Since there's a discernable pattern to Gearbox's additions to the Borderlands franchise, fans might have expected the developer to announce Borderlands 4 back in 2021. However, Gearbox had a different idea in the form of a spin-off titled Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. The game's tabletop RPG spin on typical Borderlands proceedings evoked a sense of nostalgia in fans familiar with Dungeons and Dragons games. With a masterful blend of modern first-person shooter and fantasy RPG elements, Borderlands put its imprint on magic, despite limiting what players could do with spells in the game. If there was ever a Tiny Tina's Wonderlands 2, the sequel has an excellent foundation to take magic to the next level.

Chronologically a sequel to Borderlands 2 DLC Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, players are transported to a table in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands with Tiny Tina and other main characters and narrators. The player-character is known as the Fatemaker, and they are completely customizable using the game's character creator engine, unlike previous Borderlands games. Gamers also get the option to choose the class they want and, along the line, mix in a subclass, adjusting the character's playstyle to their personal preference. Players begin the game of Bunkers and Badasses, Borderlands' version of Dungeon and Dragons, with Tiny Tina as the Dungeon Master and the other characters as guides. The in-game adventure is set in a high fantasy world, and defeating the evil Dragon Lord takes priority.

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Magic Has Untapped Potential In Tiny Tina's Wonderlands

On their quest to defeat the Dragon Lord, gamers play with a first-person perspective similar to previous Borderlands titles. They can use a variety of combat elements, including guns, class-specific action skills, magic from spellbooks instead of grenades, and melee weapons. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands employs the procedurally generated loot system in typical Borderlands fashion, and players have many weapons they can choose from. Given its fantasy RPG setting, including magic spells was natural for the game, even though guns first come to mind when thinking about a Borderlands game.

Magic and spellbooks were more integral to Tiny Tina's Wonderlands gameplay, with ten basic spell types, four spellbook manufacturers -- which determine the casting method -- and three levels of rarity. The game also puts a magical spin on the action skills of classes like Clawbringers' Cleansing Flames, which lets the character create a giant fire nova by slamming their hammer into the ground. Although few would scoff at the power of bringing down a meteor or impaling enemies with ice spikes, some fans felt that certain aspects of spells and magic lacked finesse, which could tweaked with a sequel.

The ability to use multiple spells at once, which was exclusive to the Spellshot class, could be more general in a sequel. Players could then try new game mechanics like synergy between different spells, such as extra damage when using a shock and frost ability, or a combined spell effect to make powerful enchantments or traps akin to Vigors in BioShock. Magic that augments the physical properties of the character would also be a good addition, like an ability that would increase the character's size or cover them in fire or ice to deal damage.

Shifting away from a game centered around guns and going all out with magic instead would no doubt be a risk for Gearbox, abandoning its tried-and-tested formula for more uncharted waters. However, it's a risk that could yield compelling results, and one Gearbox has to take if Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is to ever be more than just another Borderlands offshoot.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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