Rating: 5/5
A Telltale Games masterpiece has almost become a cliché. Tackling some of pop culture’s largest franchises, from Back to the Future to The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, Telltale Games crafts surprisingly captivating stories while avoiding covering old ground or clashing with continuity. For those who are unfamiliar, think of these titles as choose-your-own-adventure books in game form, with predominantly point-and-click gameplay and a story where you influence the plot by making a character’s significant decisions.
Tales from the Borderlands is no different and no less engaging than the developer’s previous titles. The game, a sequel to Borderlands 2, is set a little after villain Handsome Jack’s psychotic power-play. Located on the Mad Max-inspired wasteland planet of Pandora, the player switches between control of lower-level Hyperion (formerly Jack’s weapons manufacturing company), employee Rhys and con artist Fiona on their quest for riches. The story is told in medias res with your characters, who are being held hostage, explaining the events that led to their capture. Events include Fury Road-esque vehicular madness, a rocket to space and, of course, the fallout of the flawlessly written and voiced Handsome Jack.
Care has clearly been taken to make Tales accessible to an audience unfamiliar with the increasingly intricate world of Borderlands. By centring the game on an entirely new cast of characters and surrounding those characters with the established world, the scale of Pandora and its environment doesn’t feel so overwhelming. There’s certainly a lot of fun to be had between the witty writing, colourful characters and often goofy action scenes, whether you’ve visited Pandora before or not. However, at its heart, this game is a beautifully written love letter to Borderlands. The unique comic book-like visual style and grim-but-silly tone of the series are used in full force. Music is possibly used even more effectively than in other Borderlands games, with an impeccable sense of how to give a giant monster chase scene more punch and how to add charm to a tongue-in-cheek 80s action homage.
Characters from the Borderlands universe pop in and out of the narrative; even the most obscure characters and items from previous instalments show up in a way that feels genuine. Side characters such as the Jack-obsessed Professor Nakayama are referenced, consistent terminology is used for the technology and weapons, and the game’s attention to finer details really brings it all home. Case in point, while Rhys and Fiona are tied up, your captor is holding a rare shotgun from Borderlands 2 called the Conference Call — there’s no mention of it, it’s just there.
The sum of these finer touches is a world that feels part of a cohesive universe and surprisingly doesn’t waver from the feel and continuity of the rest of the series, despite being made by a different developer. Telltale Games has clearly worked very closely with series creator Gearbox Software on this title — the love woven in is palpable. The creators of the series have said they have planned out much more of the universe than what is seen in the series so far, or may ever be. This work clearly informs the decision making behind the scenes, solidifying the overarching narrative and the player’s immersion.
Tales is being released online episodically, with four out of five episodes available now. Episodic releases can be pretty frustrating, and Tales is no exception as most episodes end with a powerful cliffhanger or gut punch of some sort. There’s nothing to do but wait it out. This format has, however, really driven the online community into a frenzy of excitement, comparing morality choices and theories on the plot’s resolution in the downtime between each release.
Tales from the Borderlands is an absolute must-have for anyone even slightly invested in the Borderlands universe, combining over-the-top action and genuine heart. Provided you submit to the heavy storytelling and morality mechanics, you’re in for the ride of your life.