Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is Gearbox Software's best game in recent times.
Based on the style of the studio's successful Borderlands, the game adds a fantasy element to the looting shooters we're familiar with and provides powerful firepower to your fingertips that make you feel like you're wearing infinity gloves. Full of sillyness and always trying to make you laugh, Little Tina's Fantasy Land has a unique charm that takes care of the characters and the world to immerse you in a journey you don't want to end.
At the beginning of the game, the protagonist Tiny Tina invites several of her friends to play a tabletop game called Bunker & Badass, a version of Borderlands' Dungeons & Dragons. Tina is the dungeon lord in the game, and you're the newest member of the team — you design heroes that delve into the details of your class skills and facial features.
Funny chemistry builds up between Tina and her friends, and each brings a sense of humor-filled jokes and how they know each other well. Ashley Birch brilliantly brings Tina to life once again, and she does a good job of portraying Captain Valentine's (Andy Samberg)'s careless adventurous qualities, the robot Fret (Wanda Sykes)'s strict rule-based guidance, and the dragon king's (Will Arnett's) dishonest and despicable virtues. These powerful characters often make the task interesting because you never know how they will react to the situation. The story takes place when Tina and her companions are sitting at the board game table discussing the next chapter of the adventure, and your character fantasizes about it and enters that scene, at which point the control is left to the player. The story flow is very good and is a great way to end the chapter and set up the next event.
Tina has the greatest influence in missions, and she can use her god-like powers at any time to change missions. Guided by her imagination, she can turn an ordinary forest into a magical mushroom kingdom, and as you run through the environment, you'll see an amazing visual shift. Your team members can also influence the world and suggest that their characters do something to overcome the challenge, such as a romantic suspension bridge on Valentine's Day to make it open, or a team working together to figure out how to remove the cheese rolls from the board. The plot is usually funny, well written, and fun from start to finish.
Missions draw you in through humorous settings and highlights in the battle, giving you every reason to unleash everything in your arsenal. Borderlands' over-obsession with weapons persists in Little Tina's Fantasy Lands and gets better with the wide selection of spells. The gunfights are very elaborate and feel like Borderlands, but more of a fantasy element. For example, in a battle with a land shark, the player alternates between a crossbow that fires explosives and an acid gun that locks enemies together to form a viscous spray. Pet Wyverns spew fire at these enemies as they swoop down onto the battlefield, adding elemental chaos by firing electronic crows from their fingertips. If an opponent survives this crazy attack, you can smash them to pieces with a sledgehammer that can create earthquakes. You're very powerful at the beginning of the game, but by the middle of the game, when the class mix is enabled, you're transformed into a ridiculous war machine.
Loot dropped by enemies can completely change the equipment and way of fighting. Most of the weapons are very unique, blending fantasy with modern weapons to create stunning effects. The destruction of rare weapons stimulates players to search for secret weapons and perform other activities in the game environment. Players can infiltrate small wave-based dungeons to obtain power-ups to unlock larger secrets. Thanks to the smooth platform mechanics and clever hidden areas, exploring the world has become very interesting. There are many quests in the game that keep you busy, including story-rich side quests, and a great post-game dungeon called Chaos Chamber (which changes every time you enter). This endless challenge is a great way to swipe out of the levels and unlock mythical levels.
The co-op gameplay of Little Tina's Fantasy Land couldn't be better, providing an experience where everyone is equal on the battlefield. Just like Borderlands 3, level 5 players will encounter level 5 enemies, and the same enemies are level 20 for level 20 players – meaning you don't need to swipe missions to earn XP or ability levels to play with friends. Players can also decide how to distribute loot, allowing each person to get their own drops or share them. The game offers online games and split-screen games, suitable for blackening with friends and enjoying fun.
Filled with optimism and fun from start to finish, Little Tina's Fantasy Land offers a rewarding adventure filled with silly characters, imaginative bosses, and a huge sense of ownership of the characters. Even one of the most popular characters in Borderlands, the experience feels like the beginning of something new, a rare, noteworthy thing derived from the existing series.