Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsmay seem like a big change for those that have only played the mainline games in theBorderlandsseries. After all, a full-on fantasy setting is a bit different from the pyscho-filled wasteland of Pandora. However, those that played throughBorderlands 2’s expansions will know that it is not the first time that the series has experimented with fantasy. In fact, its first attempt could be viewed as the main reason thatTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis happening.
Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep saw the leading lady creating a Bunkers and Badasses campaign for the Vault Hunters. The equivalent of Dungeons and Dragons, the made-up story was full of hilarious twists and turns as well as some heavier moments. It worked well because of this balance, and its gameplay offered a lot of new enemies to keep things fresh. Withan official board gamecoming after its release, it was clearly a big hit, and Gearbox should keep the DLC in mind when makingTiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
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What Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Should Change From Assault On Dragon Keep
While the Assault on Dragon Keep DLC was terrific, it should not be copied exactly. One of the few negatives of the expansion is that some of the enemies were a lot less fun to fight. While Orcs were a fine stand-in for bandits, and Treants were a great change of pace, there were a few things that were less fun to fight. While the Skeletons in general were great, the Skeleton Seer was frustrating. Teleporting away when shot, these enemies took far too long to deal with. Likewise, while the Knight class was solid, the Badass variants used shields that also made them boring to fight. As such, getting rid of these twoAssault on Dragon Keep enemieswould go a long way to keeping combat fast and fun.
Further,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ storyshould be a bit less focused on existingBorderlandscharacters. While it worked well in Assault on Dragon Keep, as the use of Handsome Jack and Roland made sense so that Tina could deal with her grief,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsshould focus on new characters. Will Arnett’s villainous Dragon Lord being presented as the main villain is a good sign, as it suggests that an original narrative is coming. While re-imagining an existingBorderlandsstory makes sense for a DLC, it is not something that should be repeated in a full game. Though some beloved characters should return in Tina’s made-up story, balancing them out with new cast members is crucial.
What Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Should Take From Assault On Dragon Keep
However, outside of these changes,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsshould pull heavily from Assault on Dragon Keep. Overall, the enemy lineup was terrific, with the Skeleton Seers and Badass Knights being the exception to the rule. Mimics, for example, are a necessity. Tina’s ability to change the environment and enemies should come back, too, as some of the best moments in the DLC saw her doing just that. On top of this, the side quests should offer the same level of entertainment as the ones from Assault on Dragon Keep. WiththeBorderlandsseriesalways doing well with side quests, though, it would be more surprising ifTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsdid not shine in this area.
All the little touches from Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep will be important to keep in mind as well. While themed music and redesigned weapon machines are obvious examples, things like alternate costumes for returning characters should be remembers. The dice chest should also come back, as players being able to roll for better (or worse) loot fit very well with the fantasy theme. Likewise, the Eridium alters and Pixie boosts should be brought back, as having the option to temporarily boost a character’s abilities was a lot of fun. Lastly, with Butt Stallion confirmed to return, Gearbox should bring back the option to feed hersome Eridium chunksin exchange for loot.
With theAncient Dragons of Destructionbeing an excellent raid boss, Gearbox should use them as a blueprint for the game’s endgame content. Including several of these fights would be a great way to keep players engaged, while an expanded version of the tower defense side quest would be exciting as well. Finally, including a ton of fantasy-focused easter eggs should be a no-brainer, as theLord of the RingsandGame of Thronesnods were some of the funniest in the DLC. With references to other Fantasy games likeDark SoulsandWorld of Warcraftappearing as well, a similar lighthearted tone would be preferable. With Assault on Dragon Keep doing so many things right, simply making a longer version with some new mechanics would result in a strong successor.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis set for release in 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
