Lionsgate might be trying to find a Vault full of cash right now, as the Borderlands movie box office numbers for its opening weekend are bleak. The film's domestic opening for the August 9 weekend brought in only $8.6 million, taking fourth place behind Deadpool & Wolverine, It Ends With Us, and Twisters for its debut.

Overall, Borderlands made a worldwide box office gross of $16.9 million (via The Numbers), which is tiny compared to its reported $115 million budget (via IGN). Assuming the typical marketing spend outside of its production budget, D+ Cinemascore, and negative fan sentiment, Borderlands doesn't look like it'll make that money back.

Box office YouTuber and analyst Dan Murrell says that Borderlands will be one of the biggest box office bombs of the year, if not the largest. What doesn't help are the awful reviews for Borderlands, with our sister site WGTC calling the film "bottom of the barrel."

Surprisingly, some big names are part of the eclectic Borderlands cast, including Jack Black (School of Rock) as Claptrap, Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) as Tannis, Cate Blanchett (Thor: Ragnarok) as Lilith, and Kevin Hart plays Roland. Despite so many household names, series developer Gearbox may want to forget this entry ever happened, and remain focused on its new game in development.

It's not all bad news for the Borderlands series, however. The third game has seen a 14.5% player boost on Steam over the past 30 days (via Steam Charts), likely due to the publicity of the movie (or viewers of?? the film who want to forget about it).

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Gear up for more Borderlands, as Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has said that the company is working on a new entry, alongside a new Brothers in Arms and more. As the Borderlands movie reportedly stinks up theaters, a "new mainline title" has been teased by Pitchford during an Epic Games interview published Thursday.

When asked if Gearbox is working on the next "mainline" game in the Borderlands series, Pitchford replied: "Of course we are.�

That's not it, either. While discussing the new Borderlands movie that is available in theatres this weekend, Pitchford teased to Epic Games that multiple projects are in development, ?thanks to a "leadership cluster," which "drives a project from cradle to grave."

“With this approach, we’re able to spin up multiple things, including a new Brothers in Arms game, which has been in development for a while—but we’re not yet ready to talk about it," said Pitchford. Perhaps, we could see this project announced during The Game Awards this year. The Brothers in Arms series had a TV show in the works in 2020 as well, and there have been mentions of a new entry in the series over the years.

Duke Nukem is also referenced during the interview. "We’re working on every IP. I mean, we just launched Homeworld 3, and there’s still work going on there," Pitchford said. "And there’s Risk of Rain, and there’s Duke Nukem, and there’s more.�/p>

The latest entry in the Borderlands series was the spinoff Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, which was received relatively well by critics and fans. "Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is more Borderlands, and the lighter fantasy fare might actually get people to dive in for the first time," said our review. "With that in mind, it’s still more Borderlands, so the same basic formula isn’t going to magically change y??our stance if you’re a lapsed fan."

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The first Borderlands game burst onto the scene in 2009. It brought fast-paced action, comedy, and intrigue as players navigate Pandora and all of its dangers in pursuit of sweet, sweet loot. In time, Borderlands became the starting point for an entire gaming franchise, of numerous beloved an??d not-so-belo?ved games,

Now, at long last, the long-running series has made the jump to live-action, following in the footsteps of other recent video game adaptations such as Twisted Metal, The Last of Us, and Fallout, to name a few. Early critic impressions of the Borderlands movie are in, and well, they're n??ot very positive.

Borderlands misses the mark for the majority of critics

To say that critics haven't held back on Borderlands and its supposed cacophony of missteps would be an underst??atement. The film has been widely panned before it even hit theaters.

"Eli Roth’s fiasco is so drearily routine and slapdash that even an A.I. would deem it too plagiaristic," wrote The Daily Beast's Nick Schager of the film's uninspired and rushed writing. Over at The Hollywood Reporter, David? Rooney expanded on this, specifically discussing the feature's lack of emotional resonance: "Since the characters remain one-dimensional �not much more than cartoonish gamer avatars �we’re never terribly invested in their survival, or their quest to get to the vault first."

Highlighting the film's overabundance of needle-drops and sci-fi action, Empire's Dan Jolin notes, "Borderlands so wants to be Guardians Of The Galaxy...but it doesn’t come close to capturing the same Guardians space-magic." Vicky Jessop of the London Evening Standard even put it in contention for worst movie of 2024, claiming that it calls back to a bygone era of absolutely atrocious video game adaptations. Alistair Ryder over on AwardsWatch d??oesn't even think it has the makings of a future cult classic with its ??lack of originality and style.

What does Borderlands have going for it?

Seems like a lot of critics find Borderlands to be a derivative, style-less, action flick that's impossible to emotionally invest in and harkens back to the dark ages of video game adaptations. That's a pretty bleak description, but is there any silver lining here? Is there anything that gives Borderlands even the slightest bit of merit in the eyes of crit?ics? As it turns out, yes. Miraculously, some feel there are some bright spot?s in what appears to be one of the biggest cinematic misfires of 2024.

Well, so far, pretty much the only positive is the portrayal of Lilith by the historically ex??cellent in just about everything Blanchett.

Though she finds the character's writing a bit lacking, Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph likes what Blanchett does with the Lilith role: "I got a kick out of Blanchett starring in a movie like this - and doing a great job!" Danny Leigh agreed in his Financial Times review, calling Blanchett's charisma one of the few "faint, stubborn signs of something more interesting" in the movie. "Sadly, Borderlands is an unworthy vehicle for [Blanchett's] swaggering performance," added Screen Daily's Tim Grierson.

A long road to the Borderlands

Borderlands' road from the gaming world to Hollywood is a long one. Talks of the games being adapted date back to 2011, though, evidently, progress on such a creative endeavor was slow. Leigh Whannell was initially said to be handling writing and directing duties, Aaron Berg and Oren Uziel took a crack at the script, and at one point the film was envisioned as R-rated. Eventually, Eli Roth was selected as director, casting began in 2020, and after over a decade in development limbo and weeks of reshoots under director Tim Miller, Borderlands has become a viewable reality.

On paper, Borderlands seems poised to become a hit. Roth and Miller are seasoned directors, and they led a stacked cast consisting of such A-listers as Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ja??mie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black. Once trailers and promotional images arrived, however, not even the presence of game staples like Lilith (Blanchett), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), and Claptrap (Black) and some of Pandora's signature imagery could dispel the notion that the adaptation looked underwhelming and uninspired. All early impressions have done little to counter those feelings.

At the end of the day, these critic reactions only comprise a small portion of folks who have seen and will see Borderlands. Time will tell if their critiques of the movie are widely-held, or if it will find its footing with general audiences as it kicks off its theatrical run. Sadly, Borderlands has severely struggl??ed when it comes to selling tickets so far, so we'll have to see if people even bother going to see the?? movie to form an opinion on it.

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When it comes to video games, there are a lot of memorable characters. Outside of their design or role within a game, what makes these characters memorable is their voice, and every one of these comes as a re??sul??t of actors spending hours in a recording booth. 

There are a lot of voice actors out there, but some are more prolific or memorable than others. Their voices resonate in our heads?? as part of the characters we come to love while playing, but who’s behind these voices?????????????????????????? and where else have they appeared?

Joel Miller (The Last of Us) - Troy Baker

Troy Baker might be one of the most well-known voices in video games. He’s not only the voice of Joel in The Last of Us but also Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding, John Jones in Fortnite, The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, and the voice of Snow in multiple Final Fantasy titles, including Final Fantasy XIII.

Harley Quinn (Arkham City) - Tara Strong 

Tara Strong is a voice that’s iconic for multiple generations. To me, she’s Timmy from Fairly Odd Parents. To my daughter, she’s Princess Twilight Sparkle from the My Little Pony franchise. In video games, Tara has played not only Harley Quinn in multiple titles, but you can also hear her voice in Rage, and she’s the voice of Rikku in Kingdom Hearts II.

Snake (Metal Gear Solid) - David Hayter

While David Hayter is perhaps most well known for his role as Snake in the Metal Gear Solid franchise and outside of it in other titles, he’s also appeared as the Winter Soldier in Marvel Heroes, a Jedi Knight in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and has multiple voice roles in the Ghost in the Shell game, released in 1997.

Mario (Multiple) - Charles Martinet

I can’t in all good conscience write this list without including Charles Martinet. His voice simply is Mario to anyone who has ever played a single game of the franchise. However, Mario isn’t Charlesâ€?only voice role in the world of video games. He’s appeared as Orvus in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Vigoro in Skies of Arcadia, and, perhaps surprisingly, The Cat in the Hat in a few titles aimed at kids, such as Dr. Seuss Toddler. 

Asterion (Baldur’s Gate III) - Neil Newbon

If TikTok is to be believed, Neil Newbon is the voice of everybody’s favorite Dom. However, before he was the voice of Asterion, Neil appeared in the Resident Evil games as Karl Heisenberg in Resident Evil Village and Nicholai in Resident Evil Resistance. He also played two roles in Detroit: Become Human, Elijah Kamski and Gavin Reed.

Ezio Auditore (Assassin's Creed II Trilogy) - Roger Craig Smith

Roger Crag Smith, I’m not ashamed to say, played a pivotal role in the formation of my love for gaming. I was, and remain to this day, obsessed with Assassin’s Creed II and will always consider it the best of the Assassin’s Creed titles. However, Roger Craig Smith has appeared in many more video games. He’s played Kale Vandelay and SEB-AAA in Hi-Fi RUSH, Sonic the Hedgehog in multiple titles and Mirage in Apex Legends. Most recently, you might recognize his voice as Mission Control in Helldivers 2.

