Now why am I complaining about all of this in Borderlands? This game's about the guns and loot and endgame grind, right?
No.
I know a lot of people say this, but it's silly. The game doesn't even have much of an endgame honestly - it's not very good.
Also, Gearbox doesn't even allow you to skip the cutscenes. And, they constantly have characters talk to you through radio.
It's clear that they have put a lot of emphasis on the narrative and they want you to experience it. So, while the game is undoubtedly very focused on the loot, it's also a heavily narrative focused game, by Gearbox's own admission. And the fact that it is a disappointing narrative, does indeed sting quite badly.