Telltale Games teamed up with Gearbox Software to deliver an original tale set in the Borderlands universe. They went all out and delivered one of their best games thus far. Second only to the critically acclaimed first season of their Walking Dead series. From the very first episode you can see the improvements made to the presentation brought on by the more cinematic camera angles and how the essence of the Borderlands series was perfectly captured, even with such a wild change in genres taking place.
We may be interacting with Pandora point-and-click style as opposed to the usual FPS/RPG structure the franchise is known for, but that doesn't mean the action is gone. These are the best quick-time events, set pieces, and action sequences of any Telltale title I've played thus far. They wouldn't seem out of place in a big-budget film and are backed by the absurdity one would expect from Borderlands.
What really makes this such a special and memorable experience though is primarily the writing. The story is great and the decisions you make here actually have real, complex consequences. Once again there is a set ending, but the path you take to get there could look quite a bit different than someone else's. There are several moments where I struggled with what choice to make. The majority of your time though is dedicated to managing your relationships with the other characters. The people who make up the cast were forced to work together when their schemes to get ahead in life failed right before their eyes. You can choose to keep up the mistrust or come together and become family. These are hands down the best characters Telltale has ever created and I would be hard-pressed to believe we'll see them come up with others this good in the future. The voice acting is nothing short of flawless.
This being Borderlands, expect plenty of familiar faces and plenty of laughter. This is one of the funniest games I have played to date. It's's sense of humor is varied and befitting of the Gearbox series. There's also no lack of sentimentality because of this. You grow to love this group of swindlers, and while it's a much happier game than Telltale's previous efforts with The Walking Dead and Fables brands, there are moments of heartbreak. You'll go through a whole range of emotions. It's an incredible ride.
Not everything is perfect. The game uses a two protagonist system where you'll jump back and forth between different perspectives throughout the course of the game. The issue arises from the fact that I only took to one of the playable characters. I loved Rhys right from the get go. Fiona on the other hand often left me irritated. I was fine with her when I was allowed to flesh her out and control her actions, as I could make her much more likable. When I wasn't in control she could be quite the jerk. There are also the occasional technical issues. While quite less frequent than other Telltale games, we still get a few glitches here and there, as well as those awkward loading times that lead to choppy scene transitions.
Outside of those flaws, which feel quite minor when actually playing it, this is one heck of an excellent experience. Telltale really took some efforts to challenge themselves here and they really paid off. Before I conclude this review I have to take a second to praise each episodes opening credits. They are incredibly clever and backed by licensed music. They serve as just one example of the little treasures in store for you that add up to the wonderful adventure available to you. You may not be hunting down rare guns and other loot, but the story, characters, and humor all provide more than enough of a reason to return to Pandora. So I highly recommend that you do.
9/10
We may be interacting with Pandora point-and-click style as opposed to the usual FPS/RPG structure the franchise is known for, but that doesn't mean the action is gone. These are the best quick-time events, set pieces, and action sequences of any Telltale title I've played thus far. They wouldn't seem out of place in a big-budget film and are backed by the absurdity one would expect from Borderlands.
What really makes this such a special and memorable experience though is primarily the writing. The story is great and the decisions you make here actually have real, complex consequences. Once again there is a set ending, but the path you take to get there could look quite a bit different than someone else's. There are several moments where I struggled with what choice to make. The majority of your time though is dedicated to managing your relationships with the other characters. The people who make up the cast were forced to work together when their schemes to get ahead in life failed right before their eyes. You can choose to keep up the mistrust or come together and become family. These are hands down the best characters Telltale has ever created and I would be hard-pressed to believe we'll see them come up with others this good in the future. The voice acting is nothing short of flawless.
This being Borderlands, expect plenty of familiar faces and plenty of laughter. This is one of the funniest games I have played to date. It's's sense of humor is varied and befitting of the Gearbox series. There's also no lack of sentimentality because of this. You grow to love this group of swindlers, and while it's a much happier game than Telltale's previous efforts with The Walking Dead and Fables brands, there are moments of heartbreak. You'll go through a whole range of emotions. It's an incredible ride.
Not everything is perfect. The game uses a two protagonist system where you'll jump back and forth between different perspectives throughout the course of the game. The issue arises from the fact that I only took to one of the playable characters. I loved Rhys right from the get go. Fiona on the other hand often left me irritated. I was fine with her when I was allowed to flesh her out and control her actions, as I could make her much more likable. When I wasn't in control she could be quite the jerk. There are also the occasional technical issues. While quite less frequent than other Telltale games, we still get a few glitches here and there, as well as those awkward loading times that lead to choppy scene transitions.
Outside of those flaws, which feel quite minor when actually playing it, this is one heck of an excellent experience. Telltale really took some efforts to challenge themselves here and they really paid off. Before I conclude this review I have to take a second to praise each episodes opening credits. They are incredibly clever and backed by licensed music. They serve as just one example of the little treasures in store for you that add up to the wonderful adventure available to you. You may not be hunting down rare guns and other loot, but the story, characters, and humor all provide more than enough of a reason to return to Pandora. So I highly recommend that you do.
9/10
2 Comments
It's a story I would have loved to see get a second season. Rhys being included is the only reason I have any interest in the third game, even though I know it won't fulfill my hope of more info of what happened after Tales' ending.
FallenGrace
2 years ago