“A fresh, Pandoraless path”
TINY TINA’S WONDERLANDS is a pleasing surprise
Heading into Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, I expected a pretty throwaway spin-off of a series past its prime. In the wake of Borderlands 3, the formula seemed worn out, both the jokes and the lootershooting feeling tired and oldfashioned. The surprising thing is not just that Wonderlands is a blast, but how refreshing certain key changes are.
The biggest switch is the setting. Wonderlands moves the action to the faux-fantasy world of Tina’s D&D campaign—and, despite the inclusion of guns, the game does mostly leave Pandora behind. You meet new characters, fight new enemies, and explore new locations. I had visions of encountering magic Skags and Ye Olde Psychos, but it feels like a pretty clean break.
It’s surprising how much of a relief it is to have the series’ style and gameplay divorced from all the baggage of Pandora itself. I didn’t realize how sick I was of Vault Keys and Hyperion until it was all taken away. And the more consciously paper-thin world on Tina’s tabletop really feels like a better fit for the series’ sense of humor, the writers able to have fun without worrying about sci-fi world-building.
CHARISMA CHECK
Not every joke lands perfectly, but it feels like less of a barrage—funny lines are given the space to work, instead of being buried under 20 references to old memes. And the tighter focus, riffing on tabletop gaming and Tina’s on idiosyncrasies, is a strength, giving the humor a clearer throughline, sharper than the usual scattershot approach.
In combat, magic ratchets up the chaos to what feels like a new sweet spot. Grenades are replaced by a whole swathe of randomized spells, class abilities are stranger than ever, and the selection of gun abilities feels endlessly wild. They still haven’t tightened up the shooting, but by leaning hard into the zaniness, they make Borderlands’ core identity feel newly relevant.
For the first time in a long time I feel excited about the future of the series again. But what I want now is a Borderlands bold enough to shed all the fluff, running gags, and charmless characters, and commit to a fresh, Pandora-less path.