Borderlands is a great franchise due to its comical graphical presentation and the shooting-looting experience with a great number of RPG elements. It’s definitely one of my favorite shooters due to its comical approach to the game’s story and the lore that fits it. There is a great number of special characters that really started to grow on you, like Claptrap or Tiny Tina. Two totally different attitudes and yet so rememberable. Tiny Tina’s Wonderland changes the scenery to another experience based on the popular D&D experience. Let’s check it out.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderland is just like any other Borderlands game but with a few elements being changed so that the game would perfectly fit a D&D tabletop experience. The common Borderlands elements are still the biggest amount of different guns you can get in a game and different characters with specific abilities. Tiny Tina’s Wonderland mixes this standard experience with some elements of the D&D experience, like grenades being replaced by spells, guns can shoot crossbow bolts, a medieval fantasy environment, … The core mechanics are still about shooting hordes of enemies, building up your character’s build to an OP class, gathering loot as much as you can and comparing the found loot with the equipment you already own, and replacing the bad weapons or shields with something better. Repeat this process until you’ve had your fair share of it.
“To make it even more about an over-the-top experience, you’ll be able to choose between different classes that have specific abilities.”
Borderlands is known for its big collection of guns and items you could possibly have. It’s also not just about different gun types like submachine guns or sniper rifles, there’s a lot more to it. There are guns that fire bullets with a different elemental type which boosts your damage on a whole other level and to top this extra damage off, you’re probably also getting some interesting “extra’s” like special abilities, boons, … etc. For example, a gun can be reloaded by throwing it out as an explosive, in this D&D setting, this gun could have been transformed into an elemental being that could harras your enemies by shooting out laser beams or creating a pool of poisonous venom. I always have to commemorate the developers for being so creative with their weapons. It’s a feature that no other game has and this makes up for n over-the-top experience.
To make it even more about an over-the-top experience, at the start of the game, you’ll be able to choose between different classes that have specific abilities. These abilities or class traits can even create more interactions between this special weaponry and/ or equipment. The classes are Clawbringer, Brr-zerker, Spellshot, Graveborn, Spore Warden, and Stabbomancer. For example, the Clawbringer can use an ability to smash his big hammer onto the ground and deal fire damage or you can throw out a “Mjolnir” that’ll do damage on hit and create a damage-over-time area. A Stabbomancer can create a whirlwind of blades or turn into this stealthy assassin to critical hit an enemy. All of these different classes can be linked to a “real” class that can be found in the D&D experience. For example, a Spellshot is based on the mage, a spore warden is based on a ranger, a Brr-zerker is based on a warrior, … and so on. The wink towards the D&D experience is a great way to create a character that has a playstyle that suits your personality. It’s also good to mention that at a certain point during the game, you can choose a second class that could help with the creation of a certain build.
“Combining your own character abilities with other players’ abilities will make up for an awesome festival of destruction…”
I think you can tell that this game would be a lot more awesome if played with a friend. Well, we’re in luck as the game can be played cooperatively. Combining your own character abilities with other players’ abilities will make up for an awesome festival of destruction on the battlefield. There is also this feature where you can choose between a “shared” experience or a more “individual” experience. The shared experience lets you play with a friend and the loot will be shared. In other words, you might have to fight over a couple of items. The individual experience lets you play with a friend but the loot is not shared. Each character gets his/ her own loot. I prefer this feature as it won’t compromise the bond you have with your friend.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderland also uses another cool feature that’ll take this immersion of a tabletop D&D adventure to the next level. Borderlands has a tabletop overworld map that will function as your “world map” from previous games. The presentation definitely makes you feel like you’re actually playing a D&D adventure. The overworld map contains big-headed figurines, there are dice on the field as well as bits of food and other rubbish elements. All of these parts make up for a great presentation of a tabletop game. There are main quest NPC’s, Sidequest NPC’s but there are also spots with tall grass. Just like in Pokémon, tall grass means confrontation with enemies. This is the same for Borderlands.
“Tiny Tina was already one of the funniest characters in Borderlands but the fact you’re playing this adventure in the wonderful mind of Tiny Tina is just amazing.”
I have talked about the D&D presentation but I also mentioned that Borderlands is known for a comical approach to the game’s story. This is no different from Tiny Tina’s Wonderland. I can also confirm that this game is probably the funniest storytelling I’ve experienced in the Borderlands franchise. Tiny Tina was already one of the funniest characters in Borderlands but the fact you’re playing this adventure in the wonderful mind of Tiny Tina is just amazing. She’s considered the dungeon master in this game and she makes a lot of “winks” towards the D&D experience in a very comical way. She’s really talking during your adventure like she wants you to make mistakes or distrust different NPCs on the board. It’s also no surprise that the game has a lot of fun moments as the main villain is played by Will Arnet. A known actor for his comedies.
Even though, I like the concept I do have the feeling that I’m missing out on some aspects that previous games had and that’s the presence of a truly open world. An open world where you could roam around with your vehicle and raid enemy camps to get some better loot. There’s also a more straightforward approach in Tiny Tina’s Wonderland than in the previous Borderland. There were side quests but they weren’t required to progress the story. Tiny Tina forces you in a certain direction which feels very straight-to-the-point.
Conclusion:
2K games take on the D&D adventure within the atmosphere of Borderlands is definitely a great concept that will be loved by some and neglected by others. While the main core mechanics are still the same, the concept is a great experiment to try out new things and put Borderlands again on the market. However, I do feel like some of the best aspects of Borderlands 3 have been left out and messed up somewhat from my own experience. I’m not hating the game, I truly had some amazing experiences but it was fun while it lasted. The core mechanics are great but not groundbreaking. I think I was just hoping to see some new features instead of a re-skinned version of a Borderlands game but the new concept opened up ways to form an entirely new storyline and I’ve had a blast with Tiny Tina’s dungeon master qualities.