Tiny Tina (Borderlands) - Ashly Burch

Although most recognizable for her voice as Tiny Tina in the Borderlands games, Ashley Burch has played a lot of memorable characters in other titles. She’s the voice of Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn, Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series, Mel in The Last of Us Part II, and also provided the voice of Chloe Price in both Life is Strange games. 

Urianger (Final Fantasy XIV) - Timothy Watson

Aside from gracing the world with the purely Shakespearean presence that is Urianger Augurelt in Final Fantasy XIV, Timothy Watson has also appeared in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as King Burgred, has multiple voice roles in Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, and played Mumkhar in Xenoblade Chronicles. 

GLaDOS (Portal) - Ellen McClain

The voice of everybody’s favorite psychopathic robot from the Portal games was provided by Ellen McClain, but it wasn’t the first time she provided an iconic robotic female voice in the world of video games. Ellen is also the voice behind the Combine Overwatch AI in Half-Life 2. She also appears in Cyberpunk 2077 as one of Del??amain’s split personaliti?es, though this one was modeled after GlaDOS.

Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) - Doug Cockle

Doug Cockle is the voice of Geralt in The Witcher game series as well as when Geralt appears in other titles like Soul Caliber VI. He’s also appeared as Bhaal in Baldur’s Gate III, Robert Nightingale in Alan Wake II, and provides multiple additional voices in Horizon Zero Dawn. Outside of gaming, Doug also played the role of Father John Maloney in 2001's Band of Brothers.

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Sifting through the many games on your PlayStation 5 can be a drag. When it comes to playing with a friend, there are going to be some limitations depending on the titles. So, if you want ??to get a list of some of the best 2-player PS5 games out right now, check ou??t our list.

The best 2 player games on the PS5

This list will include games that have appeared on the PlayStation 4. However, they can still be played on Sony’s current generation console. The games listed here are also mul?tiplayer-friendly for local and online sessions.

Rocket League

Starting off with a free-to-play game, Rocket League can provide hours of fun. Yeah, the better you get, the ?sweatier this game can be. However, if you’re playing with one other person locally against bots or online against other players, it’s just a good time whether you win or lose.

Though, to counter the whole sw??eaty aspect of the game, it’s such a good feeling whe?n you finally master aerial and other advanced movement techniques. 

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection

Despite having a very rough launch with server issues and crashing, there’s still fun to be had in the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection on the PS5. If you and a frie?nd want to sit down for some couch co-op or online Galactic Conquest or Campaign, you can do just that. 

It’ll be like 200??5 all over again, just with slightly upscaled graphics?.

Tetris Effect: Connected

Tetris Effect: Connected is the de??finitive Tetris ?experience on the PlayStation 5. While it has a good selection of ?single-player modes, it also offers a lot for a m??ultiplayer experience. 

It has a three-player cooperative mode where you can team up with other people or sub in an AI to fight against a big boss. If you like a more PvP experience, it ??also sports the Zone Battle, ?Score Attack, and Classic modes.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy games aren’t quite as heavy hitters as Mario games, but if you want a solid platformer to get your friends in on the action, A Big Adventure is it. With easy drop-in multiplayer, you and your buddies ??can get through the game rather q?uickly. 

The hectic nature of more players on screen just ad??ds to a better time. Yeah, you’ll be getting in each othersâ€?way, but it’s all in good fun. 

Serious Sam Collection

If you want the definitive version ?of a boomer shooter with cheesy one-liners to mindlessly gun through with your friends, you’ll have a blast playing through the Serious Sam Collection. It’s a collection of games that’s easy enough to get into with some friends loc?ally or onli??ne.

This has the three mainline Serious Sam games in one, with the DLC for all of them. There are hours of hilarity and madness to be had as you and your squad mates can blast through hordes of wacky and vicious enemies. There’s even a survival and PvP component in the game if you want to extend the life of this game for your group. Just, skip The Legend of the Beast to save you and your partner(s) a headache.

Castle Crashers: Remastered

Castle Crashers was perhaps one of the best cooperative games to play with frie??nds on the seventh generat?ion of consoles. Two generations later, it holds up well and it’s one to definitely have on your radar if you’re looking for some 2-player games.

It’s a light version of a side-scrolling RPG that even newcomers to gaming can understand. Plus, the many d?ifferent classes you can p?lay really open up how much replayability there is. 

Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box

So I’m kind of cheating here as this version of the Borderlands Collection contains the entirety of the series so far. What you want to focus on for a cooperative aspect are the FPS games: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands 3. Much like the Serious Sam collection, these games have all the D??LC ex??pansions packed in with them.

So, if you want a hell of a good story with humor that still mostly holds ?up today, even with the weaker parts of the third game, this series is the epitome of cooperative looter shooter games.

Broforce

If you like games like Contra or Metal Slug, Broforce is going to be the perfect game? for you and your co-op partner(s). The 8-bit graphics are such a blast in the past, paired with every unlockable character being a “broâ€?parody of a p??opular movie character from the 80s and 90s. 

The cherry on top is how hectic the game can get, with several explosions, destructible environments, and the over-the-top satirical narrative. Even if you don’t like shoot-em-up games, this game is surely going to bring a smile to you?? and your group.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Unlike many other cooperative games where you can just drop in and out of games, Baldur’s Gate 3 works differently. Characters are tied to campaign sessions, akin to typical Dungeons and Dragons sessions. It’s actually really cool, as you can actually “pick up where you left off�?without anyone g?etting ahead or being left behind. 

With how much freedom you have in the game like exploration and dialogue choices, this is easily one of those games where you lose track of time. Plus, cooperative gaming just adds much more fun. It may be a genre that’s hard to get into, but cooperative Baldur’s Gate 3 deserves all the praise it gets. 

It Takes Two

You simply cannot overlook It Takes Two if you’re looking for the best ninth-generation?? game to play with just two players. It’s also deserving of all the praise it got not just from the story, but from the way it keeps you on your toes as you progress in this cooperative-only game. 

Just as you start thinking this game can’t get any more innovative, it does. Please, play It Takes Two even if you think its graphics look “childish.�Just l??et go of any preconceived notions of the game before trying this game. 

While we have listed only ten games on this list, there are many others out there you can try that suit you and your friends, family, or significant others. And yes, fi?ghting games were omitted from this list, just because the skill gaps can? oftentimes lead to shorter times playing them.

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Embracer Group is cutting down even more and separating itself from Gearbox. Now, the Borderlands creator will?? have a new home with Take-Two Ente??rtainment. 

Embracer has announced that it's officially selling Gearbox Entertainment, which includes Gearbox Software, Gearbox Montreal, and Gearbox Studio Quebec, as well as franchises like Borderlands and Risk of Rain. It will retain a few pieces, however; namely, Gearbox Publishing San Francisco, Lost Boys Interactive, Cryptic Studios, and Captured Dimensions. Embracer will also retain publishing rights for the Remnant series, Hyper Light Breaker, and some other unannounced games.

In a press release, Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors wrote, “Through the transaction [with Take-Two], we lower business risk and improve pr?ofitability as we transition to becoming a leaner and more focused company.�

That transition has been in the works for quite some time and is expected to be finished by the end of the first fiscal quarter this June. Embracer Group has made dramatic cuts over the past year. From March to December 2023 it let go of 8% of ?its workforce, and the slew of layoffs caused game cancellations and even closed entire studios.

With that as a backdrop, it’s not surprising that Embracer Group is divesting from Gearbox, especially since Take-Two is expected to pay $460 million for the studio. It's a different tone, though, from 2021, when Embracer paid $363M up-front and potentially much, much more in performance targets for the studio.

This particular transaction may not lead to as much collateral damage for the sold company as some of Embracer Group’s other recent moves. In that same press release, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford reassured fans that in his view, this is a good move for the studio as well. “My primary interest is always Gearbox, especially our talent and our customers. I want to personally assure fans of our games that this arrangement will ensure that the experiences we have in development at Gearbox will be the best they can possibly be.”�/p>

According to a Take-Two release, there are quite a few of those experiences in varying stages of development. Gearbox is currently working on six new projects. One of them is part of a brand-new IP, but the rest are sequels. Specifically, Gearbox is apparently working on another Borderlands game. 

Of course, there’s no guarantee that this deal won’t lead to some amount of layoffs at Gearbox, but we can hope. 2023 was a particularly brutal year for the industry, with around 9,000 layoffs hitting studios of every size. This year’s already gotten off to a rocky start, with layoffs affecting Supermassive Games and leading to a canceled Star Wars project at EA, among so many other hits.

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Gearbox Entertainment was one of the companies Embracer purchased during its massive buying spree that was followed by widespread layoffs and studio closures. As reported by Kotaku, the Borderlands maker is poised to be sold out,?? and more information will be shared next month.

Embracer had purchased Gearbox for $1.3 billion in 2021. However, after purchasing studios from around the world, the Swedish company released an open letter explaining that it is aiming to become a “heavy-investment-mode to a highly cash-flow generative business," and this will require “closing or divestments of some studios and the termination or pausing of some ongoing game development projects.�/p>

This news doesn't come out of the blue, as in 2023, a report from Reuters previously stated that Gearbox is working with Goldman Sachs and Aream & Co to explore a possible sale and that there is interest from third parties. Not long after, a Bloomberg report emerge?d that Gearbox is planning to either go independent or transfer.

It appears that we'll find out more soon, as in a town hall with staff earlier this week, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford revealed that a decision had been made about the studio’s future, according to two of Kotaku's sources. The studio's employees have??n't escaped the barrage of layoffs across Embracer's studios, and despite Pitchford assuring employees that they wouldn't experience the same fate, dozens were let go, and those who were subjected to freezes?? on pay raises and hiring. One of Kotaku's sources claims that they have been seeking employment elsewhere "not just due to the Embracer layoff fears, but due to pay."

