Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – Review
It’s been three years since we saw the release of Borderlands 3. As usual, Gearbox Software presented us with a great game that was situated in the Borderlands universe. Sadly, after some announced DLC and in-game events, we didn’t hear anything about a possible sequel. While it’s not the next installment in the series, we were pleasantly surprised when we saw the announcement of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. This new Borderlands-infused adventure would revolve around Tiny Tina who is actually hosting her own ‘DnD’ evening with some of her friends. We were quite curious to see a Borderlands game with fantasy and medieval components thrown in the mix. When we eventually got our hands on our review copy of the game, we were pleasantly surprised.
Story
The story in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is quite simple. You’ll be joining Tiny Tina while she hosts one of her famous Bunkers & Badasses sessions. You’re The Newbie of the party of eccentric tabletop gamers, yet you seem to have great potential when it comes to clearing the scenario Tiny Tina has worked out. You’ll have to defeat the Dragon Lord, who is now roaming the lands again after being imprisoned by the legendary Butt Stallion. You, and whoever else is up for the challenge, will have to take up arms against this evil presence.
Overall, the story is extremely simple. You’ll be playing a DND-like game, and Tiny Tina narrates what is going on. During your playthrough, you’ll encounter many strange characters, who will also give you the necessary information to press forward. We loved the concept of a game within a game, and the execution is also superbly handled.
Graphics
In essence, this is a reskin of the normal Borderlands experience, albeit with more fantasy and medieval-themed environments and characters. The iconic cel-shaded look of the franchise is ever-present in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, and it works great, even with the change of setting. We tried out the game on PlayStation 5, and it certainly looks great. That being said, we were never under the impression that this title pressed the next-gen console to its limits. We loved exploring every nook and cranny, but we did notice that there are a lot of near-empty environments in the game.
Sound
The sound design of the game is quite spot on. You’ll get a proper cinematic backdrop for the events that unfold throughout the campaign, but it’s mainly the voice acting that steals the show in this title. You’ll have a lot of over-the-top voice acting in this title that truly adds a lot of charm to the equation. We loved the narration from start to finish, and it was also fun to see true Borderlands-inspired characters that delivered ridiculous performances.
Gameplay
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a First-Person Shooter with some RPG elements thrown in the mix. While this game is pretty much a standard Borderlands experience when it comes to combat and obtaining loot, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands also does its best to throw a few original components in the mix. The latter is mainly visible with the overworld map that is reminiscent of old-school RPGs (or a DND-like tabletop game). From start to finish, you’ll find yourself playing through different zones, defeating enemies, obtaining new gear, completing quests, and so on. It’s fun that you can also play the game via local co-op with a friend or family member.
The combat in the game is very similar to the main Borderlands games. You’ll be able to equip several weapons, ranging from melee weapons to machine guns, shotguns, and more explosive weaponry. On top of that, you’ll also be able to equip a shield, a spellbook, and other items that give you passive boosts. The spellbook was a fun addition, as this gives you a fairly strong rechargeable skill. The weapons are randomly generated, and thus you’ll have an endless variety that you may uncover during your travels.
As mentioned above, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has an overworld embedded into the gameplay. When outside of cities or quest zones, you’ll find yourself playing through a segment that is viewed from a top-down perspective. When playing through the overworld segment, you’ll have to complete simple puzzles to reach the next area. Also, very much like a Pokémon game, or other old-school RPGs, you’ll encounter random enemies. When running into such an enemy, a combat event will trigger, once again swapping the gameplay to a First-Person Shooter. After combat is done, you’ll be able to continue your journey on the overworld.
As a whole, this title feels very much like the mainline Borderlands games, and that is a good thing. While this title does try to spice things up with a few original elements, you’ll get more of the same, albeit with a medieval fantasy theme. Once again you’ll be able to tailor the game to your playstyle as you’ll find enough different weapons, making sure you’ll find a setup that suits you. The classes in the game are also quite diverse, but we found the progress a bit slower compared to other titles in the series. It took us quite some time to actually see some evolution in the skills we could use.
Conclusion
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a great spin-off title of the Borderlands franchise, and while it was somewhat more of the same, we loved the original setting. We wouldn’t mind seeing another campaign being presented by Tiny Tina or one of her friends in the future. The only remark we might have is that the pace of this title was slightly slower than the mainline games, which was noticeable due to some very empty environments and the slower skill progression. That being said, if you like the main series, you’ll certainly be able to enjoy this one.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - Review,
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[…] out our verdict of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands here. More info about the Steam release can be found on the game’s official […]