In 2009, Borderlands was something of a revelation.
The way it combined the dextrous nature of FPS gameplay and ARPG loot and character building
seems obvious, but at the time the idea was largely untapped.
Combined with its unique look and personality, Borderlands became a rocket
that Gearbox has been riding to the moon for over a decade.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a Dungeons and Dragons themed spinoff of Borderlands,
and in some ways it feels like a complete inverse of the original game.
It’s by no means groundbreaking, in fact
the worst parts of it are because it can be stubbornly stuck in its ways.
Yet Gearbox's experience with its own formula proves
there's still joy worth mining from the established Borderlands template,
serving as an effective reminder that even after all this time,
it's still relatively singular in the industry.
Something to keep in mind, this review is coming from a single player perspective,
as we did not engage in co-op or crossplay during the review.
One of the biggest draws of Wonderlands
is its constant parody of tabletop role-playing games and the people who play them.
It's safe to say that those who have spent time crowded around a table rolling dice with friends
will easily get the most out of the game.
The jokes Wonderlands goes for certainly have an air of authenticity about them,
such as a clash between the Bunker Master insisting that an NPC means no harm
and the players inventing their own story in their heads, refusing to hear otherwise.
The overworld map is littered with things like Cheetos, soda cans, and popcorn,
again selling the idea that at the end of the day, it's just friends having fun.
The environments themselves are wonderfully detailed, vibrant, and creative.
A town splintered by giant beanstalks
is just one of several visually impressive locations.
The game is relentlessly playful, a sentiment that extends beyond the D&D-centric humor.
In one quest, an adorably polite cyclops
simply wants to go on peaceful archaeological excursions,
which is a far cry from the normal cyclops operating procedure of wanton violence.
Wonderlands goes out of its way
to highlight nontraditional characters and relationships as well, which is refreshing to see.
For all that it does well, the downfall of Wonderlands
is that it can be way too overwhelming and aggressive with its own humor.
It's not even that the jokes are necessarily bad per se,
just that they never let up.
When it's joke after joke after joke, it's easy to become numb and tune out.
Wonderlands seems intent on cramming humor into every single crevice
and would have worked better if it allowed more breathing room.
The problem is exacerbated by the voice of the player character incessantly repeating the same one-liners
throughout the entire game.
Sometimes the game doesn't even leave room for itself,
as it's fairly easy to unintentionally interrupt a line of dialogue
as another line triggers over top of it.
Wonderlands is an all-sugar energy drink of a video game,
that can be as exhausting as it is entertaining.
Of course the bread and butter of Wonderlands is its kill, loot, repeat loop and it does not disappoint,
even if it's largely retreading very familiar ground.
There’s an almost staggering amount of choice and freedom in regards to character progression.
It's pretty wild how dramatically a single new gun can change the entire flow of your own playstyle.
You constantly sweat every aspect of, well, everything
including things like magazine size, bullet trajectory, elemental damage,
how a spell is actually unleashed, etc.
While the loot can be too much at times —
it seriously feels as though you're spending a third of the game just comparing stats —
it also ensures that you're never stuck in one style for very long.
For us, it got to the point where things changed so much that we would cast a spell
thinking it was what was previously equipped.
That's how often things get mixed up.
The variety is enjoyable on its own, but perhaps more importantly,
the sheer number of variables does a great job of convincing you
how individual your character feels and that you're charting your own path forward.
It's also immensely appreciated how many cosmetic options there are to unlock,
only furthering the amount of self-expression.
Character progression is excellently paced.
In the beginning, options are meager, meaning you really have to understand
the weaknesses of your character and arsenal.
After unlocking multiclassing, which is a true zenith moment,
the entire game gets turned on its head.
You play two classes at once, with access to two entire passive skill trees
and four active class skills that you can switch between whenever you'd like.
Figuring out how to gel two completely different classes is such a blast
and truly opens up so much character potential.
By the end of the game, it all gloriously comes together.
After spending many skill points and sifting through countless pieces of gear,
you forge a character that gleefully melts through foes
and consequently gobbles up gobs of loot like a gluttonous goblin.
Simply put, you feel overpowered, but the strength comes after a long arc,
making it earned and deeply satisfying.
The gunplay itself is chaos.
Constant explosions, both in the traditional form and the actual bodies of your enemies.
The sheer frenetic speed of it all keeps it constantly engaging
since nothing ever lasts too long, keeping the dopamine drip going strong.
While it's an expected Borderlands staple, it can't be overstated
how effective the "last stand" mechanic still is.
For those unfamiliar, hitting zero HP is not an immediate death,
but rather you go into a last stand state and upon killing an enemy, revive and continue the fight.
It effectively creates tension, since sometimes you're frantically looking for a baddie to blast,
while keeping the flow intact.
There are some minor disappointments with combat though.
Enemy variety feels weirdly meager.
It's disappointing that you fight a lot of the same things in both beginning
and ending areas.
Additionally, while there are some neat boss fights with unique mechanics,
these moments are few and far between.
A lot of "special" fights are just beefed up regular enemies
and it would have gone a long way if there were more crazy clashes.
Wonderlands does not reinvent the wheel, or in this case the rocket launcher,
but strides forward confidently enough to prove that it doesn't exactly need to.
It would be an even better game if its own humor just let up a bit,
but even so, the journey through such fantastical realms is also ultimately a success
exactly because Gearbox has such a proficient understanding of its distinct genre.
Final score: 8 out of 10.
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