New Tales From the Borderlands, the latest entry in theBorderlandsspinoff series, has endured mixed reviews since its release. Players have cited plot holes in the story, inadequate character development, and half-baked game mechanics as the main sources of their displeasure with the game. While a sizable number of fans enjoyNew Tales From the Borderlands, there seems to be an equally large faction who dislike it. However, despite the contentious nature of the game overall, some fans have developed an interest in the game’s Vaultlander feature.
Some would excuse Gearbox Software for issues in the storytelling, as they weren’t in charge of the popularprequel by Telltale Games,Tales From the Borderlands. The team had a steep mountain to climb in the game’s development without Telltale Games at the helm. It’s not all gloom for the developer, however. There were significant positives that players noted while playing the game. For starters, the humor from the first game reappeared in good quantity, a feature that endeared the original to fans. Another thing that catches the eye of gamers is the new Vaultlanders, adorable collectibles seen throughoutNew Tales From the Borderlands.
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The Vaultlanders Could Bring an Interesting Element to Borderlands
New Tales From the Borderlandsbrings out the treasure hunt-loving inner child in gamers using the Vaultlanders, taking them on an exciting journey to find as many of these collectibles as they can in the course of playing. An even better addition than a treasure hunt is the good old element of play that forms the essence of gaming, and so Gearbox includes a minigame for the Vaultlanders where players can battle. The minigame is almost an imitation ofSkylandersandPokemon. These Vaultlanders differ in their degrees of rarity, with some appearing more regularly than others. The rarer the Vaultlander, the more powerful its abilities are.
Several characters from the mainBorderlandsseries haveVaultlanders figurines inNew Tales From the Borderlands, like Salvador and Amara. Players will find themselves engaged in plastic figurine combat to the death, timing their attacks and evading those of their enemies using Quick Time Events. The fighting system involves a lot of old-fashioned button mashing, and provides the player with a break from the regular gaming experience. The player will need to follow prompts on the screen to successfully evade their opponent’s attacks, moving left, right, up, or down as required. After dodging the attacks, the opponent becomes stunned for a while, presenting an opportunity for the player to deal double damage.
If players emerge victorious, they gain ownership of the opponent’s Vaultlander. In the event players lose, the battle restarts instead of resulting in the loss of the player’s Vaultlander. Each Vaultlander is equipped with a unique finishing move to send the opponent flying from the table that serves as the fighting arena. Vaultlander battles are featured inevery episode ofNew Tales From the Borderlands, providing interaction between players and random NPCs. Players will come across Vaultlander figurines in different locations as they traverse through the map ofNew Tales From the Borderlands.
Vaultlanders can be obtained in a variety of ways; some are given to the player as gifts from NPCs, and a few have to be won in battles that are mandatory to the storyline. Yet others require the player to search for them on the map in a creative manner, scanning odd locations during missions. Players have warmed to the Vaultlanders, and the feature could make a case forGearbox Softwareto include them in the mainBorderlandsseries. Vaultlanders could add a playful element to theBorderlandsseries as a fresh experience, just as they provide relief inNew Tales From the Borderlands.
New Tales From the Borderlandsis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
