Tales from the Borderlands: Episode Four - Escape Plan Bravo

By: Robert Murphy

Borderlands initially was a game that I had no real interest in when I first saw screenshots and gameplay for the very first game, I thought it was too cartoony for a shooter but that has all drastically changed over the years and the franchise has become one of my favorite games of all time. With Tales from the Borderlands this love has been drastically enhanced due to it's focus on the character aspect and showing what it is like for normal people to try and survive in the wastelands of Pandora. This human level aspect has never been more apparent than with the release of the latest episode "Escape Plan Bravo."

Up until this point the Tales from the Borderlands series has always been driving forward at full speed with the constant action and exploits of Rhys, Fiona and their always growing larger group. Things in this most recent chapter however don't see nearly as much high stakes action as their has been but this is not a bad thing and it sets the ground work for what appears to be an incredible concluding chapter. After the events of the last episode, our team appears soundly defeated by the group of bandits that have been chasing after them but hey they put up a much better struggle to this messed up world than most. Now they're on a mission to head back to Hyperion HQ to gain the last piece of Gortys and get access to the Vault of the Traveler. This is what it has all been leading up to since the get go and now that Gortys is almost complete, she will be able to hold the Vault in one place so they can get their huge pay day. They just have to break into the most secure facility in the universe and then find away to dupe their wood be captures.

Things for Rhys and Fiona have reached a crucial tipping point in terms of their individual futures. With Handsome Jack constantly getting more accustomed to his new form, Rhys finds himself closer than ever to his goal of finally running Hyperion and being a huge big shot. It is hard not to be extremely weary of what Handsome Jack may do if you choose to go to the beat of his drum but at the same time it is insanely appealing. Jack also returns with some classic one liners but also some excellent guidance for Rhys and what it would be like if the two of them worked together to rule over Pandora. I felt the dark side calling my name the entire episode. I also particularly enjoyed when he taught you how to punch the lights out of a Psycho after they all were tired out from a flesh pizza frenzy, don't ask. But, the important question remains and that is, what will you do when you are sat on the throne?

Fiona however is on a different sort of path since the events of the last episode and her dealing with Athena. The prospects of becoming a Vault Hunter are now weighing in her mind but that could lead to some emotional struggles as Athena's relationship with her girlfriend Springs points out. Springs knows that Athena wasn't on a delivery mission and in order to get her help with your rocket powered car you either have to tell her the truth or lie to her. This is the kind of emotional trouble you expect to experience with almost all of Fiona's story this time around, her and Sasha reminds you of why they want the riches of the vault but also an unexpected turn with a Borderlands veteran leads to some deeply emotional scenes. I, of course, am referring to Scooter who plays a much bigger role than you would ever expect to see from him and the fact that he is always such a welcomed delight makes the events of this latest episode even more gut wrenching. 

The slower pacing for "Escape Plan Bravo" does have some trade offs in terms of the gravity of the situations. While this whole incredible plan is being hatched you would think that there would be some grueling issues for players to deal with this time around but there isn't much in the way of tough decisions until the final moments of the story. There were some particularly dull moments for the chapter including an optional close changing scene that brings back my issues with the money collecting for the entire series. Or whether or not you choose to lie to Springs ends up making very little difference as either way she will end up helping you so the story will continue. Overall, these points didn't hit me too hard as the slow pace left opening for some great dialogue and references to the Borderlands lore which include a tender moment with Handsome Jack about his daughter Angel and a split decision for Fiona that may lead you to shoot a familiar diamond encrusted "statue" by the name of Butt Stallion. 

Episode four of Tales from the Borderlands certainly features a slower pace than the ones we have seen so far but it is hard to notice in the wake of all the comedic gems spread throughout the episode. Between a giant shootout with finger guns by high ranking Hyperion employees, an Armageddon slow motion walk sequences and a triumphant performance by the long time favorite, Scooter, I found myself loving every moment. The dull moments of decision making are present but there was plenty of great ground work laid throughout this latest episode and I cannot wait to see how Telltale plans to send us off. 

