New Tales From the Borderlands Is a Sickly Masterpiece Only Gearbox Could Deliver – Review

Years ago, Rhys and Fiona graced the screens of aspiring Vault Hunters in the original Tales From the Borderlands. Though the two won’t be back, they’ll be replaced by a trio of characters and a surplus of individuals in New Tales From the Borderlands, a story-driven game about three unlikely individuals who come together and take on the corporate world of Promethea Events of Borderlands 3.

After the Maliwan invasion in Borderlands 3, the people of Promethea are still recovering. Anuradha, Octavio and Fran are survivors trying to get what they think life owes them while trying to prevent future tragedies. This takes the party to location after location around the planet Promethea and beyond in a hilarious adventure that will have you questioning your decisions at every turn.

A new story with great supporting characters

Instead of Pandora, this game takes you into the chaotic, murderous world of Promethea, where corporate overlords rule everything. While the giant Atlas Corporation, run by the beloved Rhys, has moved into space, many things have remained the same since Maliwan brought war to the planet.

Whenever there is any form of peace on a planet in the Borderlands universe, it’s soon to be interrupted by another corporate invasion by Tediore, who are trying to gain an advantage in the business world. After a rocky start and a lot of revelations, Anu, Fran and Octavio come together and together they have the idea to shape the world. Anu plays the frightened hopeful with frequent panic attacks, Octavio is the living embodiment of the ailing younger brother and Fran is the sexually frustrated and cocky older woman who might be a bit embarrassed to be caught out in public with.

Although their personalities may differ, the dynamic between the three characters is great. There are some moments, mainly caused by Octavio, that make you wince with embarrassment, but they are quickly replaced by comedic or dramatic scenes that make you laugh or get your heart pumping. These characters work off each other’s personalities in a way that stays true to the Borderlands universe. Unfortunately, I was often more fascinated by the secondary characters. Extras in the game include L0u13, an assassination robot with a robust comedy career who is constantly learning what humanity is, and Stapleface, a half-psycho character celebrating the anniversary of his death. While there are many more characters that you will meet on your journey, these two stand out and steal the show whenever they are around.

Promethea is a big planet

The world of Borderlands is constantly expanding. While the first two games in the series focused on the planet Pandora, Borderlands 3 quickly changed everything by introducing multiple planets you could quickly fly to. New Tales From the Borderlands expands the world of Promethea from the small parts of Borderlands 3 that you saw for the first time.

The game’s story takes you through the city streets to see how normal people live while showing you the contrast that is the outskirts where bandits and psychos roam free, constantly killing each other. Plus, you’ll get a glimpse into the corporate world as the group tries to make a name for themselves as more than just a failed scientist, angry fryo maker, and lovable jerk. I personally liked what was shown of the planet and how Gearbox kept the look of Borderlands 3. Each new area contrasts with the last; Even each of the numerous visits to Fran’s Frogurt store felt dynamic, thanks to the ever-changing building and the myriad of characters going in and out.

Stick with what works

The gameplay of New Tales From the Borderlands is exactly what you would expect when playing titles from Telltale Games that developed the previous game. As the game progresses, you make various choices about dialogue, actions, and emotions. These decisions have consequences later in the story that change events. Some of these choices will drastically change parts of the story, e.g. B. whether you get your insurance payout or not, while others only change parts of the dialogue.

This type of narrative game has been around for decades and has been shown to work with gamers. However, New Tales goes one step further and adds many mini-games like hacking, slapping and Vaultlanders battles for you to enjoy. These mini-games are fun but easily skipped if you don’t feel like it. Still, I wish I had more areas to roam around in given how inviting Promethea was.

The judgment

New Tales From the Borderlands brings a humorous, exciting and dramatic story that advances the Borderlands universe. The game is filled with intense moments that are as important as deciding whether to kill or freeze an NPC. However, some choices only change small parts of the game, such as: B. the dialogue, and ultimately lead you down the same path as the other choice.

Will you get the Flaming Sword of Destiny or let yourself live the sane life of a jabber? While the characters are somewhat endearing and undergo significant changes, many supporting characters stand out more and easily overshadow the narrative when around. New Tales is a solid game, but it’s not the best story in the Borderlands universe.

Score: 7.5/10

+ Great gameplay with outstanding minigames to keep things interesting

+ Character emotions feel real and their development is well worked out

+A huge cast of humorous characters

– The main characters are easily overshadowed by the supporting characters

-Excessive exposure in the first episode