What did people think of Tales from the Borderlands?

[Zhukov]

(Untagged spoilers ahead. You have been warned.)

So Telltale games continue their unorthodox tactic of rifling through other people's pockets for spare IP, then promptly turning around and producing the best works those IP have ever seen.

Personally, despite fluctuating between mild derision and outright disdain when it comes to the main Borderlands games, I kind of loved Tales. Most of it anyway. It's good enough that it almost makes me want to buy The Pre-Sequel.

It's one of the funniest games I've played in, hell... years. I was grinning and laughing so much that my face hurt after each episode. That hasn't happened since the original Portal.

I liked that the story was about a bunch of fairly average people (by Borderlands standards) hopelessly out of their depth rather than another squad of biggest-dick-in-the-room badasses. I liked how the dialogue included options to say some downright stupid but still in-character things ("Enhance!"). I loved how the narrators would contradict, interrupt and question each other. (Could've used a good bit more of that actually.)

Aaaaand then Episode 4 rolled around. It wasn't bad, but the shift from smale-scale shenanigans to large scale conventional video game heroics was horribly jarring. Then things get downright bombastic in Episode 5. They managed to wrap things in a sufficiently satisfying way, but they never recovered the chaotic glory of those first three episodes.

I didn't much care for Sasha's non-death. It was a bit Disney-ish, and not in a good way. If you want to kill off a character, fine. If you don't want to in favour of keeping things light-hearted then that's fine too. Going, "Oh no, she's dead, how sad... just kidding!" seems like trying to have your cake and eat it too.

And lastly, annoying robots. They went two whole episodes without a Claptrap's utterly unfunny arse making any appearances and it was glorious. Then they went and saddled me with an annoying robot character of their own invention. And events in later episodes suggest that they actually expected me to care about her a great deal more than I did. Then during the finale they went and threw in an actual fucking Claptrap. Although according to the post-game stats I was one of only 13% to suffer that fate.

PS. Favourite part: the eyeball scene.

 

[Zhukov]

I'll fully admit that Sasha's "death" 'got me'. Mainly because I had just finished the final chapter of Life is Strange and was fully owning up to the idea of a fan-favorite half of a fan favorite pairing biting the dust just to rub salt in our wounds.

Dude.

...

Speaking as someone who intends to buy Life is Strange, a spoiler warning on that would have been nice.

 

[Redd the Sock]

It was a good reminder that Borderlands is a fun and entertaining world when it gets away from the mission structure. If there was ever a setting for minor cons over their head, it's this one. The journey was fun, full of twists, and a ton of laughs from minor jokes and one liners, to the total power rangers absurdity of the final chapter. Sasha's "death" got me. It's a Telltale game. You had to expect some painful loss.

Aside from a lack of Moxie (she's always fun) my only complaint is that I don't recall every having that painful telltale moment. The choices made were often obscure and never really all that hard to make when they weren't. Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, those had "don't make me choose" moments, but here I can't recall anything. When your binary option is "side with the homicidal maniac in your head or don't" it seems a step back.

Oh, and I want some deeper lore here. If you didn't play the Pre Sequel you might not be as bug fuck confused as I am, but I really want to know the full courtship between Jainey Springs and Athena. No, not for those reasons. I just spent ten minutes on pause trying to figure out how the cold merciless vault hunter and the chipper flirty scavenger got as far as love and marriage. It'd be like seeing Boba Fett and Jar Jar binks as best buds.

 

[asdfen]

looked boring so I skiped it

 

[tippy2k2]

You didn't like Gortys?!?!

I must just have a thing for annoying tiny robots because both Gortys and Claptrap are my favorite things in Borderlands (I may have a Claptrap POP! figure on my desk at work...).

I (partially) agree with not liking the direction it went in once Episode 4 came around (really once they went to Hyperion). To quote Ron Burgandy; "That escalated quickly". I ended up coming around to it with Episode 5 when it just turned the nob to 11 on the silly factor (Megazord!).