Good:

- Hilarious amounts of one liners and Borderlands references

- Characters are running on all cylinders and their develops are getting even more interesting

- Gut wrenching emotional scene

Bad:

- Dull decision making this time around

- Some fluffed up story moments that, in the end, didn't effect the progression

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 1 - Zer0 Sum

By: Robert Murphy

My recent playthrough with the Games of Thrones and Telltale Game Series experience that it brought forth, peaked my interest in this genre of gaming in a way I never really expected. Enter Tales from the Borderlands, another recent game adaptation that Telltale Games took on and as a long time fan of the Borderlands game series, I was psyched to give it a whirl. The major formula that some of you may or may not know from Telltale is still present with it's large amounts of dialogue, quick puzzle solving and narrative decision making as you control your character or characters. What makes this even more enjoyable for me as a Borderlands fan is the fact that what makes those games so great are often the goofy and psychotic characters you meet in the inhabitants of Pandora. Things get a more personal with an open dialogue game like this and I looked forward to meeting the people in this first chapter entitled Zer0 Sum.

The story follows two different characters whose stories intertwine with one another, Rhys is a wanna be big shot up at Hyperion who after the death of Handsome Jack is about to get a big promotion that will set him up for a bright future. However, his arch rival is found sitting in his would be office and has just thrown the former boss out of an airlock, leaving you soundly defeated and demoted to a lowly janitor. This leads you to poach a deal that he was setting up, the deal by the way is for a Vault Key and for those of you who don't know, this means big money and rising up the corporate ladder at Hyperion. Enter our other main character, Fiona, shes's lived her whole life on Pandora and grew up pulling cons with her sister and doing whatever it takes to stay alive. That's quite a big list too when you think of the lawless chaos behind Pandora and adding in Hyperion who despite not having Handsome Jack around, they're still a force to be reckoned with and are bringing the people to their knees. You can perhaps see where the story is going though with a very valuable key in the mix, a con artist and a sarcastic power seeker in the mix. 

The players perspective changes from one character to another but is handled quite well, the overlapping story between the two creates dialogue and back story for their individual stories, leading up until they end up meeting. This, of course, leads to standard Pandora calamity, the case of money to by the Vault Key is stolen and no money for Fiona doesn't make her a happy girl. The pair team up and track down the thieves which leads to motor death rally and some quick time action events. Zer0 makes his appearance here, looking at him from the outside as he performs his amazing skills and takes out enemies one by one is both interesting and terrifying. The whole thing in fact is one big crazy joy ride filled with laughs and banter for the your characters and those around you. 

The pain staking decision making is still very much present with this game, I agonized over decisions for Game of Thrones because I know what can happen if you say the wrong thing in that series. Things in Tales from the Borderlands did not feel as dire but the weight of decision making is still important, if not more humor based. My first death though proved that things are real in this world and you have to make the smart choices, it is Pandora after all and people don't mess around. The humor was more than welcomed too, the text book Borderlands feel is captured to perfection with this game. Characters are all bat shit crazy and other famous faces return and more are just around the corner to be sure.

In the end, I do have a few issues with Tales from the Borderlands, characters often don't move their lips to the matching dialogue that takes place so it looks like they're not actually speaking. There are also some transitioning scene issues that keep the game from being 100% golden in my book but these are some of the same issues I experienced with Telltale Games before so it didn't come as a big surprise. Outside of this, Zer0 Sum was a great experience. Everything that I loved from Borderlands was present here and also what is great about the Telltale experience is that I got to know more of Pandora's character personally and not as just screaming Psychos trying to murder me or sell me something to murder them. This first episode was a great start to this five part series and I look forward to seeing what is in store next. 

Good:

- Rhys and Fiona are fantastic characters

- The classic Borderlands humor is present

- Deeply engaging story

Bad:

- Still some development issues, characters looked as though they weren't speaking and their mouths needed time to catch up

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

By: Robert Murphy

At the end of Borderlands 2 as I watched the credits roll, I couldn't help but be a little sad that I would never see the awesome sarcastic villain Handsome Jack ever again (WOAH SPOILERS). However, things have changed now with the release of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel which takes place in between the events of the first Borderlands and the second and tells the story behind Jack's rise to power and just how he became the man we hated to love. As expected we are introduced to four new vault hunters who are hired by Jack to help him take back Helios Station and find a new vault on Pandora's moon Elpis and become super rich and famous, who wouldn't want all that? Things get crazy in typical Borderlands fashion really quick so strap yourselves in boys and girls. 