There appears to have been friction in the relationship between Embracer and Gearbox, as due to Embracer budget shortfalls, "the studio shelved work on some exciting new projects and IPs to focus primarily on the next Borderlands games which are published by 2K," according to two of Kotaku's sources. There are still projects in the works, including a Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands sequel, but the studio "lost senior ?pe?ople" due to feelings of uncertainty.

Gearbox won't be the only studio squirming away from Embracer. According to Bloomberg, Saber Interactive is being sold to a private investmen?t group. This comes during a year that has seen massive layoffs and studio closures, creating an uncertain environment for the entire industry.

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Welcome to Pandora. After yesterday’s teaser, the live-action Borderlands has released its first trailer and it looks like one heck of a ride, for better? or worse. 

According to the description, Lionsgate's Borderlands follows infamous bounty hunter Lilith as she returns to her chaotic planet of Pandora. Her mission: find the missing daughter of the powerful and arrogant Atlas (played by Edgar Ramírez). Lilith gathers a ragtag team of misfits and, together, they'll take on many dangerous enemies and uncover Pandora??’s biggest secret.

The film stars Academy-Award winner Cate Blanchett (Tar) as Lilith alongside the annoying robot Claptrap, the insane Tiny Tina, her bodyguard Krieg, the scientist Tannis, and the mercenary Roland. Those will be played by Jack Black (Super Mario Bros. Movie), Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie), Florian Munteanu (Shang-Chi), Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything, Everywhere, All at Once), and Kevin Hart (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), respectively. 

Bordering The Edge

It certainly captures the wild, colorful world of Pandora and Borderlands. Of course, that also includes its immaturity. There's a lot of bathroom humor and, while it isn't my cup of tea, I'm sure many enjoyed it. The action does seem on-par with other movies like it. And, if anything, the actors look like they're having a good time. Everyone seems to fit their roles, including Hart, surprisingly. Also, I've been wanting to see Ariana Greenblatt do more after Barbie, so it was enjoyable to see her in a more leading and f??un role.

As mentioned yesterday, Borderlands' has gone through the wringer in terms of development. Though, now we’ve settled on Thanksgiving’s Eli Roth and reshoots by Deadpool's Tim Miller. Will it be any good? Well, this is a trailer, so it can be?? better or worse.

Personally, I’m a bit on the fence. On one hand, it captures everything Borderlands is known for fairly well. On the othe?r hand, I’m not sure I’m convinced about some of the creative choices made. Still, it feels like a type of guilty pleasure movie I’d watch with some pizza or something.

Borderlands comes to the big screen on August 9.

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After years of hints and developments, we've finally gotten our first look at the live-action Borderlands. People has revealed two pictures ??of the upcoming film, due to release in August.

And for another early look, IGN released a short teaser, which confirms a trailer drop tomorrow, Fe?b??ruary 21.

According to the trailer via IGN for their Fan Fest, the full?? trailer is expected to launch on February 21, 2024. As we can see, it's colorful, vibrant, and hectic as hell. So far, that seems on par with the looter shooter's style. The trailer description gives a bit of context for the madness, as we follow Lilith and her ragtag crew as they rescue Atlas' daughter on Pandora.

Locked and Loaded

In the first photo via People Magazine, we get our first full look at our colorful main cast of 'heroes'. Fans will immediately recognize some characters like Claptrap (played by Super Mario Bros. Movie's Jack Black), Tiny Tina (Barbie's Ariana Greenblatt), and Lilith (Tar's Cate Blanchett).

It is weird seeing Kevin Hart (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything, Everywhere, All at Once) here??, as both look a bit different than ??their original counterparts—Roland and Tannis, respectively. And yes, Tiny's bodyguard Krieg—played by Shang-Chi's Florian Munteanu—is here, with his signature mask.

The second image is solely focused on Cate Blanchett's Lilith. Her striking red hair translated pretty well on-screen. Though we still have yet to see any footage, this does seem like a step in the right direction. Announced in 2015, the Lionsgate film has gone through a lot, as directors changed and reshoots occurred behind the scenes.

I haven't played Borderlands much outside of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands, but I have a basic idea of the cel-shaded style and looter shooter gameplay. I'm unsure how much of that will translate well onto the silver screen, yet these pictures make me a bit hopeful. The cast is pretty stacked and it does seem to feel consistent with the game's de??signs. All eyes are on for the trailer tomorrow, so here's hoping this turns out to be on the good side of video game adaptations.

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I have a long history with the Borderlands franchise, with a few hundred hours in Borderlands 3 on PC. Now it’s available on the Nintendo Switch as well. So how does one of my favorite looter-shooters hol??d up on the little handheld console?

Fairly well, actually, especially given its size. The main game takes up 8.4 GB. The DLC is an additional 10.4 GB, or 15 GB if you include the additional voiceover language pack. Compared to the 138.9 GB of the Steam version, Borderlands 3 on the Switch is tiny!

The game itself runs quite well on the Switch. Framerates felt pretty stable in the 30-45 FPS range, rarely dropping to a noticeable degree. The controls feel fine, and there are plenty of button customization options if something isn’t working for you. The gameplay is still good ol�Borderlands. The guns are punchy, the reloads are snappy, and th???e action skills are spicy.

Some corners were definitely cut, though. You can see it in the lighting, which looks flatter overall compared to the PC version at high settings. Some of th?e textures have a not??iceably lower resolution, most apparent when looking at your hand holding your gun. Some particle and distortion effects have been reduced. The Borderlands art style holds up well, though, and the stylization goes a long way toward masking a lot of the toned-down visuals.

The biggest downgrade is in the co-op function. The Switch version of Borderlands 3 only supports 2-player co-op, not the 4-player party that’s normally a Borderlands staple. Crossplay is not available, so you’ll only be able to co-op with other S??witch players. I tried to matchmake with another player for co-op bu??t was unable to find a match.

Bugs, and I don’t mean varkids

Aside from the co-op limitations, my biggest complaint is the bugs. There are several?? issues that aren’t game-breaking but very much noticeable. ??Here are just the ones I found over several hours of gameplay:

• Some Vault Hunter body customizations don’t work with skins.
• There’s no physics for clothing items, so Vaughn’s cape and Tyreen’s coat just hang rigidly from their shoulders.
• Skag calls always sound very close, even when they’re far away.
• Subtitles are displayed over a black bar, and the black bar sometimes persists through combat or cutscenes.
• Ammo models sometimes refuse to load for a minute or so.

None of the above make the game unplayable, but they do introduce a bit of jank. Some players have been reporting frequent crashes, though I haven’t experienced a single crash myself. I hoped the update shortly after the game’s launch would fix a few of these issues, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Hop?efully, at least some of them get addressed in a future patch.

What does the Ultimate Edition get you?

The Ultimate Edition of Borderlands 3 brings more than just the base game to Nin?tendo Switch. The full list of DLC comprises of:

• Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot
• Guns, Love, and Tentacles
• Bounty of Blood
• Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck
• Designer’s Cut
• Director’s Cut
• Various cosmetic packs

The first four are story DLC, each featuring a story campaign with new characters in new locations. All four are absolutely worth downloading and playing. The story campaigns in each DLC are (in my opinion) better than the main campaign in the base game. They add some neat DLC-exclusive loot too, some of which are absolu?te game-changers for certain ??classes.

The D?esigner’s Cut adds a new skill tree for each class, adding more build variety and room for creative gameplay. It also adds the Arms Race mode, which has been generally positively received, even if I personally found it repetitive.

The Director’s Cut includes some smaller missions that center around Ava solving a murder myste??ry for her podcast. There’s also a new boss �Hemovorous/Vermivorous the Invincible �and some behind-the-scenes bonus content that can be accessed from?? the main menu. There are also three Vault Cards that function like battle passes.

The cosmetic packs are okay, or they would be if some of the cosmetics weren’t bugged. They include some body type customizations for each Vault Hunter, and these look different enough from the default. The problem is that some?? of the bodies appear to be incompatib??le with skins, which change the Vault Hunter’s colors and patterns. This is exclusively a Switch issue; I couldn’t replicate this bug on PC.

Tl;dr: Borderlands 3 on Switch is fine

Borderlands 3 on the Nintendo Switch is a complete experience. There’s plenty of content to enjoy, and the actual gameplay is solid. Co-op is limited to two players with no crossplay. There are a handful of bugs that do dampen the experience, but they’re generally not game-breaking. It may not be the best way to enjoy the game, but it’s definitely still Borderlands 3.

[This piece is based on the Ultimate Edi?tion of the game provided by the pu??blisher.]

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Embracer Group is a large company that has its fingers in quite a few pies. In 2021, Gearbox Entertainment was acquired by Embracer for an eye-watering $1.3 billion. Despite the pricey purchase, it seems not all is well, and a report from Reuters claims that Embracer is considering its op??tions with Gearbox.

Reuters, citing three people familiar with the matter, states that the involved parties are working with Goldman Sachs and Aream & C??o to explore a possible sale, and this comes after Embracer receiv??ed interest from third parties. This is certainly big news, but it's not entirely a surprise, as Embracer had previously made it known that the company is undergoing drastic changes.

In June, the company released an open letter explaining that it is aiming to shift from a "heavy-investment-mode to a highly cash-flow generative business." Doing this will require "closing or divestments of some studios and the termination or pausing of some ongoing game development projects." We've already seen the effects of this with the closure of Volition and Campfire Cabal.

[caption id="attachment_386449" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Embracer Group.[/caption]

 What happens to Gearbox now?

