In typical Borderlands fashion, the zany fantasy spinoff Tiny Tina's Wonderlands can vary wildly when it comes to difficulty. With so many weapons, enemy varieties, and unique builds to play around with, players can run into some truly tough bouts. Yet, this game gives ample leeway for players to blaze through and overpower certain foes, assuming the right builds, weapons, and tactics are utilized.
As such, there will likely be many players looking for ways to keep challenging themselves after wiping out hordes with their OP spell or, say, frost-laden Nightshade. Perhaps some may seek to amp things up after getting extra firepower in co-op or reaching that max level sooner than expected. Luckily, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands offers plenty of fun avenues to explore, which can add to the complexity and challenge.
10 Plunder Shrines
There are plenty of fun activities to get lost in while venturing through the game's JPRG-style Overworld. One of the most notable and fruitful options is the Shrines scattered about the map.To enter these dungeons and battle arenas, players will first need to seek out the missing Shrine pieces, most of which are obtained via side quests and dungeons. Tina will remark as to whether or not a particular dungeon holds a coveted Shrine piece, to aid players in their scavenger hunts.
Knocking out these Shrines proves an exciting challenge by way of the onslaught of tough foes. They're also beneficial, as completing them yields permanent percentage increases for gold, XP, and critical damage.
9 Break Lucky Dice
One of Wonderlands' nifty features is the ability to seek out and trigger Lucky Dice. Hidden throughout various zones and overworld spots, these enticing gold dice aren't just fun easter eggs to find; they reward the player with permanent increases in Loot Luck.
Some of these can be quite cryptic and tough to spot, swiftly bumping up the challenge that extends the length of the game. But beyond this, they make for significant rewards, as players will increase their odds of finding rarer, more potent weapons and gear.
8 Battle In The Chaos Chamber
-30.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
While the game unfortunately lacks a True Vault Hunter mode as of this writing, Gearbox offers a unique post-game challenge that's somewhat comparable in its toughness and rewards. Here, players can enter randomized arenas chock-full of ravenous baddies, bosses, and different challenges to tackle. The fittingly-named Chaos Chamber will keep players on their toes, as the unique, unpredictable elements yield a quasi-roguelike challenge. Add this to the fact that only three lives are granted before it's game over, and this can fast become a grind.
Comprising around a half-hour each, this is a great way to cram some intense trials into a fairly short period of time—and reap the rewards if one outlasts them in one piece.
7 Work Together (And At Odds With One Another) In Coopetition Mode
Much of the Borderlands series' appeal stems from the fun and chaotic co-op modes offered. As it is, this mode typically amps up the difficulty despite the extra firepower, on account of the increased foes that spawn.
However, players can really add a layer of complexity this time around. Much like Borderlands 3, Wonderlands offers a (slightly) competitive "Coopetition" mode, which forces players to dole out and share from the same pool of loot. This can add a subtle-but-effective tactical element to the experience. As a bonus, players can also opt to dive into the game of a higher-level friend. The enemies' power will scale to their level in this mode, instantly bringing a tougher trial for the guest.
6 Collect Legendaries
Like the mainline series on which it's based, Wonderlands thrives on its seemingly endless array of cool weapons (as well as spells). Their satisfying nature is cranked up a notch, however, when melting foes with potent legendaries.
This Borderlands spinoff makes players truly earn these coveted goodies compared to others of its ilk. In fact, finding legendaries is harder to do than ever before, as the drop rate has been lowered by quite a bit. Lucky Dice mitigate this somewhat, but it will still be tough to come upon these gold weapons or gear with regularity. Make a point to seek out and collect as many of these gems as possible.
5 Reach The Max Level And Maximize A Build
While the core game of Wonderlands is fairly small compared to established BL games, it's nonetheless an added challenge to truly maximize one's character. Even after completing the main campaign, continue to grind and hit the maximum level (which currently stands at 40).
Players can add another layer to this by maximizing their build and experimenting with different combinations of weapons and gear. Mix and match different Rings, Amulets, and Spellbooks, and try to utilize skills that complement and bolster the build being used. For instance, a player might choose to augment their Brr-Zerker with skills like Blash Chill, Ice Breaker, and Frost-powered SMGs, becoming an icy agent of death. There is virtually always room for some improvement and exploitation.
4 Level Further Through Myth Ranks
Players have no doubt noticed a new progression system called Myth Rank when flipping through the menu screen. After reaching level 40, players will gain access to this nifty bonus system, which is largely comparable to the Badass rank system from mainline BL games.
This is valuable as it will bolster one's character even further. It'll also incentivize a deeper playthrough even when completing the campaign and hitting the max level. Those who appreciate the art of grinding will be able to enhance traits like Intelligence, elemental damage, and Loot Luck.
3 Complete Side Quests And DLC
Some have remarked that Tiny Tina's Wonderlands can feel fairly short compared to past BL games. This may be true to a degree. However, there's also a deceptively vast amount of extra content, not just in the endgame, but in the campaign itself. Players can choose to scour various zones (or the overworld) and speak with NPCs or to obtain sidequests. Some of these are quite lengthy, involved, and may even hold a unqiue boss fight. The Ditcher, anyone?
There's also the prospect of the four announced DLC packs, the first of which, Coiled Captors, has already been released. In the future, the post-launch content will almost assuredly dial up the depth and challenge for players looking to delve deeper into the Wonderlands.
2 Grind It Out In Intense Mode
One simple, but nonetheless effective, way to dial up the intensity of Wonderlands is to select the game's hardest difficulty: Intense.
This instantly makes the experience more brutal, as the balance tips more in favor of the enemies. Specifically, players deal 15% less damage to foes than usual, while taking 15% more damage. The tradeoff, however, is that it yields 15% more gold and Moon Orb drops (the endgame currency).
1 Completionist Is Next To Godliness
As one might expect, gunning for 100% completion in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands proves particularly tough. Players must gather all collectibles (Lore Scrolls, Lucky Dice), and trigger all points of interest (Fast Travels, Ancient Obelisks, Rune Switch Puzzles, etc).
If this proves too daunting or unrealistic, however, players can still get ample challenge in notching the Achievement/Trophy, Completionist Is Next To Godliness. This is completed by finishing each of the game's 48 side quests, a huge undertaking in its own right. To put things in perspective, it can take over 30 hours, compared to roughly half that time for the core campaign.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.