With the influence of Borderlands so clearly present in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, it would only make sense for the next Borderlands game to learn some lessons from Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands as well. Based on the feedback fans have provided regarding Tina’s standalone game, there are some things that would be a perfect fit for Borderlands 4 and others that would not.
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What Borderlands 4 Should Pull From Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
While adding Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ spells would be impossible, as magic has no place in the grounded Borderlands universe, Gearbox should aim to provide some more spell-like grenades in Borderlands 4. The fact that players can make entire builds around spellcasting is incredible, as it corrects Borderlands 3’s problem of grenades becoming incredibly weak and not worth using in higher difficulties. Both the damage output and the unique effects should be translated over to grenades going forward.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Chaos Chamber endgame content and the game’s approach to side missions should carry over to Borderlands 4 as well. The Chaos Chamber is a great endgame mode with plenty of depth, and if it was featured alongside some traditional raid bosses in Borderlands 4, players would have a lot to do with their maxed out characters. As for the side quests, having long, major missions like “The Ditcher” that introduce their own locations is something that should be the new norm. The major side quests in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands were just as memorable as the main quests, so adding in some more in-depth optional content would be welcome.
Lastly, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands decision to ditch vehicles in favor of the Overworld map is something Borderlands 4 should mimic. A lack of vehicles meant more focused maps, with players getting to shoot and loot more often. There were no overly large distances to traverse or clunky vehicle mechanics to engage with, as players consistently got to see Borderlands gameplay at its best on some brilliantly designed maps. The Overworld was very charming as well, and Borderlands 4 could see gamers riding Outrunners through top-down areas - allowing the vehicles to feature in a less intrusive manner.
What Borderlands 4 Should Avoid Taking From Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
While Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ character creator is great, and would make a stellar addition to a Borderlands MMO or Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2, it should be avoided in the next Borderlands game. Having a cast of Vault Hunters with their own stories and set abilities is part of Borderlands’ DNA, and that should not be changed in favor of player-made Soldiers and Sirens. A character creator would mean losing proper Vault Hunters that could appear in future titles, so it should be kept away from the mainline games.
Finally, the negativity surrounding Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ DLC is proof that proper expansions should continue to be released for major Borderlands games. While the Mirrors of Mystery were an attempt to try something new, significant expansions with side quests, new areas, and a fresh story are far more preferable. If Borderlands 4 wants to avoid a similar level of backlash, Gearbox should return to its old DLC approach. With this being one of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ only major negatives, though, there is a lot that should be pulled from this spin-off.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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