Although it may not be as popular as The living Dead or The Wolf among us, Tales from the Borderlands was one of the best examples of Telltale Games’ great writing. The game takes place on the planet Pandora and its surrounding locations, adding a truly memorable story and characters to a world much more beloved for its loot-based progression and unique art style. There were many surprised faces when the project was announced, so when the aptly titled New stories from the border countries was unveiled at Gamescom 2022, it was certainly a relief for publisher 2K that fans were happy that a sequel was finally given the green light.
While it will bear the name of its predecessor and will be a story-focused affair in a similar vein, there are more than a few changes to the formula that players came to love in 2014. An all-new cast is paired with an entirely different developer. Gearbox Software is taking the reins this time around, which has raised a lot of eyebrows for a number of reasons, as it offers exciting opportunities but comes with a few potential drawbacks. Telltale Games’ charm will be hard to replicate, but the flaws can easily be wiped out completely.
The Magic of Tales from the Borderlands
While The living Dead was a gloriously bleak tale that revolved around a man’s desperate need to protect someone he has come to cherish, Tales from the Borderlands was very different and showcased Telltale Games’ immense writing reach. It was a delightful romp through a harsh, unforgiving world that was riddled with heartfelt moments and plenty of chuckle-worthy moments. It caught the tone of its parent border areas series with ease, and Pandora presented characters that have the potential to rival Handsome Jack’s legacy in both execution and execution.
Mechanically, it was based on the same principles Telltale Games brought into the hearts of its fans, with a point-and-click format adorned with low-profile quick-time events and light exploration. In five chapters released over the course of nearly a calendar year, players will meet the Hyperion stooge Rhys, the brave and streetwise Fiona, and Gortys, an extremely cute, humble android who could hold the key to all of the former’s desires. The side characters are equally fantastic, and the story being told takes advantage of the border areas toy box just enough to feel familiar, but isn’t afraid to make its own way. It’s special in so many ways, so New stories from the Borderlands’ announcement wasn’t necessarily a big surprise.
The gift that the gearbox brings
Gearbox Software has been a household name for video games for years, with its roots firmly planted in the first-person shooter genre. A catalog of games in the Duke Nukem and Alien licenses, border areas is arguably his most successful and beloved IP, its journey started in 2009 before going really great with its sequel in 2012. The studio has had a busy 2022, with Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands arriving in spring to get critical acclaim and announce the next entry in Tales from the Borderlands shows its dedication to the franchise that made it so successful.
Despite having a limited repertoire in the field of adventure games, there is no doubt that no developer knows more than anyone about the structure of the game. border areas property. Gearbox has made nearly every entry in the series so far, from highly anticipated mainlines to wacky spin-offs that deepen side characters and experiment with new gameplay ideas. New stories from the border countries will no doubt feel like it belongs to all the others border areas titles, but there was so much love for the developer from its predecessor that it will be a huge effort to fill the gap Telltale leaves behind as it continues to work on The wolf among us 2 and the vastness.
The Curse of the Absence from Telltale Games
The California-based developer may have had a storied history since its founding in 2004, closing shop and reviving just a year later, but his past works had so much to love that it’s hard not to be elated at his return. Addressing properties such as Game of Thrones, Batman, The Walking Dead, even Guardians of the Universethe small company that excelled at making delightful adventure games was never afraid to take on the most ambitious names. The living Dead was undoubtedly the greatest critical success, but Tales from the Borderlands maintained a quality equal to that, despite never reaching the same level of exposure. Of New stories from the border countries by providing new characters and being forged by a completely different team leaves it questioning how well it will maintain 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 were expected but rarely excused, leaving Gearbox with an opening to make improvements. However, the way Telltale approached character development and choice-based gameplay was groundbreaking, with efforts such as: Until sunrise and Life is strange owe a lot to the developer. Gearbox will have all the knowledge it needs about ownership, but Telltale Games’ writing prowess is hard to match, and the former has always prioritized gameplay and exploration over memorable storytelling, so it’s only natural for fans to be concerned to make.
But for all that Telltale Games does well, it stumbled upon other key areas that Gearbox can excel in. New stories from the border countries has the ability to make the most of both studios, but capturing lightning in a bottle is much harder than it sounds, and with more eyes on it than ever Tales from the Borderlands, it has to do everything it wants to do, both on a mechanical and narrative level. Neglecting old characters is a bold move for Gearbox, but one thing it shouldn’t give up entirely is Telltale Games’ unwavering charm, as it was the source of much of the first game’s success.
New stories from the border countries is available on October 21 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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