Seriously, three months is a long time in episodic releases, with the first episode being released December last year, going by their current release schedule it means the final episode won’t be out till December. Five, two to three hour episodes spread across an entire year is a little crazy. But then you look at how much work Telltale has taken on as of late and it’s still annoying, but understandable. Oh well, at least the quality is consistent.
After a quick “previously on…” segment we re-join Rhys and Fiona in trouble where the last choice you made (whether to trust Fiona or the ghostly Handsome Jack) plays a part in your escape. Then it’s a quick reminder that Borderlands could be considered Telltale’s “action” series as again the action sequences take centre stage as our heroes continue their search for the vault.
The best part of this episode though is by far the inclusion of Gortys. A childlike little robot that has a rather endearing innocent quality who is voiced brilliantly by Ashley Johnson (of The Last of Us fame). Also bringing with it some of the best comedy moments of the season. I’ve been critical the past couple of episodes that the humour misses the mark more than it hits, but this episode does have the best written material so far.
One moment Gortys is trying to drag a dead body so they can hurry and be on their adventure, only for Fiona to calmly say he’s “sleepy” as to not upset the little robot.
The main crux of the story is to obtain an upgrade for Gortys so you can go searching for a vault. And it’s the main overarching story that is perhaps the weakest in Telltale’s video game arsenal. It’s essentially an episode comprising of moments, good moments, but moments that still lack a purpose unlike say they would in a Walking Dead. There’s only really one choice that I’d consider major here and the cliffhanger ending is a little bit of a damp squib when compared to the previous episode.
Again, puzzles are very lightweight with only one issue where I struggled, but then this was solely because I forgot to scan every nook and cranny for one last interact-able object. Maybe it’s because I’m playing Life is Strange in between episodes of Borderlands, but the lack of puzzles is far more apparent now than it has been in the past.
If you’re still playing by now then you’re already heavily invested in Tales from the Borderlands, and as such you’ll be pleased to know it carries on its continued quality. That quality mainly comes in the form of Gortys, who is a fantastic addition to the cast. But I’m at that point now where I fear that Telltale fatigue is starting to set in. And with a million other projects in the pipeline, I do wonder if nothing changes gameplay-wise, how many of these styles of game can Telltale really make?
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