Tales from the Borderlandshas undergone a strange journey in the last several years. When Telltale Games closed its doors in 2018, it disappeared from storefronts, much to the disappointment ofBorderlandsfans who enjoyed Telltale’s signature adventure game style. Now, however, things are changing. 2K Games acquired the rights toTales from the Borderlandslast year, and a new announcement fromBorderlandsdeveloper Gearbox reveals that anotherTales from the Borderlandsgame is in development. Notably, though, the recently revived Telltale has nothing to do with this game; apparently Gearbox will make thisTales from the Borderlandssequel instead.
TheTales from the Borderlandsannouncement is definitely exciting. The original game was beloved and received high ratings from critics, so it’s more than worthy of a sequel. However, there’s no telling ifGearbox’sTales from the Borderlandswill be anything like the first game. Due to the change in studios,Tales from the Borderlandswill be developed by completely different people, meaning there’s no telling what the story or gameplay could be like.Borderlandsfans should be prepared for the possibility that the upcoming game will make more use of Gearbox’s looter-shooter experience than the adventure game style that Telltale was known for.
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Tales from the Borderlands' Possible Overhaul
Telltale worked hard to establish a very specific identity for itself during the 2010s. It worked with a ton of established IPs aside fromBorderlands,includingMinecraft, The Walking Dead,andGame of Thrones,converting them into adventure games where players influenced the narrative by making choices in dialogue trees, quick-time events, and so on. Beyond this narrative-heavy style,Telltale became well knownfor releasing its games in an episodic manner, delivering chunks of the story over several weeks or months instead of launching the whole game at once. In this way, Telltale games were often very similar to each other, but they stood out greatly from other games.
As well as Telltale’s design worked forTales from the Borderlands,it’s unclear if Gearbox wants to copy Telltale. If 2K and Gearbox aren’t planning on striking a deal with Telltale for another game, then they might want to take theTales from the Borderlandsconcept in a new direction. WhileTales from the Borderlands' sequel might still be narrative-heavy, thanks to its remaining distinction from the core franchise, it could have much more action and looting than the first game to capitalize on Gearbox’s skills, and it may drop the episodic structure altogether, instead opting for a united structure. Players may still get to enjoya rich story in the world ofBorderlands,but the experience might not be exactly what they’re used to.
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A New Kind of Borderlands Story
It isn’t necessarily a bad thing thatTales from the Borderlandscould undergo such drastic change in the new game. A narrative-drivenBorderlandsgame that involves a lot of player choice but still provides a lot of action could be an interesting compromise betweentheBorderlandsfranchise itselfand Telltale’s spin on the IP. A more action-heavy game released in one piece might be better in the long run overall, since that’s where Gearbox’s strengths lie. Still, it’s strange to think thatTales from the Borderlandsand the new sequel might differ so much.
Fans don’t have to wait too long to find out more about the newTales from the Borderlands.Gearbox says it’ll discuss the new game during summer 2022, so it could be only a couple of months beforeTales from the Borderlands 2gets a proper reveal. Gearbox may have plenty to do already thanks toTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsupdates and expansions, but it’s nice to see it reveal plans for yet anotherBorderlandsspinoff. Whatever form it takes, hopefully the newTales from the Borderlandslives up to the original’s reputation.
