The release ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis now just a few months away, andBorderlandsfans are very excited to see what a spin-off involving one of their favorite characters will offer. As the game approaches its full release, fans are gradually learning Tina’s Wonderlands, as its recent story trailer has shed more light on its premise. It’s clear thatTiny Tina’s Wonderlandswill differ massively from some of the mainlineBorderlandsentries, and it will take a break from the main story of the series thus far. It will also bear a closer resemblance to Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, one ofBorderlands 2’sDLCs.
Fans won’t necessarily mind the departure from the mainline series, as they have now played four games centering around the main story, includingBorderlands: The Pre Sequel. TheDungeons and Dragons-inspiredTiny Tina’s Wonderlandswill certainly provide that something different from the looks of it. One of the major changes from previous entries in the series is the apparent lack of vehicles. None ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’trailershave shown a vehicle to date, which would be strange if they were present in the game due to their large role in all four previousBorderlandsgames. While this change may disappoint some fans, it could prove to be a good thing for the balance of the overworld map.
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Borderlands Vehicles Are Underpowered
While certainBorderlandsvehicles like the outrunnerhave become icons not only of theBorderlandsseries but of gaming in general, some fans may feel as though they can do without. The customizable vehicles inBorderlandsare notoriously difficult to control, leading many gamers to prefer to fast travel or simply go to their objectives on foot where possible. While the outrunner ofBorderlandshas customizable mounted weapons, they simply aren’t worth the effort to some fans of the series.Borderlandsoften has large open areas that are made for vehicular navigation, yet in many playthroughs, the Catch-A-Ride terminals remain unused.
In addition to being difficult to drive around in, whileBorderlands’ vehicles may prove to be great in combat at low levels, they feel very underpowered towards theend game ofBorderlands. The mounted weapons that were previously capable of tearing through bandit camps begin to struggle even compared to the player’s own weapons, and the vehicles are in constant danger of being blown up. If vehicles aren’t inTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, they likely won’t be missed by manyBorderlandsfans, as they don’t prove overly useful in most situations despite their iconic status. Vehicles inBorderlandssometimes act more as decoration than a tool for the player to make use of, so leaving them behind could be beneficial.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Overworld Map
The downsides ofBorderlands’ vehicles extend beyond them simply not performing well in-game though. In previousBorderlandsgames, the worlds can occasionally feel expansive, yet baron. In a bid to accommodate the inclusion of theBorderlandsseries’ vehicles, the game’s open areas may occasionally feel as though it were made for driving, as opposed to exploring. This is a common issue in gaming, asgames are sometimes too bigfor their own good. Moving away from the trend of ever-expanding open locations, gamers would seemingly prefer smaller open areas packed full of meaningful content.
This appears to be whatTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ overworld mapis striving for, as it looks as though there is little room for vehicles, but plenty for exploration. Featuring a top-down, board game-like map, it is littered with things for the player to explore off the beaten path, like random encounters that transport the player to an arena where they can compete with bosses in order to gain loot and experience. Judging from this, the map ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlandswill be filled with content to explore, in a way that simply hasn’t been possible in previousBorderlandsgames due to their wide-open sections. In this way, a lack of vehicles inTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsmay help it in the long run.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandslaunches March 25 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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