The first gaming websites and testers were able to try out the new shooter Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands from the makers of Borderlands. On Metacritic, several sites are overflowing with praise for the game, calling it the best game that the developer Gearbox has implemented so far. We provide you with an overview of the reviews.
What do the ratings say? Currently (on March 23 at 5:00 PM), Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has a score of 81 based on 47 reviews on Metacritic, with testers mainly operating on PC. The score is slightly lower than at the launch of Borderlands 3.
- The highest rating is a 100 from the website Player 2
- 7 testers give a score of 90 to 95
- The lowest rating is a 60 from EGM
Many of the testers praise the crazy weapons and the Borderlands feel, which has been expanded by the developers and placed in a new world. The website Game Informer even goes so far as to call the shooter the “best game by Gearbox ever”.
Our author Maik Schneider has also completed Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, although he was somewhat disappointed by the lack of innovations and the story:
The ratings overview
We have compiled the ratings from 16 of the most well-known sites for you:
- Game Informer – 95
- PC Games – 90
- God is a Geek – 90
- Hardcore Gamer – 90
- AusGamers – 85
- DualShockers – 85
- Wccftech – 85
- MGG Spain – 84
- GameStar – 82
- Games.ch – 81
- IGN – 80
- PCGamesN – 80
- Forbes – 78
- PC Gamer – 70
- TheGamer – 70
- IGN Spain – 70
Praise for Borderlands feel, weapon selection, and the wild story
What is being praised? One of the strongest ratings comes with a 95 from the website Gameinformer. They give a 9.5 out of 10 and particularly praise the cooperative gameplay, the scaling of enemies in level, the imaginative bosses, and the fact that the shooter constantly reminds one of Dungeons & Dragons.
The introduction even states: “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is the best game from Gearbox Software.” In the conclusion, they explain:
Wonderlands is fun from start to finish and offers a rewarding adventure with crazy characters, imaginative bosses, and the feeling of having control over one’s character. Even with one of the most popular characters from Borderlands at the forefront, this experience feels like the beginning of something new: A rare offshoot of an existing series that deserves just as much attention.
As someone who has played a lot of Dungeons & Dragons, I was thrilled by how often Wonderlands reminded me of rolling a 20-sided die with friends. It’s a love letter to creativity on location and to friends having fun in a fantasy world.
Our colleagues from GameStar rate the Borderlands game with 82 out of 100 points. Dennis Zirkler, the tester at GameStar, particularly praises the excellent voice actors, the long playtime, and the gameplay. Because the loot-shooter gameplay works very well and is a lot of fun. He writes:
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is just a spin-off, but I personally like it much better than Borderlands 3, whose story annoyed me immensely. How Gearbox handled Maya – my character from Borderlands 2 – I have not forgiven them to this day.
But can I really force myself to grind for the optimal equipment for hours in Wonderlands again? I am a bit curious about what crazy weapons and spells the developers have hidden in the game. But if I really have to play the lame Chaos Chamber mode for the best chances, I might as well wait for the already announced DLCs.
(via GameStar.de)
Hardcore Gamer gives Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands a 4.5 out of 5 and even calls it the best Borderlands game so far. They fear that the developer Gearbox can no longer easily return to a classic Borderlands:
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is the best way to change the Borderlands formula and possibly the best Borderlands game so far. This is largely because of the change in setting and the new sense of freedom that comes with deeper customization.
There are obviously fans of the series who prefer the post-apocalyptic design compared to a D&D fantasy RPG element. This game feels like what Blood Dragon was for Far Cry, but not necessarily to that extent. Tiny Tina keeps everything that makes the Borderlands series so great and improves it so much that it might be difficult to return to the regular formula of the main series unless Gearbox adds a significant dynamic to future games.
Wonderlands is too much Borderlands and does too little new
What do the critics say? The website EGM has awarded the weakest rating with a 60. In their review, they emphasize that the shooter is fun, but it also struggles with the same problems as every other Borderlands.
They would have liked to see more variety in the game with the fantasy setting and tabletop world:
The best and worst thing about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is that it feels like another Borderlands game. The shooter gameplay is as crisp and responsive as ever, the guns are fun, and the writing is a clear improvement over Borderlands 3. The characters once again take center stage in the comedy, and the performances are great (if the actors really fulfill their roles).
But since this is another Borderlands, many of the annoyances of the series remain, especially when it comes to inventory management and the sheer amount of pointless loot. The worst offense of Wonderlands is that it cannot overcome the series’ legacy of looting and shooting and misses the opportunity to truly draw inspiration from the tabletop worlds it parodies.
PCGamer awards a 70 and their criticism goes in a similar direction. While Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is said to be better than Borderlands 3, it does not come close to the second part and also fails to capitalize on the opportunities that the game had due to the different setting.
It is still more often successful than unsuccessful. This is partly simply due to how the Borderlands formula has been refined over the years. While other looter-shooters come with crafting systems or deal with gear levels, repeatable activities, and gathering 15 different kinds of fragments, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is just another game where the aim is to shoot bad guys with ridiculous weapons to take their even more ridiculous weapons.
And sometimes, it delivers a joke about what chaos the average D&D game is, which stabs me like a knife to the heart.
Better than Borderlands 3, but not as good as Borderlands 2 at its best.
What do you think of the latest part of the series? Are you looking forward to Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, or is this shooter passing you by? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
If you are still unsure about what content the shooter offers and whether it suits you, you can find all the important information here:
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: 5 things you should know before buying