As expected, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel plays much the same way that it's predecessors have before as you fight your way through giant open worlds, shooting everything in sight because everything and everyone is typically out to get you. This includes crazy monstrous creatures from your wildest imagination brought to life, scavengers and bandits and some robots too, why not right? There is also the never ending amount of loot to be had along the way as well as they explode outwards from corpses you've slain like a confetti popper. Collecting all kinds of loot and shooting everything in sight will still bring seasoned vault hunters rushing in to play in it's fun and addictive cycle.

This is the stuff we all know though already so let's move onto some of the newer goodies the game has in store. As I mentioned before we are currently walking across the moons surface and like a childhood dream come true, you can now jump in zero gravity to your hearts content with the added fun of having a badass arsenal at your finger tips. You will of course need some oxygen in order to survive on the surface of Elpis and this is where the games new Oz kit system comes into play. Players are given this device almost immediately and will be allowed to go on living during there journey but you need to keep an eye on your oxygen while you play or else you'll run out. It's a bit of an added challenge for everyone but it is fairly easy to maintain as enemies now drop Oz to refill your tank and there are also oxygen pockets to stand in on the surface as well as oxygen machines to turn on too. The good attributes behind this new Oz kit is the ability to double jump and soar through the air and gain the tactical upper hand on grounded enemies, peppering them from above. There is also a new butt slam mechanic where you can slam down hard on your foes while singing "We're whalers on the moon" in your head.

As for our heroes in this new tale, we are introduced to three new characters and one charmingly annoying familiar one to play as this time around. Yep, Claptrap is now a playable character for those of you who were looking to unleash the furry of this little yellow trash can. His abilities are quite unique as he plays a better support character if you're playing with friends, he can give your allies power buffs to aid in battle or sometimes annoy them. Now onto the newbies, The Gladiator, Athena, is another somewhat support class, she features abilities that allow for high shield recharge and an actual shield that can be thrown just like Captain American and also absorb bullets. Our resident soldier class, Wilhelm, shacks things up a bit by no longer launching turrets but rather flying kill bots that look like tiny Galaga ships that rain fire down upon enemies. Finally, we have the resident gunslinger , Nisha, who can enter a super focused state with faster reloads and a faster fire rate that will allow you to drop enemies in the blink of an eye. What's great about all these characters is now they feel like they've come to life more than previous characters, interactions with AI in the game is more present and instead of just spouting out catch phrases they feel real and let their personalities show. 

Unfortunately, my happy train gets derailed as I was playing through the games story which can best be described as lack luster. Handsome Jack is back which I couldn't be happier about and all the other big named characters return such as Moxxi, Torque, Roland, Tiny Tina and many more. They all still bring the classic humor to life still and it is amazing how much I am still able to laugh at the dialogue of a game, even with no name characters throughout the game and their sparkling personalities. But when it comes down to the story there isn't anything to it that will wow people into playing through the missions. I didn't learn anything about Handsome Jack that I didn't already know and nothing about the Borderlands universe I know and love gets changed.

A part of me wishes that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel offered a little bit more in the way of changing and evolving the gameplay further. New features in the game are fun and enjoyable such as the new lazer weapons and weapon creator where you can mash three weapons together in the hopes of getting a better one. These are tiny additions that polish the game even further this is for certain but nothing really has changed from the games I've seen before. That being said, this Borderlands is still a solid game for any long time fan as it features plenty of references and hilarious characters from the games expansive universe. The new Oz kits and zero gravity add even more enjoyment to the action as you send enemies tumbling over and over in zero gravity or soar through the sky dispensing hot lead on enemies too. I still enjoy popping enemies like a balloon and getting all sorts of loot to be used in my destructive and chaotic playthroughs every time and that is really what makes Borderlands a great game. 

Good:

- Still the same great shooter and looter style game that it is known for

- Oz kits and zero gravity are some of the games great new additions

- Hilarious dialogue and famous faces return once again 

Bad:

- Nothing in the way of huge changes to the Borderlands games

- The main story really wasn't as big and exciting as I was expecting it to be, glad to see Handsome Jack's back story but it should of been more

Scully Rating: 8.0 out of 10