Like The Walking Dead and similarly-successful Wolf Among Us, Telltale will be using the world (and some characters) of Gearbox’s loot-hording fiction to tell a brand new story. In this case, one following the dual protagonists Rhys and Fiona. One, a smart-mouthed Hyperion employee looking to get ahead now that Handsome Jack has been taken out of the picture (following Borderlands 2), the other a “grifter” who played a secondary role in the demo we were shown.
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While Hyperion’s new boss Hugo Vasquez (voiced by Patrick Warburton) sets the events of the first episode in motion, the action soon brings Rhys to the surface of Pandora, looking to make his fortune the same way as Borderlands’ Vault Hunters through some backroom deals. Aside from the typical exploration/investigation and dialogue mechanics that act as Telltale’s trademark, the Bandits of Pandora also necessitate a more combat-focused dimension.
The gunplay sections of The Walking Dead were not exactly favorites among players, so Telltale clearly wasn’t in a hurry to simply repeat the gameplay in the world of Borderlands. While Gearbox’s series may be based upon FPS mechanics, Tales players turn instead to one of Hyperion’s Loader Bots. Upon assembling the robot with specific offensive and defensive components, a cinematic kicked off, prompting players to use the typical QTE-based manuevers of previous Telltale adventure games.
Just how much of the player’s choices would affect combat and story isn’t clear, but the injection of action and combat didn’t feel even the slightest bit out of place - good news for fans of either studio.
But then, the main way player choice and consequences will be felt is also the main narrative conceit of the game: it isn’t just one character’s version of the story being told, but two. The entire plot is framed as the recollection of Rhys, eventually crossing the line from believable to action movie super-strength, at which point Fiona butts in to explain what really happened to a mysterious figure (whom Telltale claim will be familiar to Borderlands fans once revealed).
The potential for widely varied stories is obvious when plot twists are placed in the player’s hands, so it’s hard to know just how Telltale will keep the options in check.
What was most surprising about the first sections of Tales was the developers’ clear decision to not emulate the frenetic, occasionally manic pace or dialogue Borderlands is known for. Rather than simply adopting the sense of humor of Gearbox, it appears Telltale has let the mere presence of humor allow them to show off their own - a style marked by clever writing more than gags or punchlines.
In many ways, the series’ first episode could just as accurately be described as ‘Telltale writing light-hearted sci-fi’ as a direct Borderlands adaptation. That direction could end up turning off some hardcore Borderlands fans, but if those looking for more than just FPS action want a way into the franchise’s fiction, Telltale seems to be in top form. All we can say is once our demo came to a close, the developers had managed to sink in their storytelling hooks as well as ever.
Tales from the Borderlands will release later this year for unannounced platforms.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.
