Tiny Tina's Wonderlands offered a very different take on the Borderlands series, with a world emulating Tina's unique brand of storytelling and violence. The title's fantasy aesthetic and independence from the Borderlands trilogy created room for series developer Gearbox Software to experiment with changes to the gameplay and narrative. Borderlands 4 can improve upon these changes down the line, as Tiny Tina's Wonderlands was the best Borderlands launch in years, according to publisher Take-Two Interactive.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands further cemented its value to the Borderlands series, by improving upon the overall gameplay loop and combat mechanics from prior entries. Additions such as Spellcasting, Multi-Classing, and the Chaos Chamber all reflect Gearbox Software's listening to fan feedback. These changes are the primary reason for Wonderlands' success. However, it will take much more than simply implementing Wonderlands' best features for Borderlands 4 to thrive.
Borderlands 4 Could Feature a Deeper Universe to Explore
Borderlands 3 promised fans a larger universe, and Gearbox delivered, as Borderlands 3's narrative spanned multiple planets. These planets gave the title both environmental and enemy variety, making the ~23 hour story feel like a true adventure. However, none of the locations in Borderlands 3 felt as fleshed out as Borderlands 2's Pandora. If Gearbox wants to grow the series even more, it could shift the focus from quantity to quality in Borderlands 4, providing the series with a universe that feels densely inhabited and deeply connected at its core.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands did a great job of applying the style and characterization of the Borderlands universe to its cast and locations. Gearbox took the opportunity to implement deep cuts of the series lore and provided updates to fan-favorite subplots. Borderlands 4 could do the same but within the constraints of its looter-shooter style. The argument can be made that Borderlands 4 could thrive with a live-service approach. New planets could be more densely populated, animated, and connected to the series' mythology. Characters from past titles could show up, when appropriate, and provide meaningful story updates, in addition to the "new look" typically found in sequel installments.
Borderlands 4 Could Improve Gameplay Mechanics
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands was embraced by many fans, due to its unique combat and fantasy storytelling. No single mechanic did a better job of combining the two than Spellcasting. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands replaced grenades with a Spell slot, giving Fatemakers a wide array of damage, status element, chain, and recovery options while engaged in combat. Players could shoot multiple elements at once, with randomized status effects and additional perks, helping Spells to add versatility to a player's weapon and armor build. Spellcasting stood out as a much more exciting and effective element of gameplay when compared to the grenades of Borderlands 3.
Borderlands 3 launched with the premise that there were near-infinite gun options for players to choose from. However, many of those guns felt like filler and served no practical purpose. Though the Spellcasting system cannot be directly transplanted into the mainline series, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands could influence Borderlands 4 to revamp its grenades and secondary weapons. This could be done in a variety of ways, with grenades simply needing to emulate the same balance between visual and practical effects provided by Spellcasting's use in combat.
There was something exhilarating about shooting off a new spell and watching as it devastated an entire battlefield, or finding a spell that allowed for multiple pinpoint shots of fire, ice, or lightning. By implementing a flashier and more versatile alternative to gunfire, Borderlands 4 could turn its combat into a much more intricate, and entertaining, mechanic for fans old and new.
Borderlands 4 Could Shift the Series' Current Narrative
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands did little to expand upon the narrative beats of Borderlands 3. However, it presented the best example of aligning players' character options with the game's overall narrative. Fatemakers had a variety of Classes to choose from as soon as they started Wonderlands, in classic tabletop fashion. Builds were made even more versatile when Wonderlands introduced Multi-classing later in the game, as the Fatemaker grew in power to a point where they surpassed even the Dragon Lord. This went on to make Wonderlands' end-game mode, The Chaos Chamber, feel appropriately fantastic and in-line with the player's ever-growing power.
Delivering its own version of Multi-classing, Borderlands 4 could implement a flexible class system and change the power dynamics within the Borderlands universe. Borderlands 4 could present a narrative in which the very essence of vaults is utilized as a form of weaponry. The player character could come into contact with this power at some point in the narrative, opening a second class to choose from, in addition to the class they chose at the game's outset. This ability existing in-universe could shift the very foundations of power within the series moving forward.
With Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Gearbox appears to be laying the groundwork for the future of the Borderlands series. Gearbox could continue to improve upon the ideas presented in Wonderlands, allowing Borderlands 4 to shift the series in a new direction. Borderlands 4 can move on from the series' long-running narrative and offer players more options than ever before. With no official word as to when Borderlands 4 will arrive, players need to wait and see what Gearbox has in store.
