Tales from the Boderlands introduces players to two new protagonists in a Hyperion employee known as Rhys and a con artist named Fiona. The two characters are both playable in the game, and both characters have very different personalities that places them both in unique situations. Troy Baker and Laura Bailey bring Rhys and Fiona to life respectively, and the new release easily has the best voice acting from a recent Telltale Games release yet.
The storyline for Tales from the Boderlands is strong. The narrative is full of great humor the 2K franchise has been known for in the past, but players do not need to have played the previous games for the series to appreciate Tales from the Boderlands. The game is full of rich, interesting characters beyond the game's two main protagonists, and it is very easy to become addicted to the game for 2-3 hours the first episode lasts.
Tales from the Boderlands takes place after the events of Borderlands 2. Players that have already completed the first two games in the series will know all about the opening of The Vault in the first game and the fall of Handsome Jack in the second. The new release reveals there are even more vaults located on other planets within the same universe as Pandora. The first episode is a tale of revenge, as both protagonists begin working together in order to achieve a great prize. The tale is an interesting one that sets up the series to move forward into the next episode.
One issue with Tales from the Boderlands are the important decisions the player must make throughout the episode. Gameplay in the new release is similar to other recent releases from Telltale Games in that players must choose from several reactions to any given situation or chain of dialogue. Though the storyline for the episode is strong as a whole chapter for the series, the decisions the game deems as important after the episode has been completed are forgettable and will make players question how much their decisions made in the first episode will impact the remainder of the game.
Another problem with Tales from the Boderlands is the game's new currency system. The title is all about choice and consequence, but it remains to be seen how money will impact decisions later in the new series. Players will be forced to make important decisions that will give the player access to more money or not, but the currency seems to disappear whether the player chooses to spend it later in the game or not as well. Decisions concerning currency should feel more impactful and resolute, so we hope the new system will be better implemented into the remaining episodes.
Tales from the Boderlands captures the same great cel-shaded graphics the franchise has been known for since it was first released back in 2009. That same great presentation makes its way into the game's soundtrack and previously mentioned voice acting as well. The game remains easy to control with few puzzles and instead focusing on players making reactionary decisions on a timer for the primary method of gameplay. It's also worth noting the graphical glitches recent Telltale Games have suffered from still persist in Tales from the Boderlands, though they seem far less frequent than the problems that arise while playing The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us.
Tales from the Boderlands is a great game that manages to completely change what gamers know about one of the most popular new franchises in the industry while still managing to be a blast for fans of that series. The game is easy to approach for longtime Borderlands players and newcomers alike. The new characters are likable and interesting, and the episode's storyline is strong even if a bit anticlimactic. We are definitely excited to see where the series goes in future episodes, but we would recommend picking up a copy of Tales from the Boderlands Episode 1: Zero Sum today to play while waiting for future releases in this new Telltale Games series.
Tales from the Borderlands is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Mac and iOS. Tales from the Borderlands is rated M by the ESRB for Violence, Blood and Gore, Suggestive Themes & Strong Language. For more information on the game, check out the official Tales from the Borderlands website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- 5 Episode Series
- Narrative Driven Gameplay
- Storyline Set After Events of Borderlands 2
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC, Mac & iOS
Release Date: November 25, 2014
