Top 5 Reasons to Play “Tales from the Borderlands”

I’ve been a fan of Telltale’s episodic, story-driven games for years. The first I played was The Walking Dead, which broke my heart with its amazing storytelling. I liked The Wolf Among Us even better for its noir-like atmosphere and detective work. Game of Thrones was fun because I’m such a fan of the HBO show… but it’s really Tales from the Borderlands that’s totally stolen my heart.

It’s my favorite for many reasons, and I think they’re worth playing the game if you haven’t yet. I would even recommend this series as a Telltale starting point if you enjoy Gearbox’s Borderlands games which dish up the setting for this series — or if you just like games that are all-out fun and don’t take themselves too seriously!

Here are my top five reasons to pick up this series. =)

Sense of Humor

Tales from the Borderlands is by far Telltale’s funniest game. Much of its humor is sarcastic, as you have great lines from characters like Hyperion man Rhys, con artist Fiona, Borderlands bad guy Handsome Jack, and company man Vasquez (voiced by the amazing Patrick Warburton). There’s also situational comedy and some goofy segments, like Rhys and his friend Vaughn having a conversation made up mostly of saying “bro,” two robots making fun of Rhys’s outfit, and something with an eyeball and a spoon. (Here’s an example I recorded.) And some of my favorite moments are when you’re faced with a huge decision — such as “break his heart” or “blow his mind” — both of which result in hilarious, over-the-top actions.

Sisterhood

As a girl with a sister who is also my best friend, I love the realistic friendship between sisters Fiona and Sasha in this game. Their personalities are unique, they dress with individuality, and they react differently to some of the circumstances in the story. But they also share a history and often talk about what it was like growing up together, learning to con. I love seeing two women working together anyway, and the fact that they’re sisters and totally badass makes the whole thing even better.

Romance

While other Telltale games have hinted at romance, we get to experience a really sweet one in this game. There are times you can do little things like say something nice to the one your character is after, or give them a flower. I won’t give away spoilers about who is involved! =)

Lots of Action

Compared to some other Telltale games, which rely mostly on conversation and exploring rooms for gameplay, Tales from the Borderlands has tons of action. Sometimes you’re using Fiona’s elemental gun to shoot something or someone. Other times, you’re hacking with Rhys’s ECHO Eye implant. There are also car chases, fights, and explosive action sequences where you get to utilize the Loader Bot. The variety makes every episode feel fresh.

Music

If you’ve played Borderlands games by Gearbox, you know they always start off with an awesome song as the characters are introduced. Tales from the Borderlands also features a great soundtrack, with one feature song in each episode. My favorite has been “Kiss the Sky”, but you can check all of them out at Kotaku here. Most of them have a stylish, neo-soul vibe that just makes the whole game feel even more fun.

— Ashley