As fans of the classic looter-shooter series gear up forGearbox’s upcomingBorderlands 4title, players have been looking back at the previous titles in theBorderlandsseries to findthe sparks of genius in each of the games. WhileTelltale’s spin-off,Tales From The Borderlands, featured very different gameplay, it still gave fans a chance to immerse themselves in the world of Pandora and to see more of the characters and stories that they love.
The insight into corporate life and the exploration of what makes a vault hunter were perfect additions to the franchise, adding to the previous adventures that players had already seen in this universe. The newer sequel,New Tales From The Borderlands, has a similar approach of focusing on story, featuring heartfelt moments away from the gunfights and highlighting the human aspect of this larger-than-life world.Gearboxwould be wise to take some lessons from these previous games. Here are the biggest aspects of theTales From The Borderlandsgames thatGearboxshould bring over to the next mainline entry in the series.
7An Epic Story
Award-Winning Narrative
Tales From The Borderlandswasone of the bestTelltale Gamesnarrative-focused titlesand was impressive in its storytelling while adhering to the sense of humor that was a unique factor inBorderlands 2. The game won multiple awards for its storytelling and is still a fan favorite to this day — even after multiple more recent releases. Rhys and Fiona are the main protagonists and give the player a unique view of the corporate world that many of the franchise villains have come from, along with the rough-and-tumble world of a wanna-be Vault Hunter.
Given the series' success (despite the poor reception of the recentBorderlandsfilm adaptation), the studio should take notes fromTelltale’sversion of their world to capture the most creative version of the Borderlands that they can.
6Multiple Endings
Players Should Be Able To Influence The Universe
Part of the endless appeal of the games developed byTelltale Gamescomes from the ways that players can change the trajectory of the story. While this is most brutally obvious in the tragic deaths throughoutThe Walking Dead, which left the fates of many characters in the hands of the protagonist, this also carries over into the episodes ofTalesandNew Talesfrom The Borderlands. In the first game, the player’s decisions can decide who their character puts their trust in and where their loyalties lie.
Giving players even more autonomy, the newer game features a list of endings that provide satisfying conclusions for the protagonists' interpersonal relationships and even lead to a few wholly bad ending options that upset the canon of theBorderlandsuniverse. IfBorderlands 4took a page from its predecessor’s book and let players have more of a say in the huge battles to come, there could be higher stakes,more replayabilityand more reason to grow to love the varied cast inBorderlands.
5Killer Music
Series Staples Of Bluesy Rock Should Take Center Stage
The opening cinematics of everyBorderlandsgame are iconic. Featuring plenty of kick-ass violence and the series' signature quirky humor, one thing that fans love about these introductions is the accompanying music. Starting with the series staple,Ain’t no Rest For The Wicked, each game has featured a punchy song to set the tone.
Tales From The Borderlandsfeatures more of these segments, giving players the chance to experience action scenes alongside the music. IfGearboxbrought this approach over, letting playersindulge inexplosive looting and shootingto the catchy tunes players have come to love, it would be a surefire way to make the next game stay as cool as its intro cinematic.
4More Vault Hunters
Variety And Character Building
The two interactive story games in theBorderlandsseries have different focuses; the firstTales Of The Borderlandsfollows pickpocket Fiona as she discovers her own potential as a Vault Hunter and meets up with some of the most well-known heroes of previous games like Zer0 and Athena. The massive selection of characters from all across the games' narratives makes for exciting cameos, but Fiona’s story of finding herself and becoming a powerful hero in her own right deserves a parallel in a mainline game.
Gearboxcould bring in a huge selection of charactersto allow for more playable Vault Hunters, or even give the usually blank slate starting characters some more development and story.
3Loader Robots With Character
More Robots With Personality (That Aren’t Claptrap)
One of the most unexpected characters inTales From The Borderlandscame in the form of a regular enemy fromBorderlands 2. The humble Loader Bot was programmed to provide Rhys some back up on his adventure on Pandora. Showing real heart and becoming a beloved machine, he sacrifices himself for Rhys and ends up sailing off into the sunset with his beloved Gortys (a fellow robot).
Giving what was once a standard enemy a personality makes the possibility of another incredible new character seem plausible;Gearboxcould give another Psycho a story, like Krieg, or even deliver a new robot character.One that isn’t Claptrap.
2Vaultlanders Mini Game
Cameos That Do Justice To Fan Favorites
While it may only be a mini-game, the Vaultlanders optional challenges inNew Tales From The Borderlandsarea great opportunity for cameo appearances, as well as a fun little side collectable for die-hard fans to go out of their way to complete.
Featuring a wide array of themost popularBorderlandscharacters, as well as some odd additions for their added strange factor, players can bash action figures together to see who wins. Bringing this into the wide open setting ofBorderlands 4 —and even making it a multiplayer option — would add extra depth to the looter-shooter formula.
1Insurmountable Odds
Real Challenges To Enrich Encounters
Part of what makesNew Tales From The Borderlandssuch a tense adventure is the threat that the heroes face. Whether through terrifying escapes or closely fought firefights, the highlights of the game come from the life and death moments. While theBorderlandsseries has usually punished player death by taking a portion of their money, if the stakes were higher and there were enemies that had a real shot at damaging the player or setting them back, then the drama in the story might work a little better.
Borderlands 4should be careful to walk the line between the familiar systems of the previous games and ensure thatthe story becomes something important.
