Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Preview – Critical Hit!

Borderlands has provided four campaigns for players, as well as a lot of content via downloadable media. There is even a feature movie in the works featuring top Hollywood actors. But perhaps paramount to those accomplishments are the series’ characters. Players have had the opportunity to meet Lilith, Claptrap and Handsome Jack along the journey, which has captivated them, leading them into wonder about what might happen in Borderlands’ wild future.

Tiny Tina is a 13-year old explosives specialist who was introduced in the first game. Few characters have as much impact as Tiny Tina. Gearbox is now handing over control of the ambitious new Borderlands spin-off to Tiny Tina, who has already captured the hearts of many (and probably stopped as many from losing their heart). We went hands-on with Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands for hours and spoke with the team to learn why this unique direction for the franchise is such an exciting venture both for Gearbox and the series’ devoted fan base. 

Tiny Tina with Big Ideas

Tiny Tina, voiced and performed by Ashly Burch proved to be a hit among fans. She soon received her own downloadable content campaign for Borderlands 2, Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep. That DLC placed players in a game of “Bunkers & Badasses,” an homage to Dungeons & Dragons, with Tiny Tina serving as the unpredictable “Bunker Master.” Thanks to Tina’s hilarious and unreliable narration, the high-fantasy themes, and comical references to fantasy games and movies, Assault on Dragon Keep is widely considered one of the best pieces of DLC in the series’ history.

The team at Gearbox noticed that, in addition to latching onto Tiny Tina as a character, the player base also enjoyed Assault on Dragon Keep’s tabletop trappings and the duality of a game within a game. They felt the team had not explored all it was capable of in a fantasy setting that included looter-shooter mechanics.

“It became pretty obvious to us very, very early that it could be so much more than just an add-on to another game,” creative director Matt Cox says. “With the fantasy looter-shooter and the character of Tiny Tina, the ceiling was way higher and just really deserved its own standalone treatment.”

Gearbox wants this new effort to deliver all the unique experiences of the Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep DLC, but with a lower barrier-to-entry. Since this is a standalone story, players can enter Wonderlands with no knowledge of Borderlands’ lore or backstory. Fans may be able to spot references in this story that are similar to characters from Borderlands.

Despite being a standalone adventure, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands retains many of the conventions and mechanics players have grown familiar with, while expanding on them in several fun ways. Wonderlands takes place in a D&D-like realm, but guns are still front and center. The new gun types are influenced by fantasy, and magic barrels allow you to reload with fairy dust or crossbow bolts. This multiplies your damage depending on the number of bolts you put in an enemy.

Combat encounters can be more varied, however, because spells play an important role. The fun guns and wild weapons Borderlands fans already know, spells can change how you approach combat encounters. You can now blast enemies with your latest loot, call in pets, or cast protection spells for yourself and your friends. These spells act like the main series’ grenades in that you have a dedicated equipment slot and button for them, but they operate on a cooldown and have a wide array of effects.

“We knew we wanted to update that looter-shooter loop to something that’s a little bit more unique to the idea of this fantasy world, and we thought these spells were an absolutely great way to move that forward,” senior producer Kayla Belmore says. “We really want them to feel powerful and like an action skill. The guns were able to shine, and still be the main stars of the show. However, they also had an alternative part that was truly special and original. And you know, who doesn’t love summoning giant meteors from the sky and squishing your enemies?”

Melee also receives an upgrade in Wonderlands’ combat system. The melee weapon now has its own gear slot. You can pick up melee weapons as loot and have different attributes which allow you to customize your combat style and synergize with other players. I had the chance to see all these grand ambitions come together in a cohesive way when I fired up a pre-release build of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.

Getting Creative

The differences in gameplay in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands go much deeper than spells and upgraded melee weapons. The gameplay structure combines the team’s inspiration from RPGs and the tried-and-true Borderlands formula.

From the very beginning, you will see that players can now make their characters. This is in contrast to Borderlands which gives you only four pre-made characters. While I didn’t get the opportunity to create my own, the two characters I played looked and sounded very different from one another.

The new creator allows players to choose from different characters before choosing between two voiceprints. Players can also adjust the pitch using a slider. Because the six character classes are separate from looks, Gearbox is excited to give players the opportunity to not have the character’s identity be tied so tightly to their play style. This notion was carried over from inspirations like Dungeons & Dragons, other fantasy games, and even JRPGs. The team wanted to give players the freedom to choose what games they liked.

