Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands could turn out to be the most memorable entry in the Borderlands franchise thus far. Alongside the addition of Spells and proper melee weapons, as well as the potential for some excellent character customization, the game is entirely set in a fantasy world. With the series only messing with such a setting once, and the result being the excellent Assault on Dragon Keep DLC for Borderlands 2, fans have several reasons to be hyped for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
However, one thing that some fans may not have picked up on is the interesting similarity Tina’s new adventure has with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. While that game was built around the very different setting of Elpis and did not feature anything like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ multi-class system, this similarity could end up having an interesting impact on the spinoff. In fact, Gearbox could even use the exact same style of storytelling to bookend the game’s narrative.
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2K Australia’s Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, as its name suggests, takes place before the second game in the series. The 2014 release is essentially a flashback to Handsome Jack’s origin story, with players seeing him before and after his psychotic break. Players see everything leading up to Borderlands 2, with Handsome Jack’s discovery of The Warrior and rise to the top position in Hyperion both being documented. Players also get some insight into characters like Jack's robotic ally Wilhem and Nisha, the Sheriff of Lynchwood.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, on the other hand, is set shortly after the events of Borderlands 2. Essentially making the game Borderlands: The Post-Sequel, players will get to experience another Bunkers and Badasses campaign led by the fan favorite Tiny Tina. While Tina being younger is an obvious sign that the game is set long before Borderlands 3, Gearbox has officially confirmed its status as a prequel. With this interesting similarity to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel being made clear, perhaps another storytelling device will be shared between the two spinoffs.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is that it was not entirely a prequel. While it is true that nearly all of the game’s story takes place in the past, the events are actually being retold by Athena. As such, players get a cutscene at the start and end of the game that takes place after Borderlands 2. While the discussion in that scene remains a mystery that Borderlands 3 did not solve, the storytelling format was memorable. It also allowed Athena to narrate the flashback, with fan favorites like Brick and Mordecai chiming in with their thoughts on what went down.
While Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is like Assault on Dragon Keep in the sense that Tina is narrating and changing the story, a similar setup could still be used. The game could open with a present day, mature version of Tina recounting the fun she used to have playing Bunkers and Badasses. After the story is complete, players could come back to the present day, with an adult Tina once again shown as Gearbox teases whatever is coming next in Borderlands 4.
As of now, it remains to be seen why exactly this new story is being told. Borderlands 2’s Assault on Dragon Keep DLC served a very important purpose, as it showcased Tina’s grieving process after the loss of Roland. While the fantasy setting is obviously appealing from a gameplay perspective, and “fun” may be the main justification for bringing it back, it will be interesting to see if there is a reason why Gearbox is going back to Tina’s younger years. Much like Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has the unique opportunity to fill in some gaps while also setting up whatever comes next.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is slated to launch in early 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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