Based on the footage released for New Tales From the Borderlands thus far, the game will be featuring the same chaotic tone that the franchise is known for. A new, over-the-top cast will appear in the game alongside cameos from established Borderlands characters like Rhys, and Tediore will be taking on a prevalent role in the story. Tediore will be bringing back one of its defining products, too: walking, talking guns.
While Tediore’s guns that move on their own legs are an excellent source of humor, they are not the only weapons in the franchise that speak. In fact, New Tales From the Borderlands is continuing a trend that goes back to Borderlands 2. Taking on a number of different forms, Borderlands’ talking weapons have their own personalities, standing out for more than their expected functionality.
The Borderlands Series’ Many Talking Guns
One of the more memorable talking weapons in the Borderlands series is The Bane, a weapon from Borderlands 2 that players can chase down during a side quest. Throughout this mission, gamers learn about how the weapon is cursed, and once they get ahold of it, the nature of this curse becomes clear. The Bane screams when shot, and though it is powerful, gamers are forced to stand in place while they have it equipped, greatly limiting their movement options.
The Overcompensator shotgun features a stereotypical “dude bro” voice, with the Borderlands 2 weapon saying “brah” whenever it is fired. The Hot Mama is a weapon that is full of innuendo, which should prove popular for those that enjoy the humor typically associated with Mad Moxxi. Two other talking items from Borderlands 2 that stood out were the Shotgun 1340 and 1340 Shield, both of which featured the voice of the memorable NPC named Loaderbot #1340.
While Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel kept the meme alive with the E-GUN, a massive Ghostbusters reference that featured nods to dialogue from the beloved film franchise, speaking weapons were far more prominent in Borderlands 3. The Handsome Jackhammer was full of spoken lines from Handsome Jack, while the Sellout was awarded to gamers that killed themselves for some money. When equipped, The Calypso Twins would poke fun at the weapon’s owner via humorous built-in dialogue.
P.A.T. may be the most memorable talking weapon thus far, though, as the massive gun appeared in a hilarious side quest from Borderlands 3’s Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck expansion. In this weapon’s quest, players carry out some silly objectives to help the weapon create a child. After hatching out of an egg that gamers need to take care of, they are able to equip and use the P.A.T. Mk. 3, a gun that talks just like the original P.A.T.
While little is known about the talking weapon from New Tales From the Borderlands’ first trailer, it does look remarkably similar to P.A.T. thanks to its legs and manufacturer. Threatening to “blast” the opposition, this particular talking gun will seemingly be very aggressive, and could be a fun companion like Loader Bot or Gortys. If this happens, perhaps Gearbox could incorporate some light FPS or third-person shooter mechanics into the spin-off, as players would have a perfect weapon to use in limited combat scenarios. Even QTEs could make use of this talking gun, with players possibly capturing it from Tediore and repurposing it to help them on their journey. Though fans will have to wait and see if the upcoming Borderlands spin-off will meet expectations, it is great to see it continue this long-running meme at the very least.
New Tales from the Borderlands launches October 21 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