“Allowing the player to express themselves was something very important to a lot of people on the team,” Belmore says. “We really want players to be able to represent themselves, their fantasy self, or something completely outlandish if they feel like it. It’s all up to them and what they want to see and what they want to do. That’s really special for us.”

Every character gets skill trees and heroes stats that can be upgraded as you progress in leveling up. Similar to standard Borderlands progress, skill trees are used. Hero stats are a way to increase your RPG stats such as strength, critical hit damage, dexterity and critical hit chance. You can also upgrade intelligence (spell coolerdown) and other stats. My playthrough saw me landing tons of headshots so I converted a lot more of my hero point into strength in order to increase the damage.

Mount Craw, which is a snowy mountain with caves, rocks and other critters, was where my gameplay session took place. If you’re hoping for some goblins and trolls to fight amid this game’s fantasy setting, my time in Mount Craw offers plenty. This build allows me to choose from two classes, although there will be six total. Although the Graveborn class gives me dark magic and a Demi Lichen companion, the Stabbomancer is my favorite because it allows me to summon magical whip blades that cause persistent damage to any enemies.

No matter how vital melee and spells may be to the overall game, I instantly see the meaning of what the team is saying when they say guns remain the highlight of the show. The interesting weapons I have accumulated along the journey make it so much more fun to blast through goblins, each with their unique powers and weapons. An automatic rifle with scope which fires arrows or an SMG that shoots area-of-effect missiles that restores your health after each shot is successful, the Borderlands heritage is still alive and well in fantasy settings.

Stories from the Wonderlands

Borderlands games have always allowed players to see their co-op partners’ characters, but with more customization options available to players, Gearbox gives you more opportunities to marvel at your creation. An overworld allows you to walk around in third-person perspective. This idea was inspired by classic JRPGs such as Zelda II and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

That’s not the only difference carried over by way of the JRPG genre, as players can enter the tall grass in the overworld and engage in random encounters that reward you with loot and experience. You are brought back to the first-person perspective when a random encounter happens. Then you can battle your enemies as in a normal mission.

This overworld encourages exploration to allow you to fully experience the world of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. You can also find new maps and complete mission-related quests that are specific to the overworld. The Mount Craw map that I play in the game isn’t part of the main storyline. This is what you will discover in the overworld. Once you’re in Mount Craw, you have a self-contained storyline connected to the environment and its inhabitants. Mount Craw is one of many side maps offering major quests that complement the Wonderlands’ overall story but can be used on their own.

As you find these extra maps, you’ll notice more sidequests available in the hub world. For example, as you discover Mount Craw, you may start seeing “wanted” posters around the tavern for characters in that area. It is possible to start quests in the Wonderlands by talking with NPCs or simply by picking up notes from the tavern. This gives players many chances to discover side content and then interact with it.

Jar, a goblin, is freeing her enslaved people while I am exploring Mount Craw. In order to help Jar, I must free prisoners and secure bombs. Also, I have to blow up a gate and stop a frost-skeleton. To freeze his heart, I must plunge it into a furnace to destroy the magic, then defeat the powerful oracles that wield magical weapons, before finally attacking a boss with a mechanical dragon. While that’s the main questline in this standalone map, I can also take on sidequests, like helping Claptrap (made of wood) collect ore to use in his forge. Although Jar’s assistance and the liberation of her goblin companions are the highlights, I am optimistic about the scope of quest-driven content found in the final game.

Gearbox created a system that ensures players can’t outlevel quests, with so many available at all times. In Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, if you return to a quest you picked up in the game’s early stages, the challenge levels with you. This offers commensurate rewards. It is both entertaining and worth it, regardless of whether the player has become stronger since they accepted the quest.

Rolling the Dice

Borderlands 3 provided players with another Vault hunting adventure, and a new game could provide a great opportunity for the fans to get excited. Tiny Tina is a strong character in the franchise, and in the wider community. So it seems like Tiny Tina will be in the center of Gearbox’s most crazy and outrageous game yet.

It was a great experience exploring Mount Craw, trying out the different spells and melee weapons, as well as having fun. I can’t wait to see what else Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has in store for me when the game launches later this month.