REVIEW : Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Chaotic Great Edition (PC)
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands announcement was a great success, needless to deny this obviousness. Yet we, after having flown around the world in the months preceding the release of Borderlands 3, having reviewed it in the comfort of our home and having cyclically returned to play it for the release of the DLC, we do not hide that a pinch of fear. ‘we always had. Although the third numbered chapter of the saga was a great success, we have always highlighted a certain listlessness on the part of Gearbox in having avoided taking some risks by trying to renew a game formula equal to itself for almost fifteen years. A few filings here and there, but nothing that could eliminate some now anachronistic elements of the series. Say that Tiny Tina is some more interesting factor.
Before analyzing the differences in the gameplay, let’s also talk about the narration of this spin-off. Tina invites the cosmonauts Frette and Valentine – stuck with the damaged spaceship – and amid the group madness that is the cornerstone of the spirit of Borderlands, she decides to show off her skills as a bunker master and put on a role of Bunkers & Badasses. With a wink at Dungeons and Dragons, we are immediately catapulted into the Wonderlands: a huge continent all the son of Tina’s inspiration and for which the crazy girl has also prepared a board and an infinite series of game miniatures.
We are in effect the freshman of the team, the latest addition to the trio and who is subject to the rules and narration of his deus ex machina. The handling of a role-playing game by an unstable and over-the-top character like Tina will lead to a series of totally insane situations, which in some cases will even reach some apex in the history of Borderlands.
We cannot and do not want to tell you too much, especially because, having played the title thoroughly for thirty hours, we are well aware of the reasons why 2K and Gearbox have asked us to keep our mouths sealed.
Between colonies of rebellious Goblins, an Ass Stallion turned queen, historical characters turned into ridiculous fairies and new supporting actors who do not make us regret anything of the past, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a constant laugh. Also thanks to writing that, since Borderlands 3, had made giant steps in the management of the rhythm and the drafting of the dialogues, unfortunately sinning in the character of the two main antagonists.
The same goes for the crazy side missions, even more out of place and over the top than usual, which in this case will also lead you to discover portions of the map and optional areas.
Hard to think of asking for more of Borderlands’ character and style, and even if no one will ever be able to take the place of Handsome Jack, the spin-off delights thanks to its declaration of love to Dungeons and Dragons, with the irony and irreverent strength of a now timeless series.
Let’s get into the actual gameplay. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, taking advantage of the hook of the live role match between the protagonist and the other crew members, very soon inserts one of the new mechanics for the series: the overworld. It is nothing more than the Wonderlands board: the continent created by the mind of Tina herself, where all our (dis) adventures unfold.
No more star map then and, in its place, we find something very similar to the most classic Final Fantasy. Every time you leave one of the classic Borderlands maps, more or less large, we will find ourselves wandering with our pawn inside the continent. The view will move from above and our super-deformed character will be able to move in the overworld. Rather than just take advantage of the map drawn in parchment style – which we had already seen during the test last month, the Wonderlands turn into a pivotal component of the gameplay, with their percentage of completion, a series of NPCs and side quests, collectables and, paradoxically, random encounters.
If the overworld represents a new find and that bodes well for the future, the management of the character and the inventory was less obvious. We are not in the real world, here it is all the result of Tina’s imagination and since the creation of your avatar, you can notice a series of substantial differences. The classes are six and range from the Deathbringer to the Berserk, putting more physical or more magical builds on the plate depending on your needs.
Levelling up with missions or through the lead shot will allow you to accumulate skill points and hero points. The former is always the same, managed on menus still identical to the past and which vary from class to class. The latter, on the other hand, is nothing more than real characteristic points, which can be spent individually to increase one’s strength, intelligence, dexterity and so on. All parameters that will affect your effectiveness in battle and which we assure you will require more attention than you might think.
This design choice, far from revolutionary, however, puts a lot of spice in the continuation of your build and explodes in the endgame phase of the game, when the myth levels are also activated; as well as after the campaign, when it will be possible to choose another class still to be interspersed with the second that you have already unlocked.
We will come back to talk and deepen the endgame probably later, once we have had the opportunity to test it for a longer time too, but the choice of Gearbox to remodel the rooms of random encounters to achieve a concept very similar to that of the Chalice Dungeons by Bloodborne is the gimmick that was missing from the Borderlands post-campaign.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands doesn’t stray much from what we already know more than well about the Borderlands style. A very marked cel shading, artificial intelligence certainly not stellar and a stylistic code that sometimes fits perfectly, others more than anonymous, are the background to yet another chapter of the series. We are very sincere to tell you that this spin-off has however given us some truly suggestive views, also thanks to the possibility of exaggerating even more by exploiting Tina’s imagination. To be honest we would be curious to see your faces once you have seen a certain scene, with certain rockets, on a certain horizon.
Overall we found the soundtrack and sound design in general a bit less refined and exciting than usual. Some sync problems, a not-perfect mix and the music that has been playing in our head when the game is off for less time than usual, make us understand that this final filing work has suffered a bit from the covid situation and the smart working. Nothing that can still ruin the general work or that cannot be fixed through updates. It should also be noted that this time, unfortunately, the usual and exaggerated dubbing in Italian will not be present, however, leaving room for the extraordinary original cast.
