Tiny Tina's Wonderlands PlayStation 5 Review

Tiny Tina's own full-fledged game shows that Gearbox is taking a lesson and reflecting on what made Borderlands 2 successful. If Tiny Tina's Wonderlands looks like a reworked version of Borderlands 3, don't blame yourself because it is essentially a reworked Borderlands 3. While Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, the Borderlands 2 expansion from 2013, was released as a stand-alone title and is essentially the same premise on a smaller scale, Wonderlands takes its cues from that title. What happened to me with Tiny Tina's is similar to what happened with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. The Borderlands series has a simple idea, but Gearbox has created great lunacy with Tina. Those who are unfamiliar with the series will still find a lot to like in Wonderlands, as the game doesn't detract too much from the core experience.

 

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a branch of the main series that expands into its concept. As a Borderlands-esque game in its own right, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands manages to stand apart in a crowded field while preserving the basic components that drew gamers in. A trip to Wonderlands is a blast no matter how many times you go. That goes double if you go with friends. It's Borderlands with spells and crossbows and the illusion that you're playing a role-playing game with Tiny Tina as the Dungeon Master.

However, Gearbox Software left no clue about Tiny Tina or her significance in the Borderlands narrative at the beginning of the game. Not even a brief introduction is provided to lay out the foundation of the setting's history. Tiny Tina takes on the role of Labradestinos in the Wonderlands, a role-playing game inside a role-playing game, taking the role of protecting Wonderworld from madness and destruction, and this role-playing game is a Dungeons & Dragons mimicked. The combination of medieval fantasy with weaponry, magic, and explosions makes this narrative intriguing. You will observe Tina rearranging, deleting, and adding components in real-time as she narrates the events. You can expect to meet a diverse cast of new characters who will have the house's typical twisted sense of humor.

 

Your ship crashes on Pandora, and you are thrown into the midst of a new campaign in Bunkers and Badasses as a newbie, with Tiny Tina at the helm as Bunker Master. After creating your Fatemaker (title given to the heroes in Tina's Bunkers and Badasses campaign), you are sent to the Wonderlands and given the mission of stopping the Dragon Lord. As a 'Fatemaker,' you are no longer a Vault Hunter in this tale but rather a character from it. In addition to Captain Valentine, who is voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Lonely Island star Andy Samberg, who is performing his regular humorous role to perfection, you'll join on the voyage by Hollywood actress Wanda Sykes, who portrays the robotic Frette. Ashley Burch reprises her role as Tiny Tina, completing a meticulously crafted jigsaw puzzle of comic timing, tone, and writing.

Anything can happen at any time during the gameplay. For example, Tiny Tina being the Dungeon Master will change the enemies you had expected to face for a different group at a certain level. Even if these moments aren't random and are part of the game's plot, they provide the suspense to make the gameplay engaging. As you would expect, there isn't a lot of focus on melee fighting in this version of Borderlands. New weapons are found in treasure boxes, although you'll be utilizing crossbows and steampunk-style rifles most of the time, some of which even have the same makers as Borderlands. Alternatively, you will use spells that automatically reload your ammunition supply, as did I with a magical ward as my shield.

 

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands retains the progression, treasure, and customization of Borderlands and, in some cases, improves upon them. With a thorough character creator, you'll be able to design your Fatemaker from the ground up. D&D allows you to customize your character in practically every way possible. A surprising amount of customization also allows for a more personal attachment to your character, from physical features to picking an upbringing that influences your basic stat distribution.

There are many characters in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands; each one excels in its function within the story. Wonderlands has a lot of leeways when it comes to quests and character creation because of its board game analogy, and Gearbox seems to have taken full use of this. Wonderlands has a few differences from Borderlands. The game's in-game map is by far the best feature. Instead, the game is a succession of locales linked together by an overworld. At first glance, the player character seems to be nothing but a miniature version of themselves. It's a Cuphead-style map with a role-playing twist, allowing us to explore Mundo Astonbro's several worlds as a Super-Deformed character. Secondary missions, random encounters, and killing a certain number of enemies are all options here.

Unfortunately, the layout of the levels feels disorganized and fragmented. Since there is no flow or rationale, the stages don't seem like actual locales and rather like haphazard courses. However, the stage layouts leave much desired in terms of design. Don't expect to be completely engrossed. Many of the building's structural components are put together haphazardly. Since Borderlands 2, character models have stagnated, and character designs have deteriorated. Every NPC in the game is based on obnoxious and infantile ideas.

 

With a few notable exceptions, battle in Wonderlands is quick and enjoyable. There were a few spots when it seemed like an attrition war, but they weren't the norm. You'll never feel overwhelmed since there's always plenty to loot. Even though magic is in the mix, it has been a disappointment. If it weren't for the firearms, I'd frequently forget it was even an option. Grinders have plenty of options in the game's endgame mechanism, the Chaos Chamber. After completing the storyline, you'll probably spend most of your time in an endlessly replayable randomized dungeon that offers several monster kinds, locations, and bosses. If you're a Borderlands fan who enjoys farming uncommon drops to fine-tune your build, you'll have a blast with it even after you've finished the main plot.

Players have always been flexible in the post-game material of Borderlands. In contrast, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is the Chaos Chamber, a randomly generated sequence of encounters that you may make easier or tougher for yourself based on how much you want to be awarded for completing each one of them. It's possible to activate modifications that enhance the number of crystals you get upon completing a run, which is utilized in the final chamber to pursue particular weapon archetypes. Using up all of your lives means you'll be sent back to the world and forced to start again; thus, it's more rogue-lite mode than anything.

 

Cel-Shading is used for the visuals of Tina's Wonderlands once again. Performance Mode focuses on frames per second, whereas Resolution Mode emphasizes finer details in the visuals. You won't be interrupted by obnoxious bugs or glitches, which may significantly impact your gameplay, either in the technical portion or in general. Each voice actor is yelling at the top of their lungs, so it's no surprise that it's full of offensive comedy. The scenario seems to be set up to be a joke on the players, which is amusing at first. Still, far too frequently, a mission concluded with an ironic twist that rendered the earlier objective unnecessary.

Borderlands has many of the same features, but Tiny Tina's Wonderlands adds new ones, like spells that are useful throughout the story. One of the game's most notable aspects is the uniqueness of its conversation and the presence of Tina as its Dungeon Master. Expansion for Borderlands 3, however, would have been much better off as an expansion since it's too short to justify the price tag and too lengthy to cover up a lack of fresh ideas.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Editor, NoobFeed