Gearbox is mostly known for the Borderlands franchise, with 2019's Borderlands 3 serving as the latest mainline entry. It has also published several successful titles, including the unexpected hit Remnant 2. Currently, it is unclear what the studio's future will look like. Reuters warns that the deal may not happen, as nothing has bee??n finalised. However, Embracer's actions this year suggest the company is eager to shed weight.

It's worth keeping in mind that the report mentions a sale as just one of its options with Gearbox. Though it's not stated, it stands to reason that a possible studio closure may be one of the other options, which would be bad news for Borderlands fans.

Gearbox was founded in 1999, and since then it has placed its fingerprints on several massive franchises, including Duke Nukem and Half-Life. Though it appears it may have an uncertain future ahead, ??its longevity thus far gives hope that it'll endure.

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2K Games and Gearbox have announced that they’ll be packing the entire Borderlands saga together in the Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box. This collection packs in all six of the base gam??es (including the adventure titles) as well as all their add-on content. The pack will be available September 1st, 2023.

To be more specific, Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box contains Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales from the Borderlands, Borderlands 3, and New Tales from the Borderlands. That’s a lot of Borderlands. More Claptrap than you can tolera?te, which in my case is very little.

The base price of the package is $149.99. That’s savings�probably. However, Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box will be available for a limited time at $59.99. That’s 10 whole bucks per game. And while this might be most enticing for someone who doesn’t own any Borderlands and would like to own all of the Borderlands, yo??u’ll get a discount if you digitally own any of? the titles.

Here’s specifically wha??t t??he site says on the matter:

• Xbox - If you already own a digital copy of any Borderlands game within the Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One and want to complete your collection, the Microsoft Store automatically entitles you to a special $30 price on this bundle.
• Steam - If you already own a digital copy of any Borderlands game within the Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box on Steam, you'll only pay for the content you don't already own. This will be reflected on the Steam Store page for Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box.
• PlayStation - If you already own a digital or physical copy of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition or Borderlands: The Handsome Collection for PlayStation 4, or a digital or physical copy of Borderlands 3 on PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4, and want to complete your collection, you can access a special $30 upgrade offer on Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box by launching one of these titles and following the in-game instructions.

I actually don’t like Borderlands! I got the first game back when it launched and didn’t really enjoy it. I never really circled around back to it because I hate Claptrap. Absolutely despise that little chatterbox. But if you like Borderlands, here’s some Borderlands for you.

The Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box will be available?? for PC, Xbox, and PlayS??tation platforms on September 1st, 2023.

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They are The Robots

Destructoid has been known for its iconic robot mascot, Mr. Destructoid, for almost two decades, so it's strange that there has never been a list here featurin?g of the best robots in gaming. Well, today, we are fixing ??that by talking to you about the most beloved walking and talking machines from throughout gaming history. From a certain lombax's robotic pal to the most adorable cat (that isn't a cat), here are the 10 best robots in gaming, ranked.

10. 808 (Hi-Fi Rush)

[caption id="attachment_360679" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Our newest entry on this list but the most adorable addition is 808 from Hi-Fi Rush. 808 is an animal, yet robotic, companion that accompanies Chai on his adventures.? While it doesn't necessarily help in battle, it can turn into different forms like a sphere to amplify Chai's music. During cutscenes, its eyes also change color depending on who's speaking in the conversation through 808's speakers. For example, when Peppermint comes with a sharp remark about Chai, its eyes turn blue. It's a neat touch and gives 808 plenty of personality. Lastly, between missions, Chai can pet 808 in the cutest way possible.

9. BD-1 (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order)

[caption id="attachment_360682" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via EA[/caption]

Another cute ally that just happens to be a unit droid is BD-1 from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Its main function is to guide the ?stranded Padawan Cal Kestis through treacherous landscapes and scan artifacts. It can also heal the promising Jedi with a quick injection to Cal. Within cutscenes, the developer Respawn Entertainment successfully makes BD-1 as adorable as BB-8 with impeccable animation and model quality. Despite having no English-speaking voice, BD-1 carries a bunch of charisma and charm, thanks to its gestural communication.

8. R.O.B.

[caption id="attachment_360684" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

R.O.B. is an iconic robot all the way back to the NES era for Nintendo. This Robotic Operating Buddy was used as a cool accessory for Gyromite and Stack-Up, which have the robot twisting from side to side. In Gyromite, this robot balances spinning tops onto real-life platforms to move the level's pillars in the game. The professor you control in Gyromite can then move forward through the platforming sections. While this NES accessory was not particularly successful, R.O.B. has also appeared as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series with an exhilarating move set like spinning its arms rapidly and releasing a rocket-like fire unde?r its base towards the ground.

7. Bastion (Overwatch)

[caption id="attachment_360698" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Blizzard[/caption]

Bastion is arguably one of the strongest characters in the Overwatch series, and it's incredibly satisfying to play as him. Alongside its quirky personality, Bastion can instill fear in the hearts of its enemies. The mini-gun on its back when utilized can incur massive amounts of damage, and his ultimate attack has him hailing down artillery fire. While many Overwatch players hate him for how much DPS opportunity he has, he is still one of the best robot gaming characters, thanks to his ability to wreck everyone in front of him. He even has a LEGO-like skin in the game.

6. Connor (Detroit: Become Human)

[caption id="attachment_360695" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Quantic Dream[/caption]

While Quantic Dream's games can be hit or miss when it comes to its characters, Connor is one robot that truly shines in Detroit: Become Human. The game tackles a future in which A.I.-driven robots can take on investigations and work other jobs humans usually perform. In Detroit: Become Human, there's a conflict that arises about the rights of robots and how they should be treated. Connor is an endearing and intriguing character within this universe as he considers the relationship between humans and robots. His decisions between right and wrong rest upon the player most of the time, and what comes out of it is a memorable performance by Bryan Dechart as the character struggles to understand his true purpose. This fascinating storyline with the ch?aracter makes him one of t??he best robots in gaming.

5. Claptrap (Borderlands)

[caption id="attachment_360723" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via 2K[/caption]

Many people hate Claptrap, but he's arguably one of the funniest characters in gaming history. The slapstick humor matched with his nutty antics in the Borderlands series makes him a charismatic character to get to know. There are some memorable gags throughout the series like him not being able to climb stairs to his absolute dismay and him being a god to some bandits with a mighty hat on top. More often than not, when he's whining and struggling in the game, you'll likely be laughing. Hopefully, he makes for some excellent comedic relief in the upcoming movie adaptation.

4. Clank (Ratchet & Clank)

[caption id="attachment_360702" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via PlayStation[/caption]

Ratchet's right-hand man and constantly on his back, Clank is a wonderful sidekick to the lombax. Alongside his trademark laugh, Clank has hilarious quips to bounce off Ratchet's hair-brazen attitude. He's the smarty-pants of the duo, coming up with clever plans and resolving issues with his quick thinking. Clank also has you solving puzzles while you're p??laying as him, making for a needed break from the third-person shooting chaos that Ratchet delivers. He's an endearing character that is a perfect hero within Insomn??iac's famous platforming franchise. Clank's one of the best robots in gaming for that reason.

3. Dr. Nefarious (Ratchet & Clank)

[caption id="attachment_360703" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot via PlayStation's YouTube Channel[/?caption]

Another robot character from the Ratchet & Clank series makes the list. While we don't usually have two characters from the same franchise in a list, you have to make an exception for Dr. Nefarious. He's a clever, yet dumb antagonist for Ratchet, who loves to complain and make insults towards the lombax. The slapstick comedy from the character is absolutely hilarious, especially within the original trilogy of the franchise. For example, when he gets too angry, he suddenly malfunctions and a love scene is played as his system tries to recompile itself. His scenes with Clarence are especially funny. However, when the final boss battle arises, Dr. Nefarious pulls out all the stops to defeat Ratchet & Clank. The one in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, for example, is spectacular.

2. GLaDOS (Portal)

[caption id="attachment_360724" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The cake is a lie, but it's true that GLaDOS is one of the best robots in gaming. The sarcastic tone and engrossing writing behind her lines is top-notch. The dark comedy is on point as she delivers her lines in a dark AI-driven tone. The way GLaDOS tries to fall you until the very end is extremely compelling. And then the puzzles she lays forth for the player and how she makes fun of you is just a delight. GLaDOS is one of the best robots in gaming because it's satisfying to stop her in her tracks and outwit her at the end. She's one of the best antagonists in gamin??g and wonderfully evil while trying to confuse you.

1. Mega Man

[caption id="attachment_360726" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Mega Man, since his legendary adventures on the NES, has been an iconic Capcom character. His platforming adventures helped grow the genre as he faces tough bosses and takes on their powers. He has also been in a charming RPG series called Mega Man Legends and a set of long-running GBA spinoffs within the Battle Network. After decades of challenging players, this robot boy has fought the likes of Mario, Link, Sonic, and Cloud Strife among other famous video game characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Mega Man's varied arsenal in each game makes him one of the best robots in gaming ??because of Capcom's well-crafted level design.

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Adaptation approaches wrapping phase

It seems that Lionsgate's live-action adaptation of apocalyptic shooter Borderlands is almost in the can. As reported by Deadline, the bombastic-so?unding sci-fi flick has entered its reshoot phase, bringing in a new pair of eyes to put the finishing touches to what sounds like a?? particularly wild cinematic adventure.

While gorehound Eli Roth is credited as the director of the adaptation, the Hostel lensman has left the project at the final hour, as he has finally received the go-ahead to start work on his slasher throwback Thanksgiving �a project that Roth has been trying to get off the ground for well over a decade. Lionsgate has brought in Deadpool's Tim Miller to direct reshoots for Borderlands, with Deadline reporting that situatio??n is extremely amicable between all parti??es.