I also agree that the non-death death was kind of bullshitty. I get that it's a Telltale Game so I assumed someone I loved would die but since it didn't fit well in the theme, I didn't think they would. Then they did....then they didn't. I was ultimately fine with it but I certainly understand people not liking that.

As a side note, what the hell was that thing that healed her? Because I don't remember anything like that in the game and it didn't come from the vault so it being "alien" doesn't work as an explanation. Did I miss something with Felix that explains why he had a super clock with healing powers?

As to my favorite part....it of course had Gortys in it. The entire thing was funny but I freaking gut laughed over Gortys and Rhys exchanging these words (it may not be exact but you'll know what part I'm talking about I imagine):

Rhys: I can climb on top of you to get up there? I suppose I can't really hurt steel, can I?
Gortys: Oh I am in excruciating pain. I'm just a team player!

Makes me giggle just thinking about it...

In Summary; Except for Walking Dead Season 1, I feel this is the best Telltale Game they have released. I have not (yet) played Game of Thrones (it's downloaded and ready though) but as of now, I go WD S1 > Tales Borderlands > WD S2 > Wolf Among Us (this is not because Wolf is bad mind you; I just didn't get as into it as I did everything else).

 

[kenu12345]

I really liked it up to the last episode where the choice from episode 4 didn't seem to matter. Like seriously, I go through the game being nice to Jack and him talking and opening up to me then boom he wants to kill me out of nowhere. It was really forced and I really wished that part of the game changed more in the story. The other choices though genuinely felt good and I got to say I like em

 

[Elfgore]

I've tried both Borderlands 1 and 2, both singleplayer and co-op. I decided that they were decent shooters, but completely ruined by the bullet sponge enemies. I did always like the art style and the lore though.

I picked up Tales instantly and fell in love with it. It's tied for the best TellTales game in my opinion. Funny, action packed, and emotional at times. Everything I need.

 

[astrav1]

(Untagged spoilers ahead. You have been warned.)

So Telltale games continue their unorthodox tactic of rifling through other people's pockets for spare IP, then promptly turning around and producing the best works those IP have ever seen.

Personally, despite fluctuating between mild derision and outright disdain when it comes to the main Borderlands games, I kind of loved Tales. Most of it anyway. It's good enough that it almost makes me want to buy The Pre-Sequel.

It's one of the funniest games I've played in, hell... years. I was grinning and laughing so much that my face hurt after each episode. That hasn't happened since the original Portal.

I liked that the story was about a bunch of fairly average people (by Borderlands standards) hopelessly out of their depth rather than another squad of biggest-dick-in-the-room badasses. I liked how the dialogue included options to say some downright stupid but still in-character things ("Enhance!"). I loved how the narrators would contradict, interrupt and question each other. (Could've used a good bit more of that actually.)

Aaaaand then Episode 4 rolled around. It wasn't bad, but the shift from smale-scale shenanigans to large scale conventional video game heroics was horribly jarring. Then things get downright bombastic in Episode 5. They managed to wrap things in a sufficiently satisfying way, but they never recovered the chaotic glory of those first three episodes.

I didn't much care for Sasha's non-death. It was a bit Disney-ish, and not in a good way. If you want to kill off a character, fine. If you don't want to in favour of keeping things light-hearted then that's fine too. Going, "Oh no, she's dead, how sad... just kidding!" seems like trying to have your cake and eat it too.

And lastly, annoying robots. They went two whole episodes without a Claptrap's utterly unfunny arse making any appearances and it was glorious. Then they went and saddled me with an annoying robot character of their own invention. And events in later episodes suggest that they actually expected me to care about her a great deal more than I did. Then during the finale they went and threw in an actual fucking Claptrap. Although according to the post-game stats I was one of only 13% to suffer that fate.

PS. Favourite part: the eyeball scene.

