Fans of the Borderlands franchise won't have to wait much longer for their next frantic looter-shooter fix, as the D&D-inspired spin-off Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is right around the corner. With the news that Wonderlands has finally gone gold, and with the reveal of the final two character classes in the game, Wonderlands looks as though it might just live up to the high expectations often placed on games associated with the Borderlands franchise.
However, while the character trailers for the game have given a detailed insight into how each class plays, fans haven't really had a chance to see how each of the characters works with one another, how their abilities compliment each other, or if the classes will be sufficiently balanced on launch. On paper, having an extra two character classes than previous games in the Borderlands franchise seems like a big draw for the game, but it could pose a potential issue if the classes aren't handled carefully.
The Upside of Having So Many Classes in Wonderlands
On the surface, having six playable character classes is a clear improvement over Borderlands' usual four, at least in the base game. From the details fans have been given so far in various gameplay trailers, it seems as though each of these character classes do function quite differently from one another, potentially adding a lot of variety to the game.
In the Borderlands series, even the best entries have somewhat same-y feeling classes. While the Siren class is often the most unique, the rest tend to play quite similarly despite their very different abilities. Although each class supposedly has their own specific weapon proficiencies, many players tend to just stick to the most powerful weapons in the game regardless of whether their character allegedly suits the weapon type.
It looks as though Tiny Tina's Wonderlands may solve this problem, bringing a new melee mechanic to the game. In doing this, Wonderlands manages to keep its classes distinct from the offset, making some character classes melee-focused and others gun-focused.
Wonderlands' character classes also appear to have quite varied abilities. For example, classes like the Spore Warden have more supportive abilities that freeze enemies so teammates can take them down, while characters like the Clawbringer are focused purely on damaging the enemy as much as possible through fire attacks that wreak havoc on the battlefield.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is also adding more companions than ever to the character classes. Where Borderlands only ever had one character class in each game that used companions, like FL4K and Mordecai, Wonderlands has a total of three classes with companions. This generally seems to be quite an exciting prospect, as the companion classes in the previous games usually offered some of the most unique gameplay opportunities.
The Potential Risk of Having Too Many Classes in Wonderlands
Bigger doesn't always mean better, though, and Wonderlands' extra classes could bring a few potential problems for the game. The first potential issue Wonderlands may come up against is balancing.
While the Borderlands franchise has always managed to balance its characters quite well overall, it has still had an issue with weapon and ability balancing in the past. The addition of another two classes, along with more companions than ever and new melee and spell mechanics, might be a little too much for the game to handle. This could lead to an unbalanced experience, at least at launch.
Wonderlands having extra classes could also pose an issue with gameplay variation. Despite what fans have been shown in the trailers, the extent of character customization and upgrades hasn't been fully revealed yet, and it could be the case that individual class upgrades aren't all that varied or unique. Similarly, Wonderlands' new melee and spell mechanics run the risk of being a little half-baked, as this game is trying to juggle more combat styles than ever before. For now, all fans can do is hope that the additional gameplay systems turn out to be beneficial.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands releases on March 25, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