Based on the pulpy video game series, Borderlands features an all-star cast as the band of rag-tag reprobates on the search for hidden treasure in a desolate and dystopian universe. As we have previously reported, the new film stars Cate Blanchett as world-weary outlaw Lillith, Kevin Hart as disgraced mercenary Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as the unpredictable scientist Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as cutesy bomb-lovin' maniac Tiny Tina manic explosives expert Tiny Tina, (along with her protector, Krieg (Florian Munteanu). The party of anti-heroes will be joined by wise-ass robot Claptrap who will be voiced by Jack Black.

Borderlands, as an incredibly visual franchise, has a lot of potential for its big-screen transition. With capable hands both behind and in front of the camera, it could prove to be a pretty darn entertaining venture. Projects su?ch as these are not always the sum of their parts, but here's hoping that the finished film offers an authentically chaotic slice of interstellar action when its raggedy curtain finally rises.

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Eidos Shanghai gets a fresh coat of paint

Gearbox Entertainment, the developer/publisher behind the Borderlands franchise, has announced ?that it has extended its development to China, with the founding of Gearbox Studios Shangh??ai.

The new studio �formerly Eidos Shanghai �represents Gearbox Entertainment's first foray into Asia, which the studio notes is an important market in its long-term growth strategy. Gearbox Games Shanghai will be headed up by former Eidos Shanghai manager Gigi Ning. The new division will assist Gearbox in the development, marketin??????????????????????????g, and release of future projects, both locally and globally.

"Bringing Gearbox’s vision and creative spirit to our local community is a goal we’re ready to take on," said Ning in a press release. "Gearbox has so many fantastic stories ??to tell, and we’re excited to share those with the players here in China."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uQw04Kbk8o

"China is a hotbed of industry talent, and I’m confident Gearbox Studio Shanghai will be instrumental in our vision for international growth here at Gearbox," adds Yoon Im, president of Gearbox Publishing. "With this addition, we greatly enhance our ability to engage with players in?? the Chinese market and work directly with local up-and-coming development? studios."

Gearbox states that its team in Shanghai will ?provide "immediate and meaningful support" to the studio in the development of titles across the Gearbox portfolio. Additionally, Gearbox notes that th??e China-based team will experience the same competitive benefits and anti-crunch culture as its western counterparts.

Back in May of this year, Gearbox announced that it had no less than nine new games currently in development. No doubt the new Shanghai team will facilitate this pretty packed spreadsheet of releases comes to pass. The company's most recent release is the graphic adventure sequel New Tales from the Borderlands, which is available now on PlayStation, PC, ?Xbox, and Ninte?ndo Switch platforms.

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The spin-off "shattered" target expectations

The fantasy-themed Borderlands spin-off game Tiny Tina's Wonderlands might have seemed like an experim??ental one-off, but it's been successful enough that Gearbox considers it a new franchise, with "future experiences already under development."

Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford spoke about Wonderlands at Embracer Group's annual general meeting, as transcribed by Video Games Chronicle.

Summing up Tiny Tina's Wonderlands as a "major victory,??" Pitchford added that the fantasy-tabletop-inspired game "shattered all of our target expectations, both critically and commercially," and that "in addition to great financial rewards from this victory that will be coming our way in the coming quarters, we have est??ablished a firm beachhead."

“We now clearly have a new fra??nchise on our hands, with future? experiences already under development at Gearbox," Pitchford said.

It's worth noting that Gearbox made a move to acquire Lost Boys Interactive, the co-development studio on Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, back in April.

[caption id="attachment_345638" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{A longer-lasting sequel could hit the spot.}[/caption]

As someone who was initially put off by the idea but ended up liking Wonderlands more than expected, I can easil?y see them doing a (hopefully even more confident) sequel.

That said, even among players who dug this D&D-inspired, overworld-traversing, build-your-own-class shakeup, the season pass really left a bad taste that's still lingering �the DLC wasn't substantial enough compared to Borderlands proper, not by a longshot.

I only played through the main Wonderlands campaign once, and never messed with the endgame activities, but that's normal for me when it comes to the Borderlands series; others, who play these games specifically for the endgame grind, didn't fare as well.

To sum it up, I think it was worth playing, but any new "experiences" under the Wonderlands umbrella can't coast on the success of this first ga??me, which had a major curiosity factor going for it. Expectations will be higher next time around.

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Due on October 21, 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X

New Tales from the Borderlands was announced today at the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, and it has ??a date �a soonish date, at that. Pre-orders are up today, and it's c??oming to PC (Epic Games Store), PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on October 21, 2022.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8688wNaRnD0

Gearbox is calling New Tales from the Borderlands a "standalone adventure." This new tale will deal with a "planetary invasion, a vault monster, and cold-hearted capitalists," complete with the classic choose your own adventure conceit. It'll also be ?a personal story of three people. Here's the setup, which has garnered an M rating from the ESRB:

"Within the perpetually war-torn metropolis of Promethea, players wil?l decide the fates of three underdogs out to make mayhem their business, with altruistic scientist Anu, her ambitious 'streetwise' brother Octavio, and the fierce, frogurt-flinging Fran."

Pre-orders will come with cosmetics for the core trio, 10,000 in-game currency (big question mark here), and an in-game FL4K collectible: that's $40 for the standard edition. For $50, you can get the deluxe edition (which is available in physical form) and grants you Tales from the Borderlands on top of the new entry.

It's weird seeing all these Telltale games come back, but the hope is that if they're split between multiple studios they'll fare better. At the end, Telltale was putting out a lot of stuff, and not all of it was up to par.

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If you can tune out the noise, it's a lot of fun

From today until Thursday, May 26, you can download Borderlands 3 for free from the Epic Games Store �or?? just add it to your never-actually-gonna-p?lay-this PC game pile.

Is it worth your time? Well, that depends on how into Borderlands you were in the early days and how open to the series you are today. I'm the type of person who can tune out a lot of the grating NPC chatter? and just enjoy the character-building, loot-snatching, kinda-mindless-in-a-good-way setup �but maybe that's too tall of an order for you in 2022.

Borderlands 3 is particularly fun with co-op partners by your side (that goes for all of these games), and there are neat overpowered guns waiting to be found. Speaking of which, the PC version does allow cross-play, so if you're getting Borderlands 3 for free from the Epic Games Sto?re and your friends already have it on Steam, you'll be able to ??play together.

My favorite change in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands was the new on-foot overworld, which I greatly preferred to all of the driving in Borderlands 3 that ultimately felt like busywork to me. That said, the prior game still has its place in many ways, especially if you're even remotely interested in this ever-expanding universe. If you're primarily in it for the RPG-ified shoote??r gameplay at this point (sam?e!), it's worth checking out. I mean, it is free.

This freebie was a "mystery game" until it unwrapped itself today, and the Epic Games Store's ??next deal is a surprise, too. We'll find out what the ?next giveaway is on May 26.

[caption id="attachment_322744" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The Epic Mega Sale runs until June 16, 2022.}[/caption]

The Epic Mega Sale has 25% off coupons

While you're here, it's also worth mentioning that the Epic Mega Sale is running right now through June 16. Naturally, there ar??e automatic coupons?, too �25% off.

In terms of high-profile deals, there's Ghostwire: Tokyo ($39.59), Dying Light 2 ($53.99), Tiny Tina's Wonderlands ($47.99), and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade ($49.69). And remember: games priced at $14.99 or above qualify for the bonus 25% off coupon.

I'll also point to this list of the current Epic Games Store exclusive games (that aren't also available on Steam), which can be tricky to pin down. More recently, there are games like Sifu ($35.99), Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin ($44.99), Salt and Sacrifice ($19.99), and Evil Dead: The Game ($39.99), the latter two of which just launched.

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Hopes are sky high

I don't think I'm alone in saying that Tales from the Borderlands was far and away my favorite Telltale game. The quality of the writing and characters was amazing, and it set the standard for choice-based adventures for years to come. When the news dropped this week that Gearbox is working on another Tales game internally, everyone kind of freak?ed out, myself included. But even with the bare-bones information we have right now, I have a lot of though??ts about the game. I've had enough time to think about it, haven't I?

The original Tales from the Borderlands came out in five episodes over the course of 2014-2015, and without giving away too much, the game ended on an ambiguous note, leaving r?oom for a potential sequel in the future. My automatic assumption was that they'd be picking up right where the first game left off, but after thinking i?t through a bit more, I'm apprehensive.

//twitter.com/JayShockblast/status/15172287??41721825282

The game's publisher, 2K, said itself that th?e game will feature "new characters and new stories." That ?kind of makes me nervous.

So much of what made the first game so great were its characters, their relationships to each other, and the performances the actors gave. Starting over from scratch when it comes to character is by no means impossible, but it would mean ?Gearbox putting themselves in a situation where they have even bigger shoes to fill.

Of course, that may not have been a conscious decision on their part �it's possible that they couldn't get some of the cast back for another game all these years later (Laura Bailey and Troy Baker are in high demand, after all). Legal stuff also got pretty screwy given the way Telltale shut down, so it's possible they weren't allowed to use some of the same characters from the first game due to logistics (although Rhys was a fairly prominent character in Borderlands 3).

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] _{[Image Source: PlayStation LifeStyle]}[/caption]As our very own Jordan Devore pointed out, we also have no idea if anyone from the original Tales team will be working on the new title, so there's no saying whether it will have nearly?? the same quality when it comes to its tone and humor.