You know, I might consider it now, but I do have a question... Do your choices actually matter, because for the last few Telltale games, (I think I've played all the post Jurassic Park ones aside from Tales and Minecraft) The players desicions have literally no effect on the story other than delaying someones death. If there is agency akin to the walking dead, or most of Wolf Among Us, then this might be a new purchase.

Also I would recommend getting Life is Strange anyway, it is pretty unpolished and the first episode is a feat to get through without wanting to shove a golf pencil in your ear, but it finishes as a good story, and satisfying experience.

 

[runic knight]

Was curious about this one. Loved the first and second game of the overall series, but between issues with the DLC practices, a loudmouth developer, a dislike of the concept itself, and general mixed reviews, I avoided the pre-sequel and haven't really bothered with the series since. May give tales a look though, judging by the look of this, if only to see the insanity and just how bad it escalates.

 

[Simskiller]

You know, I might consider it now, but I do have a question... Do your choices actually matter, because for the last few Telltale games, (I think I've played all the post Jurassic Park ones aside from Tales and Minecraft) The players desicions have literally no effect on the story other than delaying someones death. If there is agency akin to the walking dead, or most of Wolf Among Us, then this might be a new purchase.

Your choices don't really matter I found, you hit all the same plot points no matter what you choose.

I treated it as an visual novel. Replaying to see the other results from the choices is a chore as you can't skip/fast forward anything, sadly.

 

[Zhukov]

You know, I might consider it now, but I do have a question... Do your choices actually matter[?]

Nope.

Even less so than other Telltale games. Your choices affect dialogue and some aesthetics and that's about it.

As someone who finds meaningful plot-related choices in games to be severely overrated, I wasn't fussed. But if that's what you're looking for then you're likely to be disappointed.

 

[Callate]

Around episode 3 I was getting reaaaaally tired of the game making Rhys and Vaughn fall on their faces. It's all well and good to want to have strong and varied female characters, but I was seriously beginning to wonder if the powers that be didn't recognize that kicking the few halfway likable non-robotic male characters in the ass at every opportunity wasn't a prudent way to attempt that.

But they finally seemed to pull clear of that particular foible in the next couple of episodes. I was pretty happy with the whole thing by the time it wrapped up. The bit where Rhys comes to terms with just what he's going to have to do to rid himself of Jack was pretty effective, dramatically. And while the various characters getting to contribute to the final fight wasn't especially meaningful with regard to affecting the over-all arc of the plot, it sure was fun.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Pleasantly surprised to be honest. I've not played a Borderlands since the first one and find the series attempts at humor miss far more than it they hits, plus I found Telltale's Game Of Thrones pretty under whelming. So going in I did not have high expectations for this. The humor was pretty spot on for the most part, I found myself laughing throughout each episode. They also really good job making me care for the characters even those that I found annoying in the main game series, and thank Christ they kept Claptrap to an optional minimum. While the choices made little difference overall it was a nice touch to have your actions affect who you could call on to help in the finale.

It was nice to play a Telltale game where your not constantly getting an emotional kicking, and yet they still managed to pull of some great emotional moments without over powering the lighter tone of the series.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

Tales From the Borderlands is probably one of my favorite new games I've played in the past year. I thought it started a whole lot stronger than it ended, but I was still laughing my ass off pretty much start to finish. I'd love to see more of these characters.

I just hope I don't have to play a "real" Borderlands game to see them again.

 

[Jandau]

For me, the best part of the Borderlands games was the setting and the world, and I found it horribly underused in the main games. In that regard, I loved Tales as they let the setting and its quirky characters breathe a bit and spread their wings beyond the basic shoot-and-loot gameplay loop of the main series. I enjoyed the way they used existing characters and wove them into the narrative, filling out the lore of the other games. Overall, it was a fun ride and it's worth it regardless of how "significant" your actions are in directing the narrative (hint: they aren't, but then again, they never were in Telltale games)...