Tales From Borderlands Sitting on Powder Keg After Borderlands’ Movie

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Tales From Borderlands Sitting on Powder Keg After Borderlands' Movie

Key Takeaways

  • The Tales from the Borderlands series prioritizes character relationships and world-building over looter-shooter gameplay.
  • The failure of the Borderlands movie has fans hopeful for a new entry in the Tales series to bring the story back on track.
  • The recent novel “Borderlands: Debt or Alive” has closed the book on the original storyline, leaving no threads for a direct sequel.

As a dedicated fan who’s spent countless hours traversing the vibrant and chaotic world of Pandora, I can confidently say that the Tales from the Borderlands series holds a special place in my heart. The narrative-driven adventures offered by these games have always been a refreshing change from the usual looter-shooter formula, allowing me to connect with the characters and immerse myself in their stories.

The “Tales from the Borderlands” series deviates significantly from the traditional looter-shooter format of the main series. Consisting of two games, “Tales from the Borderlands” and its sequel “New Tales from the Borderlands”, this series focuses more on developing characters and the world around them, allowing players to influence the story’s direction. The popularity of the “Tales” series is believed to have sparked the idea for the recent “Borderlands” movie. Unfortunately, the film was met with widespread disapproval from both critics and fans. As attention shifts back to the franchise’s video games, developer Gearbox Software faces high expectations for another captivating narrative. However, a new novel expansion has put “Tales from the Borderlands” in a potentially volatile position following the “Borderlands” movie.

Back in the days, I found myself immersed in an epic five-part journey called “Tales from the Borderlands,” crafted by Telltale Games. This adventure game saw me stepping into the shoes of fresh characters, like Rhys, who climbed his way up to become the CEO of Atlus, and Fiona, a cunning con artist on a quest for the greatest heist. The storyline gave birth to a successor, “New Tales from the Borderlands,” broadening the horizons of the Borderlands universe even more. In the climactic ending, it was unveiled that Marcus was narrating Fiona’s tale, pushing her onto another exciting escapade to locate the Shard Spirit. Fast forward to June 2024, a prequel novel to “New Tales from the Borderlands” hit the shelves, titled “Borderlands: Debt or Alive,” picking up right where the original game left off, filling in the narrative blanks between the episodes of this gripping series.

A Future Tales from the Borderlands Entry Could Succeed Where the Movie Failed

Initially, fans had low hopes for the “Borderlands” movie due to its announcement. Yet, nothing could have predicted how far the film would miss the mark when adapting the world, humor, characters, and plot of the initial two “Borderlands” games. Although it drew inspiration from the multi-layered storytelling and distinctive perspective introduced by “Tales from the Borderlands” in Gearbox’s violent universe, the movie fell short on all those aspects. After the film’s disappointing performance, a new installment of “Tales from the Borderlands” might be exactly what the franchise needs to rejuvenate its storyline.

The sequel to “New Tales from the Borderlands” continues the storyline started in “Borderlands 3“, introducing fresh characters like Susan Coldwell of Tediore, who intersect with Rhys and the series’ dominant arms manufacturing executives. Although Rhys and his team are central to the plot, it doesn’t resolve any unanswered questions from the original “Tales“. A possible second part of “Tales from the Borderlands” might reunite the initial main characters, providing the much-needed narrative continuity for the franchise. However, a recent expansion to “Tales from the Borderlands” could have closed off some of the series’ most intriguing plotlines.

Borderlands: Debt of Alive Closed the Book on Tales’ Original Storyline

After completing “Tales from the Borderlands”, fans anxiously anticipated rejoining the original team. The last episode of “Tales from the Borderlands” ended with a cliffhanger; Fiona and Sasha had ventured into the Vault of the Traveler and were transported to an unspecified location. Then, in June 2024, the writer responsible for “Borderlands 2”, Anthony Burch, published an official book called “Borderlands: Debt or Alive“, which picked up where “Tales from the Borderlands” left off. Regrettably, this novel brought a definitive conclusion to the entire storyline, leaving no loose ends for a possible direct sequel.

In a tricky situation, the series Tales from the Borderlands finds itself sandwiched between the necessity for an engaging plot in the Borderlands franchise and the lack of fresh territory to explore in the spin-off. The previous installment, New Tales from the Borderlands, ended with Rhys and Fiona going their separate ways; Fiona journeying towards the Gladius Nebula in pursuit of the shard spirit while Rhys continued on his path. However, recent developments could pave the way for these characters to encounter each other again. During Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, it was confirmed that Borderlands 4 is indeed in development, and there’s a chance that Rhys, Fiona, and their fellow cast members from Tales from the Borderlands could reunite.

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2024-08-24 20:44