One potential upside that shines through this haze of uncertainty is that the game will likely be developed on a brand new engine, which would be a huge upgrade considering how rickety Telltale's old one was. Players have been complaining for years about the outdated systems, and former Telltale?? developers expressed their desire to update the engine so they could update how the games feel to play and add all-new features to the tried and true Tellta??le formula.

The devs at the newly-revived Telltale Games discussed ditching the old engine to make way for Unity all the way back in 2018. Of course, the "new" Telltale is a very different case than however Gearbox is working on the game in-house, but either way, it's pretty safe to assume Tales is being developed on a new engine. So regardless of how the game turns out, hopefully we have tha??t to look forward to, right? ...right?

My take is that if for any reas??on, Rhys and co. are nowhere to be found in the new game, I'm okay with that. As much of a bummer it would be t??o not see that story continued when I was so invested, I'd rather see a whole new cast of characters than nothing at all.

I will say that ab?ove all else, my biggest wish is to keep the awesome musical intros for each episode, because those are hon??estly my favorite uses of licensed music in any piece of media ever.

In the end, I really have no idea what to expect. I'm doing my best to keep my hopes as low as possible so as not to be disappointed, but Tales from the Borderlands really meant a lot to me when I first played it back in like 2016, and regardless of what Gearbox does, there will? be no escape fro??m fan expectations. Now here's to hoping they can deliver.

//www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/7093205021864594693?is_from_webapp=1???&sender_device=pc&;web_id=7052788164067706373

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"With new characters and new stories"

Whether you're into the main Borderlands series or not, plenty of us could pluck Tales from the Borderlands out of the Telltale Games catalog and consider it to be one of the ?best choice-based adventure titles. It turned out so much better than I excepted thanks to its funny ?writing and charm. Now, Gearbox is taking a crack at the spin-off with a new game.

Announced during PAX East 2022, there's a new Tales from the Borderlands game on the wa?y from Gearbox Software and publi??sher 2K. It's coming out this year, surprisingly.

//twitter.com/Borderlands/status/151??7228560272003072

As the official tweet says, more details will be shared this summer �presumably at Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest. There's little to go on other than name recognition, but according to 2K, the game will star "new characters" and tell "new stories."

While the Telltale that came up with the original Tales from the Borderlands is no more, we have seen the company name �and certain series like The Wolf Among Us �live on.

In this case, 2022's Tales from the Borderlands game is developed internally at Gearbox Software, so while it will hopefully still capture what made the first game great, there are no guarantees it'll be another fan-favorite standout. That said, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands turned out better than expected, so there's some small hope it can win me over.

Honestly, no matter who's developing it �or writing it, or voicing it �expectations would be high. For me, it was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments. If you never got around to playing Borderlands 3, it's worth mentioning that Tales protagonist Rhys made a fairly significant appearance in the main story as the CEO of Atlas. So, Gearbox picking up Tales from the Borderlands in-house isn't completely out of left field.

Between the main series, side projects, and the movie, Borderlands is busy earnin'. Of all the upcomin??g projects, though, this is the one I want to turn out ?the best.

The post Gearbox is bringing back Tales from?? the Borderlands in 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

Borderlands x Ballantine's is the collab we didn't know we needed

I don't know about you guys, but I love some good video game merch that extends outside of the classic t-shirt or mug. Some companies get really creative with the kinds of items they offer fans to rep their favorite brands, and in this case, one of those companies is the developer behind the Borderlands series, Gearbox. They've teamed up with Ballantine's whisky, the second highest-selling brand of Scotch whisky in the world, to create a new liquor inspired by the games, or more specifically, their infamous bartender character Mad Moxxi. The themed blend of Scotch whisky is lovingly dubbed "Moxxi's Bar Edition."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFU3wKqEbBs

As part of the partnership, Ballantine's official YouTube channel just dropped an announcement trailer, which includes Moxxi herself speaking about her new whisky, as well as other Borderlands side characters, Amara and Claptrap. The animated short gives us some silly banter between the characters, shows off Moxxi's whisky, and of course, encourages even Vault Hunte??rs to drink responsibly.

In a fun in-unive?rse press release, Ballatine's also appointed Moxxi the new Ch??ief Galactic Expansion Officer of the brand, to which Moxxi said:

“A good partnership balances business and pleasure in equal measure, and ours got off to a sweet start. George Ballantine came over to my place with a blush-worthy proposition. He offered me my own special run of bottles. I call it, 'Moxxi’s Bar Edition.' Get your hands on one of them, sugar, they’ll treat you right. Like the best things in life, it goes down smooth.�/p>

If that wasn't good enough, the whisky will also be available for purchase soon in Borderlands 3, which will also come with other in-game bonuses. When the drink goes live, it will also be available for purchase in the real world, although Ballantine's said it will only be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. I don't know about you, but to me, Borderlands and ??Ballantine's whisky feels like a match made in heaven.

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The first Wonderlands DLC is out on April 21 with an escalating multi-week boss brawl

It feels like Tiny Tina's Wonderlands *just* launched, but fans are ready for more stuff to shoot, and so is Gearbox. The first season pass DLC release, Coiled Captors, culminates in a firefight with an anci?ent god named Chums? who, uh, looks like a long-lost Street Shark.

//youtu.be/bnEthDGNOIU

If you haven't seen much of Wonderlands yet, you might be wondering what the heck's going on, but this is pretty par for the course �the Coiled Captors DLC looks like a natural extension of the base game in a way that pads out the gameplay without taking big risks. A?s someone who hasn't hit the level cap yet in their post-story adventuring, I'm here for it.

How to access the dungeon

By hopping over to Dreamveil Overlook (near Brighthoof) and chatting with Vesper, you'll be able to reach Coiled Captors �and other ??DLC zones �with the Mirror? of Mystery.

The premise of the DLC is a "replayable dungeon challenge" with a multi-phase boss, which should slot in nicely into the current overworld-exploring setup of Wonderlands.

"Chums, the elder god, has lost all sense of self and devolved into a rampaging beast after being trapped within a seawarg's body for centuries. The only humane thing to do is put this mad god out of his misery, but one defeat won't be enough: Chums has four powerful forms that will unlock over time, each one stronger than the last."

[caption id="attachment_317704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{"Chums" is such a Borderlands boss name.}[/caption]

It's not just a matter of one-and-done-ing Chums, as the boss' new forms won't all be accessible at launch �there's a weekly schedule. When Coiled Captors rolls out on April 21, you'll be able to face his first form, then circle back on April 28, May 5, and Ma?y 12, respectively, to face the second, third, and ??fourth forms. If you die even once, it's a wipe.

Spin the Wheel of Fate

High risk, (hopefully) high reward, right? Back at Dreamveil Overlook, there's a Wheel of Fate to spin with various lo??ot �weapons, gear pieces, and cosmetics �up for grabs in exchange for Lost Souls, a currency dropped by f?oes in the Mirrors of Mystery dungeons.

[caption id="attachment_317695" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{There are four DLC chapters in the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands season pass roadmap.}[/caption]

To recap, Coiled Captors is up first on April 21, followed by Glutton's Gamble, Molten Mirrors, and Shattering Spectreglass, which are coming at later dates. All four add-ons make up the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands season pass, and that's curren?tly selling for $30.

This content starts at level 13 and scales up, so you don't need to be endgame-ready �which is good for anyone rolling alternate characters. If you're deep into the Chaos Chamber, though, completing Coiled Captors will add "five fresh level layouts and Chums himself to the list of chaotic variables." I've heard grumbles about the Son of a Witch.

I have to say, even all fantasy'd up, Wonderlands is still Borderlands through and through, but I really like this game. It's nice to no????t have to drive around for a change.

The post Coiled Captors kicks off the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands season pass appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 4/3 to 04/09/2022

-Captiosus takes a trip into Borderlands spin-off Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

-Lord Spencer continues their (literally) epic PS1 REVIEWS seri??es.

-Black Red Gaming ta??kes a look at some of their most anticipated games for?? April 2022.

-Black Red Gaming ventures i??nto the oft-overlooked Return to Castle Wolfens??tein.

-PhilsPhindings continues th??eir musica??l musings, looking at the Calypso beats of Mega Man 2.

-ChronoLynxx invites the community to gather once again for the T?GIF party.

Thanks, as always, to Lord Spencer for this week's recap and to everyone who contributed to the Cblogs! Not many ??blogs this week, but that's ok. We appreciate every one of them. If you wanna join the HOT TAKE party, then simply mosey on over to the Cblogs section and have your say. Share your thoughts with us and you will find yourself recapped on this here front page next week.

The post Have you visited Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands? appeared first on Destructoid.

The co-op UI lacks important info at a glance

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands has a glaring issue with the way item summaries are displayed in split-screen co-op compared to solo play, and I hate to see it. In an otherwise pretty fun, comfort-food sort of co-op experience, it's unfortunate that it's a total slog to figure out which loot �aka the driving force of Borderlands �is worth equipping or ditching.

It's kind of hard to fully articulate the issue without visual aids, but I noticed something was off, and I poked around online to see if anyone else was feeling similarly (and if they had figured out a possible workaround; no dice). Other players have called the split-screen UI "infuriating," "tedious and obnoxious," and "nearly impossible to sort things out."

So, if you're wondering if it's weirdly harder than normal to figure out what to equip in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands with another player by your side in split-screen, well, same.

What item summaries look like in solo play

[caption id="attachment_314078" align="alignnone" width="1600"] _{It's possible to see what this item does right on the spot without digging into menus.}[/caption]

What item summaries look like in split-screen

[caption id="attachment_314071" align="alignnone" width="1600"] _{There are red and green numbers, sure, but what do they specifically mean?}[/caption]

The overly vague item cards show up in the player in??ventory, too.

