forces.
The Pyromancer, true to its name, uses fire as his weapon. The Devastator is a hulking presence who receives bonuses as long as he engages enemies at close range.
Finally, the Technomancer is sort of an engineer who builds turrets that fire independently.
Outriders also had this The Division (more on this game later) mechanic of allowing players to up the ante for better loot. The players can also dial it down if it gets too difficult.
This World Tier feature is convenient for those who love to play the game casually, and for those who love challenges, they can also set the game to play at their own skill level.
- Developer: Hopoo Games
- Publisher: Gearbox Publishing
- Release Date: August 11, 2020 (PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC, Switch
7. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
There are a lot of sequels on this list. Unlike films, video game sequels are often better than their predecessor because of new tech or because the developers learn a lot from their previous endeavors. The Division 2 improves upon the original in every single way, on every single aspect, from graphics to gameplay, from sound to story.
The Division 2 is a great third-person shooter. Of course, it is not Max Payne 3, but it did not need to be. Unlike Max Payne 3, where the titular protagonists solo kills an entire criminal enterprise, The Division 2 is focused on co-op gameplay.
Ubisoft is known for its open-world idiosyncrasy, experienced in the Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry franchises, where the map is filled with thingamabobs for the players to chase down for dozens of hours. It sure did like it is also applied here in The Division 2.
Fortunately, it is not the case. You are not just blindly going from one point of interest to another. It seems like you are indeed progressing in this game. You are going to develop skills and abilities, and customize your loadouts to your heart’s desire.
The loot you get playing this game is not limited to guns and ammunition, apparel and dyes are also part of the treasure trove.
The Division 2 is a live service game. This was released back in 2019 but still continues to receive updates after updates.
If you fear missing out, you might not like to dive into this game since it might be too late. That is the wrong perspective since The Division 2 is so much better right now than it was released.
You did not miss all the bugs and imbalances of the past, what will you have if you play now is a polished game with future updates on the horizon to make things even better.
- Developer: Massive Entertainment
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Release Date: March 15, 2019
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC
8. RoboQuest
RoboQuest is an Early Access Game, essentially a paid beta for this game’s current state. If you are not comfortable paying for a promise, you can skip this. If you are curious, there is enough content to play and it runs stable enough to enjoy.
RoboQuest is the game that looks the closest to the Borderlands franchise with its cel-shaded art direction. This is a fast-paced shooter that favors twitchiness over mechanical aiming.
This game also has heavy rogue-lite elements while being an arena shooter.
In RoboQuest, guns are confined to four different types. For each run, there are upgrades for a specific type of gun, by then, you will have to choose how you upgrade your guns.
There are also three classes: Recon, Guardian, and Engineer. The Recon allows extra damage by marking targets, the Guardian is an explosive expert, and the Engineer builds drones to fight for you.
Since this game is a rogue-lite, you are going back to the beginning. Thankfully, there are certain permanent upgrades for your own character and also your base camp.
You can have more lives, can carry more weapons, as well as other upgrades for your next run.
Again, this is an Early Access game. There are things that need to be polished and the content is not complete, pick this game if you really have burned through every recommendation on this list. If you are subscribed to Game Pass, you have access to this game so you do not need to pay.
- Developer: RyseUp Studios
- Publisher: RyseUp Studios
- Release Date: August 21, 2020
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC
9. Deep Rock Galactic
Deep Rock Galactic is a game that has a very unique combination of premises: space and dwarves!
This game is a 4-player co-op with procedurally-generated caves that are totally destructible. There are also four unique classes: Gunner, Scout, Driller, and again, and Engineer.
The Gunner allows you to take the destructive path and just blow enemies up. The Scout will help the party in pathfinding inside the labyrinth of space caves. The Driller clears the path for everyone.
Multiplayer games are known to have a toxic community. Fortunately, in Deep Rock Galactic, impolite players are rarer than usual.
You can hitch up with strangers and blast through the caverns without many problems that plague games with socializing aspects due to the friendliness of the community.
There are weapons to collect, upgrades to install, overclocks to take, and paint jobs to drench over. There are also cosmetics if you want to personalize your avatar. There is also a great modding community behind Deep Rock Galactic. This game has it all: it may be pleasant, tough, horrifying, perplexing, and everything in between.
- Developer: Ghost Ship Games
- Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
- Release Date: May 13, 2020 (PC, Xbox One) / January 4, 2022 (PS4, PS5)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC
10. Gunfire Reborn
- Developer: Duoyi Games
- Publisher: Duoyi Games
- Release Date: November 28, 2021 (PC), May 17, 2022 (iOS, Android)
- Platform: PC, Mobile
Conclusion
If you want to loot and shoot and shoot and loot, above are the games that you should play. Some of them may not be first-person shooters or have rogue-lite elements, but the core gameplay remains the same. You have to shoot some enemies so that you can upgrade your kit and shoot bigger enemies so that your upgrades are going to get better than ever.
Obviously, you can always play other games in the Borderlands franchise if you find this list a little bit straying from what you like. There is Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3, and the Pre-Sequel. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a great spin-off that in some parts is better than the numbered and mainline entries of the series.
