The Tales From the Borderlands series has helped expand the mythos of its franchise in new and interesting ways, and Assassin's Creed may benefit from something similar. It seemed like an odd choice to take a series known for its wacky looter-shooter combat and turn it into an episodic adventure, but that bet seems to have paid off. The titles have introduced a plethora of new fan-favorite characters, and the fun has continued in 2022 with New Tales From the Borderlands.
Assassin's Creed has been going strong for a while, and the future looks bright for Ubisoft's flagship franchise. There are multiple games in development, and a new platform called Assassin's Creed Infinity that will allow for even more unique Assassin's Creed experiences. One of those could be a Tales from the Borderlands-style game that could help expand the franchise past the main games, and offer something exciting for fans to enjoy.
Tales From the Borderlands Expands the Series in New Ways
Tales From the Borderands took place after the events of Borderlands 2, and it dealt with the aftermath of Handsome Jack's defeat. Players took control of Hyperion employee Rhys and con-artist Fiona on the planet of Pandora, who find themselves embroiled in the mysterious Gortys Project. Players were able to make choices that could shape the trajectory of the story, and encounter many characters from the main titles like an AI Handsome Jack, Marcus Kincaid, Scooter, and even the Vault Hunter Zer0.
While Tales From the Borderlands is not a must-play to understand Borderlands lore, it did add new story and create characters that help round out the franchise. Some of these characters even cropped up in Borderlands 3 with new roles, and players who checked out Telltale Games' title were able to pick up on multiple Easter eggs.The first season of Tales from the Borderlands was successful enough to warrant a sequel.
New Tales From the Borderlands launched in October 2022, this time developed by Gearbox instead of Telltale Games. It plays like the first title, and tells a new story after the events of Borderlands 3. Once again, players take control of new characters as they deal with brand-new events. This time around, they take control of a scientist named Anu, Anu's brother Octavio, and a frozen yogurt store owner named Fran. They must protect their planet of Promethea from the invading armies of Tediore, and scour the planet in hopes of finding a powerful vault that would change their lives forever.
New Tales From the Borderlands was met with mixed reviews, but it was able to expand the Borderlands story just like its predecessor. These two titles are nothing like the main games, and can be overlooked as fun little side projects. However, these graphic adventures have given Gearbox a way to expand the series and tell new stories within it. Borderlands superfans are able to get as much lore as they could ever need, and those that may be put off by the main games can still experience this wacky sci-fi world.
Assassin's Creed May Benefit From the Same Treatment
Tales From the Borderlands seemed like an odd direction to take the looter-shooter series, but it seemed to have paid off in the end. Other developers should consider exploring similar avenues. Specifically, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series may be a good fit for a title like this.
Assassin's Creed follows the battle of the Templars and Assassins across history. The series has brought players to all different time periods and introduced them to a host of interesting characters, but it has barely scratched the surface. Players have been calling for new stories following previous protagonists, or eras that the series has not explored yet. While Ubisoft may have plans to answer some of those wants in the main series, Infinity gives it a chance to do so through spin-off titles as well.
Assassin's Creed has experimented with spin-off titles through the 2.5D Chronicles series, and now it should try an episodic graphic adventure. These types of games are often called interactive movies, and they are a great way to tell a story. Players are able to connect with characters over multiple episodes, and the choices they make can have huge implications for the rest of the tale. The formula has worked out for all sorts of pre-established IPs, from The Walking Dead to Borderlands, and Assassin's Creed seems like it would be a good fit.
The Assassin's Creed franchise is vast and Ubisoft seems committed to making it even larger. While the focus of the franchise is on the action-adventure games, perhaps the studio should also consider exploring the world of spin-offs again. They not only help expand a series, but they can also help pull in new players. If Tales From the Borderlands has shown anything it is that these types of spin-offs work, and Assassin's Creed is just wafting to be tapped.
New Tales From the Borderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
