Tales from the Borderlands

Not like it's on official record or anything (other than some internet comment boards), but I was one of the first people to state that I believed Telltale games was over extending themselves upon the announcement of several different new IP franchises. Having already crafted that iconic first season of The Walking Dead, they revealed that they were working on a Season 2, The Wolf Among Us (which I played but did not review -- in short, it was very enjoyable), a Game of Throne related series, as well as this new series related to the uber-awesome and successful Borderlands series. For a small studio that found unlikely success with a unique gameplay format, and a format that can quickly result in terrible games, I figured it was the beginning of the end for Telltale games. Once they knocked it out of the park again with The Walking Dead's Season 2 and the almost-as-excellent Wolf Among Us, I had new-found faith, but still justified reason to worry. I pretty much wrote off Tales from the Borderlands as a cash grab between two game studios and was more looking forward to the Game of Thrones series. Interesting how things work out I suppose...to date, the Game of Thrones series has been Telltales most poorly reviewed series both by critics and users. And Tales from the Borderlands? You ready for a bold statement?

Tales from the Borderlands is Telltale's best work and overall series yet. Yes, even better than that first season of The Walking Dead.

A hilarious, oddly endearing cast of characters

If you're a gamer and you've been living under a rock, I'll admit that as far as actual "gameplay" goes, Telltale games are light on it and these aren't exactly the games that will get your fast-paced, ADD blood pumping. Telltale, as their name implies, is all about the journey and the story. As a *mostly* single-player gamer, this is right up my alley. But that resides gameplay to quick-time events (QTEs), conversation trees, light exploring, and some other various minigames. Telltale games are like a user interface you'd find on a phone; minimal effort and easy to figure out. While Borderlands is the most "gamey" of the four series that I've played, it's still very much in line with what this series has done before. Your same gripes will be there and, at this stage in the game, I think that's a bit unacceptable on new systems. I definitely had less stutter and framerate drops than I did on any PS3 series, but there was still room for improvement in that area, along with lip syncing, character motions, and overall graphics. So yeah, if you couldn't stand it before or aren't familiar -- fair warning, those issues are still plagues, though a little bit less than before. 

Looks like a cartoon, but people still lose limbs!

What makes Borderlands Telltale's best game yet is that I feel like it's the first time they've really been allowed to just have FUN. Both seasons of The Walking Dead are heavy stuff, even more than the show, and The Wolf Among Us was no fairy tale (pun intended) either. But Borderlands, while still pretty Mature rated, reminded me a lot of Guardians of the Galaxy. It's a ridiculously entertaining romp through space (this time in the world of Borderlands) that has some great action, witty-as-hell humor, an endearing band of misfits, some truly inspired music choices, and, as most Telltale games do, a dose of heart. What's remarkable is just how well woven all of it is into the lengthy, but fantastic story. When I think of this series and my time with it, a single word comes to mind. Genuine. I genuinely laughed out loud frequently. I was genuinely invested in the characters and the choices I had to make. I genuinely teared up at spots. And I genuinely said "No way!" at various twists and reveals. With gameplay spread out over 5 episodes, each taking 2-3 hours, it's pretty crazy to remember back to how it all began, which is testament to the journey that Telltale is able to take you on that not only was I not losing my interest, but I was becoming more and more invested with each passing episode. Sure, some were better than others, but that's the nature of the beast. Each one has something special to offer though, whether it be laughs, plot twists, action scenes, or what not and I can't think of a single "weak link" out of the five.

This little robot is...just...the cutest. You don't even know.

The top-notch script and story telling, along with the generally pretty good gameplay is all nicely complimented by a lot of small but important details in the game. First and foremost, this feels like a Borderlands game with a lot of nice nods to the other games and the world they built. When it boils down to it, this is a story about some hunters trying to get their Vault Loot but 2K should take note because Tales from the Borderlands expands the world far more than either of the previous two games. Telltale saw something in the series that many of us missed: a world rich for expansion and further fleshing out. What they've accomplished here is something that 2K Games (who makes the actual Borderlands games) should take note of, and not vice versa. Along with the world comes a group of characters that range from cocky, badass, adorable, heroic, and many shades in between. Luckily, they secured a stellar voice cast with game-voice legends such as Nolan North, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker. This is a well acted series, no matter how silly it gets. It also has some of the best intros I've ever seen a game feature. Each episode has its own intro that comes after about 20 minutes of playing. The music choice for all five episode intros is nothing short of genius and the videos that accompany them really get you sucked back into the game, if you weren't already.

One of the funniest scenes in any videogame I've ever played.
I was rolling.

I'd hate to go into too much more detail on Tales from the Borderlands because I don't want to ruin the story in the slightest. But take it from someone who doubted a studio that had never let them down before; they have still yet to underwhelm me and after delivering their best series yet, I'm onboard for many more of Telltale's adventures. 

If you've been a fan of their games in the past you owe it to yourself to get Tales from the Borderlands ASAP and if you're someone who's been on the fence with Telltale games in the past, Borderlands is the perfect place to give their style a try. 

A cash grab this game is not. But it is a classic.

CONS:

• All of Telltale games' signature issues are still here, though to a lesser degree. This includes framerate issues, visual hiccups, odd physical syncing to characters, and less than stellar graphics
• Some jokes (read: very, very few) fall flat and I think some others are exclusive to those that played the original two Borderlands games, again, very few
• A few connections to the Borderlands world feel forced, as if the 2K partners made them do it
• Now that I've made my way through the entire tale, some parts of the story are more important than others and a few sections I'd qualify as "fluff"
• A few features, such as the wallet and item holder aren't used more than one or two times

PROS:

• Genuine in almost every sense of the word. I think Telltale had an absolute blast making this game and it shows. I had such a damn good, fun time with it
• Funny in tons of different ways. Silly, physical humor, meta humor, wit -- it's all on fine display here. Off the top of my head I can't remember a game that I laughed at more
• Great, memorable, lovable characters and an A+ voice acting crew
• One of the better videogame stories I've experienced in the past few years, and right up there with Telltale's other efforts. It's able to capture a wide array of emotions, all to surprising effectiveness. If you never thought you would tear up at a cell-shaded cartoon, think again
• Personally, I enjoy Telltale gameplay and I'd say it's at its best here
• Those episode intros. For the win. So much win. Whoever designed/crafted those and chose the music needs a raise
• Builds upon the Borderlands world in an effective and meaningful way. I really think that Borderlands 3, whenever it should come, should be referencing the events of this game
• Consistently great all the way through and the finale might be the best episode of them all
• I wrote this game off and Telltale crushed it. Kudos to them for defying the worry that many gamers had and giving us their best effort yet

Rath's Review Score:

10/10 -- Instant Classic