[caption id="attachment_314073" align="alignnone" width="1600"] _{By manually "inspecting" this Infused Bloodstone of Obsession (on the left), I can see what it does.}[/caption]

In order to see exactly what any given item does in split-screen, you'll have to "inspect" it, and then, when you back out, the menu kicks you to the top of the list, rather than leaving you on the item you just inspected. Again, it's far more of a chore than it needs to be, especially in an established series like Borderlands. The vague UI wastes time, straight up.

[caption id="attachment_314076" align="alignnone" width="1600"] _{Comparing items in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands should be this straightforward in solo play *and* split-screen.}[/caption]

As one final point of comparison, the screenshot above is what it looks like when you go to equip an item as a solo player in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands �you can see? what the numbers actually mean in context, ??and there's a detailed summary of the item's perks, so it's easy to weigh the pros and cons of the new item vs. what you currently have equipped.

Basically, there's no need to? hop back and forth be??tween menus, as it should be.

Other players have been submitting their UI feedback, and it seems like a situation Gearbox Software could (and should) improve in a later up?date. I hope they do, and soon.

[caption id="attachment_314072" align="alignnone" width="1600"] _{The overworld is a bit goofy in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, but I like it.}[/caption]

In the meantime, I'll keep chipping away at this game with an hour here and an h??our there.

Even with UI flaws, I'm digging Wonderlands more than expected, and it's nice to have an honest-to-goodness split-screen game again. I was worried about how it? might run, but so far, on PS5, it's been smooth enough in Resolution mode �?for once, Performance mode isn't actually worth the visual trade-off. I always pick the latter, but not this time.

Also, if you're curious, there is an option for hor??izontal and vertical split-screen.

You may want to hold off for now, and admittedly, the $70 price tag on PS5 stings. But if Borderlands is your go-to co-op game, Wonderlands might be tough to resist. I couldn't. S?ometimes we're just in the mood to sling spells and shoot goblins in the face with an anac??hronistic SMG, and that's okay. And hell, I don't even mind Tina this time!

The post Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands split-screen makes item management a chore appeared first on Destructoid.

Fantasy Borderlands

Borderlands is a fascinating series, in the sense that there always seems to be a game (or DLC) in the works for it, and they all kind of bump up against one another. There are iterative differences for sure, and tiers of quality, but when I hear the word "Borderlands," it's hard to think of a pivotal moment in franchise history that helped it break through into the zeitgeist. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands doesn't offer up a striking historical moment like that either, but it's par for the course, which is mostly good news if you're looki??ng for an??other looter shooter.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (PC [reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games
Released: March 25, 2022
MSRP: $59.99

So, it's Borderlands, but Tiny Tina is narrating everything with a fantasy/D&D tint (much like her DLC for Borderlands 2) and can bend the narrative to her will (f??????????????????????????rom a meta-thematic standpoint). There's guns, classes, and lots of loot to enjoy and laboriously sift through, bu?t now you can "roll" (choose) your own character instead of playing as one you can buy an action figure for.

Since classes are intrinsically important to Borderlands, I'll briefly go over all six gimmicks:

• Stabbomancer: A rogue of sorts that leans heavily into critical hits (crits). While this is usually not the type of playstyle I fully embrace in most of these games, the over-the-top nature of the Borderlands system helps get this off the ground and running fast. "Crits on crits on crits" is how I'd put it, and the traversal abilities of the class are fun to watch in a party, and play.

• Clawbringer: A companion class that also wields a hammer. At first, the differences between it and another companion class (Spore Warden) were less apparent, but over time, the skill tree sheds some light on that. Plus, the hammer is clearly designed based on Thor's "recall" ability, which you can do in-game.

• Spellshot: The mage-type that can use traditional spells like polymorph, and goes hard on raw spell power damage. The main idea here is that you're always supposed to be slinging spells, which in turn grants you a passive damage buff that goes away over time. It creates a high-octane playstyle with some utility, and is probably an easy stock pick for most people if they have no idea what they want to do beyond blow stuff up right away.

• Graveborn: A warlock-type that uses health as a resource. This is arguably one of the more complicated classes in the game as you're always flirting with death, but it also has a pretty high performance ceiling. Wonderlands needed a character like this for repeat playthroughs and veterans in particular.

• Spore Warden: Another companion class, which wields a bow and arrow and centers around poison damage. Given that the companion is a mostly passive entity, it's also one of the more lackadaisical classes to pick from, and the mushroom creature that tags along definitely makes an impression.

• Brr-Zerker: The classic brutish melee character that uses rage and close combat abilities. They wield frost powers, which helps differentiate them a bit. This is the inverse of the Spellshot, and perfect for people who like characters like Brick from the series proper.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-RAqyHU48M

There's a good spread! Of course, everything uses guns, and there's a dual class mechanic, which significantly widens the build system. For my "main" character, I went Clawbringer and Spore Warden for the double companion ??action, which was a ton of fun, but naturally other combos exist. Once you select your initial class, you can choose your body type/look, pronouns, voice, background (things like "raised by elves" or a "recovering hoarder," which mainly grant stat bonuses and spreads), and excess stat distribution.

During all this, you'll be going on quests, truncated by story bits from Tiny Tina and her crew (which is mainly her "party" of Andy Samberg and Wanda Sykes), as well as banter from the evil Dragon Lord (Will Arnett). They're basically talking the entire time, which is par for the course for Borderlands. If you were already tired of Tina based on her sequences in other games, you might n??ot make it through without turning off the voice audio. I wouldn't, though.

Ashly Burch definitely doesn't phone it in here, and Samberg and Arnett are really into it as well, hamming it up when needed. There is a bit of a disconnect between the aforementioned meta "party" and your actual actions in-game, and while it's easy to hand-wave while you're in the midd?le of blasting things, it is felt during the slower portions of the game. The narrative doesn't take itself seriously, which works in its favor for a spinoff like this, but will definitely annoy ??some people.

The villain will riff on tropes and talk to you "one on one" (just like Handsome Jack might "hack into your comms" and do the same thing in prior games), and the jokes are still a mile a minute. But given the relaxed "anything goes" theme, a lot of the writing feels less cringe, as the "hard" post-apocalyptical setting is completely dropped in favor of something breezier. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands' difficulty system backs this, as you c?an swap between "relaxed, balanced, and intense" at any time, which is a sliding scale of player damage (and an increased emphasis on elemental matching), enemy damage, and gold drops.

There's a cool moment very early on that keys you into the type of game Wonderlands is going to be. I ran into a shipyard full of skeletons, with Tina describing a scene of calamity, with subsequent flourishes happening on screen after her rundown. It's a fun vibe that the original Tiny Tina DLC nailed, and it's still pretty unique to this day. The writing is just silly enough to work, and its lowest moments never approach the lows of Borderlands' cringe.

Some of the choreography does feel canned. A lot of setups involve getting to an area, being somewhat corralled, then asked to defeat an elite enemy: afterward, a wall explodes and you can progress. When zones are more open-ended (like the one above) this stings a lot less, but some locations are so linear that it feels like a string of arenas connected by exploding walls. Conversely, I feel like the Borderlands series has gotten better about providing varied environments beyond the dull trash heaps of the first game, and Wonderlands keeps that tradition going.

A few elements of the inventory system are changed here (with a bigger emphasis on a melee equipment slot, as well as spells that can be installed). But it still has several of the same drawbacks and inel??egant design �particularly a huge amount of junk and having to manually choose items to junk. The busywork and metaphorical inventory Tetris (item limit) returns, but with more build options: it's a tradeoff.

To get to new missions, you'll traverse the "overworld" (seen in the screen below), which I'm kind of take it or leave it on. Simply put it's set up like an old-school platformer world map, with light exploration elements, very light "puzzles," and? a few basic "ran?dom encounters" that whisk you away to an arena to fight enemies for loot. In that same vein, it's inconsequential as there isn't an over-reliance on it. At worst you can generally run around the random encounters and select the next zone in under a minute.

As is the case with most Borderlands games, the more you play, the more you unlock, and the more fun you'll have. The overworld lets you go more places, the dual class system opens up more builds, and there's always the classic endgame activity in the form of the "Chaos Chamber," which is basically a randomized dungeon to replay, and a step up from several other Borderlands equivalents.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is more Borderlands, and the lighter fantasy fare might actually get people to dive in for the first time. With that in mind, it's still more Borderlands, so ?the same basic formula isn't going to magically ch?ange your stance if you're a lapsed fan.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands appeared first on Destructoid.

And there might be hope for Borderlands 3

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is in the home stretch, and in the lead-up to its launch on March 25, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford confirmed some last-minute good news about cross-platform multiplayer. Unlike Borderlands 3, players will be able to team up across the big three platforms �PC, Xbox, and PlayStation �for co-op in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

//twitter.com/DuvalMagic/status/1?5031427085??03887881

You might be thinking, what's the ??big deal? And on a certain level, I feel that way too.

A big release in a big series from a big publisher with a big co-op hook �why wouldn't there be cross-platform play? From a player's perspective, it ??feels like this sho?uld be the standard; even if that means a lot of time and energy to get the job done.

Borderlands 3 was an interesting case, though. With an update last June, the game got cross-play across PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and even Stadia �but PlayStation fans were left behind, seemingly due to a hangup at Sony. At the time, Pitchford tweeted that "for certification, we have been required by the publisher to remove cross-play ??support for PlayStation consoles." It?? seemed silly then, and it seems silly now.

With confirmation that Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is supporting cross-play across the board, it seems there's some hope for Borderlands 3, too. (It's not too late, is it?)

