So, I'm not really sure what to call what I'm about to do here. It'll be a little less formal than a review, a little more critical than a product bump, and a little too late to be a viable first impressions write-up. Nevertheless, we're talking about Tales from the Borderlands today.
Tales from the Borderlands is principally thought of as a Telltale Games title, although other studios collaborated on the project. This mostly has to do with the fact that it just feels like a Telltale game. A few key choices matter, and the choices that don't matter look and feel exactly like the ones that do, which makes every choice feel like it has the potential to change events. Characters are well developed, and, like-able or not, they are at least interesting. Combat is primarily quick-time events or shooting galleries and is as likely to feel dis-empowering as to feel empowering. If you've played a game like the Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us before, you know the feeling I'm describing here.
The Good
The humor in this game is spot on. Intermingled as it is with the action; it makes this game feel like playing a Guy Ritchie movie. Additionally, the voice acting is superb. Celebrity appearances from Chris Hardwick and Patrick Warburton sell a big draw quickly, and lesser known talent earns that "talent" title in spades on this project.
The Bad
The language may be a bit much for some people, and, while not gratuitous, the M rating is warranted on this title. This game also has a problem shared by many Telltale titles (looking at you, Wolf Among Us) of giving a fairly satisfying ending about thirty seconds before doing something that tries to be mind-blowing, and ends up being more confusing than anything. At the risk of spoilers, I won't go further into that, but just know that you should look for your enjoyment throughout the game rather than hanging the whole notion of game enjoyment on finding that perfect ending.
The Excellent
This game's premise is one I wouldn't have thought possible: specifically, it is a choose your own adventure story with an unreliable narrator. The main story is told in flashbacks by a pair of characters who continually bicker about what really happened, and the framing device deals with the mysterious figure who has captured these two, and about what he might want with them. The fact that they pulled this off, and did it with such panache, speaks volumes of the ground Telltale is and has been breaking in the gaming industry.
. . .and that's it. That's what I've got coming out of this experience. If I fanboyed a little over Telltale, I'm not even sorry, they make some of my favorite stuff. If you're interested in trying the game for yourself it is available here.
Happy gaming, all.
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