Since the Borderlands movie’s catastrophic failure, fans hoped Borderlands 4 would strike gold again, but it didn’t quite do that. Although there’s a great game inside Borderlands 4, it’s currently locked inside a vault made of performance issues. While that gets fixed, consider playing the series’ best title.
Why you should play Tales From The Borderlands
Even a decade after its release, Tales From The Borderlands, Telltale Games’ take on the series in modern adventure game form, remains one of the best and funniest story-based games out there.
Let’s address the elephant in the room head-on. Tales From The Borderlands is not a shooter like the games in the main series. If you’re looking for looter-shooter action specifically, this might not be the game for you. But if you’re looking for something with the best brand of that specific Borderlands flavor in existence, then this absolutely is the game for you.
One of my problems with the Borderlands series is the oftentimes too raunchy comedy, which might’ve felt great upon the original game’s release, but hasn’t aged all that gracefully. Tales doesn’t suffer from that problem, though, as the Telltale people wisely experimented with the funniest parts of the universe and did without most juvenile elements present in the main series.
Tales follows Rhys and Fiona, two uneasy allies played by Troy Baker and Laura Bailey, respectively, as they go searching for a legendary vault. That’s regular Borderlands fare, but the simple fact that we now have a two main character dynamic provides comedic gold at every twist and turn. On top of that, these characters are joined by a massive cast of new characters, all of which are absolutely unforgettable.
The most common complaint regarding Telltale Games is how it has players make decisions that have no bearing on the outcome. While Tales isn’t entirely free from that issue, it’s their game where the players’ input will have more influence over the course of the game. Also, the ending provides a spectacular climax following up on one of the greatest twist reveals in gaming, so there’s that.
But what if you need a shooter to scratch the Borderlands 4 itch?
The good news for fans of Borderlands is it has inspired a bunch of fantastic games ever since the release of the original title. Players who want to try similar shooters not based in this universe can find a lot of enjoyment in games such as Destiny 2, The Division, and, the best of the bunch as of this writing, Warframe.
Whatever the case may be, don’t let the possible disappointment lingering over Borderlands 4 stress you out too much. There are plenty of fantastic alternatives out there, and so long as you’re open to embracing a different type of game in the same universe, you’ll have a blast with Tales From The Borderlands.
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