Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis more of an instant gratification than a continuation ofBorderlands. The spin-off wears itsBorderlandsroots proudly, but it does little to nothing for the unresolved and ongoing plots of the mainstreamBorderlandsfranchise games. As such,Borderlands 4should look into the storytelling of a past game to instead deliver a proper revisit and closure toBorderlands’ signature storytelling.
The environments and the loot-and-shoot gunplay FromTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsare still true to form, though the story is a major departure compared to pastBorderlandsgames.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsintroduced some new and fun features into the mix, but there are still plenty ofloose ends that the nextBorderlandsgame should resolveinstead of exploring detours in additional spin-offs. Some of these features might still be worth looking into for futureBorderlandsgames, butBorderlands 4should aim to be a lot closer toBorderlands the Pre-Sequelfor multiple reasons.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandswas amazing and generously humorous, but there will be plenty of time for more whimsical fan-fictions after the main story has progressed.
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To be clear, it would still be nice to see some ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ contributions toBorderlands’ gameplay stick around in the series. FutureBorderlandsgames should seriously consider revisiting melee weapons, loot dice collectibles, some of the unique enemy types, and possibly even the overworld map fromTiny Tina’s Wonderlands.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsdid so much to shake things up and stay on-brand withBorderlands’ signature style of video game humor, so it shouldn’t be abandoned altogether. Still, it isBorderlands: The Pre-Sequelthat should be the main inspiration forBorderlands 4.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelmay have been the most unfavorableBorderlandsgame in the eyes of the community compared to otherBorderlandsfranchise games, but it was still really pivotal to the ongoing story. In terms of its narrative,Borderlands 4should strive to be more likeBorderlands the Pre-sequelthan likeTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, or any of the other entries. The use of familiar, existing characters is one feature that should be continued, but the overall story is the most important part thatBorderlands 4should aim to address. The gunplay and endgame content in the pastBorderlandsgames is clearly not going away anytime soon, which is what makes the story and characters so crucial going forward.
Plot lines involving The Watcher’s War, Sirens, Eridians, and the Hyperion corporation are all due for a proper conclusion in theBorderlandsfranchise before any more spin-offs are warranted.Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelhad all of these, except for Sirens, which were more central toBorderlands 3instead. There’s only so muchBorderlandscan do with vaults after their storied uses in the franchise, so some fans speculate thatVaults may not be in futureBorderlandsgames, with Gearbox focusing more on the topics mentioned above. Since the story ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsall took place in Tiny Tina’s imagination, it’s a safe assumption that none of the narrative is considered to be canon or due for a revisit in the mainline games. At the same time, there are still plenty of characters that were introduced inBorderlands the Pre-Sequelthat are long overdue for a return.
Even theTales From the Borderlandsgames have had a larger impact on the canon ofBorderlands’ story thanTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, especially when it comes to the characters involved. It was a welcome surprise inBorderlands 3when players got to see the return of Vaughn and Rhys from the originalTales From the Borderlandsgame. One of the biggest roles that returning characters played inBorderlands the Pre-Sequelwas their presence asthe different vault-hunters, a.k.a the playable characters. Athena and Claptrap were classic throwbacks to the originalBorderlandsgame, while Nisha and Wilhelm were characters introduced inBorderlands 2. There are a lot of characters in theBorderlandsgames that would be interesting and definitely qualified to become vault hunters given how far the story has come, which would be anotherPre-Sequel-like approach worth taking.
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