Tales from the Borderlands: A Telltale Games Series - Episode 1: 'Zer0 Sum'
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Review by Paul Fiander
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First of all, there will be no spoilers for this episode in this review except the one that is revealed by the episode's title. That’s right, everyone’s favourite Assassin makes a great cameo in this episode; he is among a few other friends that fans of the series will be easily be able to pick up. Those with no previous knowledge, though, will not be lost as the story helps you to understand pretty much all of the references to past material.
Borderlands as a series has always had a strong comedic theme running through it. The over the top enemies mixed with the central characters' obsession with firing quips like a Maiwan SMG always gave gamers the opportunity to play with a smile on their faces. Thankfully, Telltale has managed to capture this feeling within the game. The character models are still those from Gearbox's imagination and the central characters are humorous with a strong likeability factor. The two playable characters are Rhys and Fiona. |
Rhys is a Hyperion employee with a desire to move up the corporate ladder. He is enhanced in a number of ways that, during the episode, you will become well acquainted with. His humour is displayed within his voice and facial expressions. He is certainly no Vault Hunter when it comes to combat but his brand of violence suit his character to a tee.
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Fiona is a Pandoran resident and represents the true criminal element within the game as she is a con-artist. Due to the fact she has grown up on a planet where violence is an everyday occurrence, she is tougher than Rhys and extremely resourceful. She has a strong sarcastic character and is able to hold her own in nearly every situation she is faced with.
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Along with the playable characters are a few other central figures that help our central two get into all manner of shenanigans. The larger cast are just as funny as Rhys and Fiona, and fit well into the central plot. A large chunk of the success of the story has to go down to the stellar vocal cast headed by Laura Bailey as Fiona and Troy Baker as Rhys. There are also appearances by Chris Hardwick and Patrick Warburton as well as the vocal master, Nolan North. The delivery, however, is only one part of the picture as they have the lines given to them that capture the spirit of the series to a tee.
Visually, the cell shading of Borderlands is back, the characters are brilliantly rendered as are the multitude of outlandish weapons, complete with a vibrant colour palette throughout. There were a few visual glitches, like Fiona’s ear popping out above her bowler hat on more than one occasion, and towards the end of the game, shadowing over a few vehicles but these were minor nuisances and certainly not game-breaking. |
Telltale's own brand of gameplay returns with a vengeance as you stroll around and figure out puzzles. There are though a few great touches to this new title that may even satisfy that gun-toting itch that many a Borderlands fan may have. These are in there but above all this is a point-and-click title. When it comes to this sort of game, Telltale are the best there is.
Wrap up
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This game should fill any Borderlands fan's stomachs with a very tasty treat. For those with no history with the series it will let you into the madcap world of Pandora but you may find a few of the references a little frustrating. Overall, though, this is a series worth keeping an eye on and an episode definitely worth playing.
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4/5 |
More from the Tales of the Borderlands and Telltale's Game of Thrones.
Game and Images provided by publisher
