While it may not be as popular as the likes of The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us, Tales from the Borderlands was one of the best examples of Telltale Games' stellar writing. Taking place on the planet of Pandora and its surrounding locations, the game added a truly memorable story and characters to a world that is far more beloved for its loot-based progression and unique art style. There were plenty of puzzled faces when the project was announced, so when the aptly-titled New Tales from the Borderlands was revealed at Gamescom 2022, it was surely a relief for publisher 2K that fans were pleased a sequel was finally greenlit.
However, while it carries the name of its predecessor and will be a narrative-focused affair in the same vein, there are more than a few changes to the formula that players came to love in 2014. An all-new cast is combined with an entirely different developer. Gearbox Software takes the reins this time around, which has raised plenty of eyebrows for a number of reasons, as it grants exciting opportunities but brings a few potential drawbacks. Telltale Games' charm will be tough to replicate, but its flaws could easily be wiped away completely.
The Magic of Tales from the Borderlands
Whereas The Walking Dead was a gloriously glum tale that centered around one man's desperate need to protect someone he's come to cherish, Tales from the Borderlands was entirely different, showing off Telltale Games' immense writing range. It was a delightful romp across a harsh, unforgiving world that was littered with heartfelt moments and plenty of chuckle-worthy moments. It captured the tone of its parent Borderlands series with ease, and presented Pandora with characters that have the potential to rival the legacy of Handsome Jack in both performance and execution.
Mechanically, it rested on the same principles that carried Telltale Games into the hearts of its fans, with a point-and-click format that was decorated with unobtrusive quick time events and light exploration. Across five chapters that released over the course of almost a calendar year, players meet the Hyperion stooge Rhys, the gutsy and streetwise Fiona, and Gortys, a supremely cute, unassuming android who could be the key to all the former's desires. The side characters are equally fantastic, and the story that is told uses the Borderlands toy box just enough to feel familiar, but isn't afraid to blaze its own trail. It's special in so many ways, so New Tales from the Borderlands' announcement wasn't necessarily a huge surprise.
The Gift That Gearbox Brings
Gearbox Software has been a video game household name for years, with its roots firmly planted in the first-person shooter genre. A catalog that includes games in the Duke Nukem and Alien licenses, Borderlands is undoubtedly its most successful and beloved IP, beginning its journey in 2009 before becoming truly great with its sequel in 2012. The studio has had a busy 2022, with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands arriving in the Spring to critical acclaim, and announcing the next entry in Tales from the Borderlands shows its commitment to the franchise that has made it so very successful.
Despite having a limited repertoire in the adventure game space, there's no doubt that no developer knows more than any about the fabric of the Borderlands property. Gearbox has created almost every entry in the series to this point, from highly anticipated mainline entries to wacky spin-offs that flesh out side characters and experiment with fresh gameplay ideas. New Tales from the Borderlands will undoubtedly feel like it belongs alongside all other Borderlands titles, but there was so much to love about its predecessor's developer that it will be a monumental effort to fill the hole that Telltale leaves as it continues to work on The Wolf Among Us 2 and The Expanse.
The Curse of Telltale Games' Absence
The California-based developer may have a storied history since its formation in 2004, closing up shop and reemerging just a year later, but its previous works had so much to love that it's hard to not be elated at its return. Tackling properties like Game of Thrones, Batman, The Walking Dead, and even Guardians of the Galaxy, the small company that excelled at crafting delightful adventure games was never afraid to take on the most ambitious of names. The Walking Dead was undoubtedly its biggest critical success, but Tales from the Borderlands wielded a quality equal to it despite never achieving the same level of exposure. With New Tales from the Borderlands providing new characters and being forged by an entirely different team, it leaves questions about how well it will retain the same level of heart.
Telltale's games had noticeable performance issues despite harnessing the power of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and the gameplay was never anything revolutionary. Frame drops and frequent texture pop-in was expected, but rarely excused, leaving an opening for Gearbox to make improvements. However, the way Telltale approached character development and choice-based gameplay was pioneering, with efforts like Until Dawn and Life is Strange having much to thank the developer for. Gearbox will have all the knowledge it needs about the property, but the writing ability of Telltale Games is tough to match, and the former has always prioritized gameplay and exploration over memorable storytelling, so it's only natural for fans to be concerned.
Still, for everything that Telltale Games does right, it stumbled in other key areas that Gearbox has the opportunity to excel at. New Tales from the Borderlands has the opportunity to take the best from both studios, but capturing lightning in a bottle is far tougher than it sounds, and with more eyes than ever on Tales from the Borderlands, it has to execute all it sets out to do on a mechanical level as well as a narrative one. Neglecting old characters is a bold move for Gearbox to take, but one thing it shouldn't abandon entirely is Telltale Games' unrelenting charm, as it was the source of much of the first game's success.
New Tales from the Borderlands is available October 21 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.