"The future addition of PlayStation to crossplay for BL3 is now what I would consider to be inevitable," according to Pitchford. "More info to come as soon as we have it�

For other developers' sake, hopefully this me??ans there was a meaningful change at Sony.

[caption id="attachment_272253" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{Borderlands 3 could extend its co-op to include PlayStation.}[/caption]

Circling back to Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Pitchford also tried to get ahead of potential (and perhaps inevitable?) cross-play problems at launch. "Please take it easy on us if there are hiccups," he tweeted. "This is hard stuff and no?ne of the platforms were? designed for this. We’ve done impossible work to make it happen and to try to make it as easy to use as possible, but this is new territory and the wild is not a test environment."

The easier it is for friends to fire up a game together, the better. Even without platform preferences, genre tastes, and gaming budgets to account for, it's tough enough to get a bunch of folks on the same schedule as it is. Admittedly, Game Pass has been a boon.

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You can fit so much Wonder in these Lands

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands might not even be open for business just yet, but that hasn't stopped publisher 2K Games from rolling out the deets for its lurid-looking post-release content. The publisher has detailed the wild 'n' wacky title's season pass, which offers the Borderlands spin-off an additional four chapters of carnage.

The season pass features an umbrella setting of Dreamveil Overlook where the mysterious fortun??e teller, Vesper, challenges the player to peer into the Mirrors of Mystery before being whisked off to one of four new worlds, complete with its own map, enemies, and boss encounters. In time, each of the four? worlds will increase in strength and difficulty, providing ever-greater challenges as players run 'n' gun their way through the deadly cavalcade of whimsy.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfmlXFEe7Vw

To help our heroes on their way, Vesper will also offer them a spin of the Wheel of Fate, which offers up legendary gear and weaponry to help turn the odds a little in the protagonists' favor. In addition, all of the enemies defeated in the new worlds will be added to Tiny Tina's Wonderlands' randomized dungeon ??mode: The Chaos Chamber. Aside from these world expansions, season pass owners will pro??gressively bag themselves new cosmetic items and, eventually, a yet-to-be-revealed seventh class.

That's not all. 2K Games and Epic Games have also announced a collaboration between Tiny Tina's Wonderlands and battle royale juggernaut Fortnite. Anybody who pre-orders the former from the Epic Games Store will automatically bag themselves a ??Diamond Pony Glider for the latter, so you can roll into your next 1 vs. 100 battle not only in style, but also with an unmistakable target painted onto your forehead �'cos stealthy it ain't.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands launches March 25 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. You can check out our own Chris Carter's early impressions in his report right here.

The post Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands details season pass and Fortnite crossover appeared first on Destructoid.

That can be good or bad for you!

Borderlands is a fascinating series. It does so much right, and it revels in excess: often to its detriment. But with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, it tells you what it is upfront: an over-the-top zany role-playing parody that could go anywhere, untethered to continuity. And that's what drew me to it in the first place. Here's a Tiny Tina's Wonderlands hands-on preview based on our brief slice of it!

After accepting 10,000 EULA/privacy policy notices from 2K/Gearbox/SHIFT, I was on my way. The demo consisted of playable versions of two classes: the Graveborn (which uses health as a resource for magic), and the Stabbomancer (a crit-based assassin that can use stealth). It also grante?d access to several main plot quests in Mount Craw, a few sidequests, and some "points of interest." Co-op, the character creator, the overworld, and fast travel were not active in this build, for reference. The overworld in particular would have been great to see and test out, but alas!

My first foray into the demo was with the Graveborn. While the build didn't allow a lot of customiz??ation, you can see what the team was going for immediately. It follows a risk-reward principle, where you're constantly giving up your health in exchange for power, or banking health back at the slow-drip cost of losing it over time. I can see it being really fun with the right leech build, and customizable melee weapons and spells open up that freedom a bit more than previous games. The lich companion that just floats near you is a nice touch, too.

??The Stabbomancer was more my style. Talenting into raw movement speed increases is immediately appealing, as is the choice between teching into a whirling melee weapon or a straight stealth active. Despite the penchant for rouges to cater to more veteran playstyles, a lot of the early Stabbomancer skills are passives, making it a good choice for people who just want to get into the action without relying on menus. There is build potentia?l though, if you want to delve into status effects, or see-saw between melee and ranged attacks (with appropriate buffs for juggling them).

Moving around quickly was a huge rush, as was the realization that you can tech into doing more damage while moving, creating a highly active form ??of play that will be fun solo or in a group. I really wish I had access to all six classes for compa??rison, but in any case, both playable classes seem on the level, and a decent barometer for what to expect.

Visually, I dig the idea of Wonderlands going more out-there, and it may have been my favorite portion of the demo. Borderlands has a tendency to rely on the same few biomes over and over (especially falling back on indoor futuristic connector zone variations of the same motif), so starting off in a fantasy land filled with goblins...like genuine green goblins...was a niche touch. The stained glass vending machines are a lovely pivot to differentiate familiar elements that weren't drastically altered from the core Borderlands blueprint. The familiarit?y might turn people off, seeing it as a cl??one of sorts, but if it ain't broke.

//youtu.be/4gg4hepQcmw

As far as the gimmick of Tina herse?lf narrating the entire game: I can see it working on at least the first playthrough. There are enough jokes thrown in there to keep things moving along, and the meta-narrative of Tina DMing an out-of-world dungeons and? dragons campaign is funny enough. Ashly Burch is also super up to the task, perhaps even more so than Andy Samberg and Wanda Sykes: who threw out a few canned lines during the demo, with less gusto than their colleague.

Our Tiny Tina's Wonderlands hands-on demo was limited, especially in terms of scope (I expect the main game to go bigger), but based on my time with it, it should sate the legions of Borderlands fans. I'm looking forward to seeing if it lives up to the potential that the original Tiny Tina DLC showed us so many years ago. We're only a little und??er a month from release now.

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Graveborn and Spore Warden are the final two

Gearbox showed off the final two Tiny Tina's Wonderlands classes in a new trailer, which bring?s the? grand (and final) total up to six.

So what are they?

First up is the Graveborn. This is your very necromancery class, with "dark magic attacks," as well as the ability to command a Demi-Lich companion. You can also manipulate life forces (health) and if you cast a spell, your Demi-Lich casts one too. Companion classes are typically?? a ton of fun, so this is probably going to be my main when I start.

Then there's the Spore Warden, which seems in part to be a Miko reference from Battleborn. They are "masters of nature who summon tornados and launch volleys of arcade arrows." They also have a companion (which seems to be a theme with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands classes) who "spews toxins."

The developers are also opening up a toolboxy mechanic they call the "multiclass system." The way they describe it is that you'll pick one as your "starting class." Then you'll eventually gain access to a secondary class slot, and each class has a per??manent "class feat," as well as two action skills and trees of passive abilities.

Creative director Matt C??ox elaborates on the system a bit, and how it will flow without being overwhel??ming:

"There will be a point where it is mandatory to s??elect a second class, but by that time, there's no way you would've been able to fill out all of the slots on your initial class' tree. So for the rest of the game, you can get some of the benefits from your secondary class, but still spend all of your hero points and skill points on the things that best complement that primary class. You're not locked into having to spend skill points on the secondary tree; you still have the utmost freedom to spend ?those points how you wish."

I'm into it. As long as the core six classes have strong foundations, that is. There's a propensity for studios to go overboard with perks and upgrades to the point where many of them start to blend together; if Gearbox can avoid that for Tiny Tina's Wonderland, ther?e should be a l??ot of combos to experiment with.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfryC-eTB08

[gallery columns="2" link="file" size="medium" ids??="306278,306280"]

The four other previously announced classes for Tiny Tina's Wonderlands are Spellshots ("gun-toting wizards who can unleash a constant barrage of spells and bullets and transform their enemies into harmless livestock"), Clawbringers ("faithful warriors who bring down thunder and flames upon their enemies with a spectral hammer alongside their fire-breathing Wyvern companion"), Stabbomancers (sly assassins), and Brr-zerkers (frost-infused bruisers).

The post Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands finally reveals all six classes and multiclass appeared first on Destructoid.

It's still looking wacky

The Tiny Tina's Wonderlands TGA trailer is out, and it looks pretty much the same, but with some celebrity sheen for good measu??re.

We get a lengthy look at Captain Valentine (described as a "washed-up low-rent space pirate who thinks of himself as a dashing rogue"), played by Andy Samberg, as well as a brief tease of Will? Arnett's Dragon Lord narrator/v??illain character. Frette (an office accounting bot) and Torque are also joining the fray. This game is going full celebrity, which is probably just how Randy Pitchford likes it.

At the end, the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands TGA t?railer recommits to the March 25, 2022 release date, and Gearbox reminds Destructoid that the game will be an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC until "late?r in 2022," when it'll hit other marketplaces.

So far, I'm intrigued by the premise of basically being able to make stuff up on a constant basis. Like the jokes in Borderlands 3, I can see the potential for it to get incredibly grating and old. But on a pure mechanical level, it also allows them to really open up the setting and get more creative, kind of like Borderlands 3: Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck, and the Tiny Tina DLC before it for Borderlands 2. The "loot explosions" thing is kind of tiring at this point, but as long as the game can actually differentiate gear and find a way to keep weapons relevant, it'll work. I can see a lot of wacky Worms-like weaponry making it into Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

If you're really into this universe, 2K just updated the "game guide" portion of th??e?? site for you to pore over on top of the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands TGA trailer, which you can check out below. As Borderlands fans know, that's like, half the fun!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLNXHUMbIRY

The post Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands shows off multiple celebrity roles at The Game Awards appeared first on Destructoid.