Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands makes some very obvious changes to the Borderlands formula, and thus far, those adjustments seem to be hugely popular with fans. The Overworld map suits the game’s upbeat style, the Spells are as powerful as many had hopes they would be, and the game makes great use of its fantasy setting to deliver fresh locations and enemy types.
However, one Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands change that many may not have expected prior to release is the lower drop rate for Legendary weapons. During gamers’ first campaign playthrough, they may only get a handful of Legendary items, which is a far cry from Borderlands 3 and the constant rate at which orange quality items dropped. However, this is a good thing for a few important reasons.
Why Tiny Tina’s Legendary Gear Being So Rare Improves The Game
While there is certainly a case to be made in favor of plentiful Legendary drops, as a high drop late allows gamers to try more Legendary weapons, most would agree that Borderlands 3 had them dropping far too often. Seemingly every badass enemy would drop a Legendary weapon of some kind, with gamers constantly getting new versions of the Polybius, ASMD, and other items.
The downside to Legendaries being so common is that they feel significantly less special. Back during the original Borderlands and Borderlands 2, players were able to show off the special weapons they acquired, whether that be a Skullmasher in the original game or a Norfleet in the sequel. When getting a Legendary in those games, a good build felt like an accomplishment that was worth bragging to others about in a co-op session.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands restores the reputation of Legendaries by making them drop a lot less than they did in Borderlands 3, and it is a change that makes the loot process infinitely more enjoyable. When players hear the Legendary noise after opening a chest or killing a tough enemy, they will be far more excited to check the drop since it takes so much longer to acquire Legendary items. Balance is obviously important, and thankfully, the game’s Legendary drop rate is perfect. While the items do not fall often, players get them consistently enough to not feel like they are being robbed either.
However, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands goes beyond just making its Legendaries rewarding, as it gives gamers options. If they want a lot more Legendary items to spawn, they can do so by finding and activating all the Lucky Dice in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Not only will each Dice provide a boost to loot luck, but finding all of them will provide a far larger buff. These items are completely optional, though, so those that want a tougher game where Legendary drop rates are extremely low can just avoid picking up Lucky Dice.
Outside of Lucky Dice, the other way to increase the drop rates of Legendary gear is via the Chaos Chamber - Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands endgame content. By completing Chaos Trials, gamers can unlock new difficulty levels that make better loot drop more often in exchange for more powerful enemies to fight. This is an excellent approach, as players will not be getting a lot of Legendaries until they have earned them through the endgame grind. By making gamers earn their Legendary gear instead of dropping it constantly during the story or in easy battles, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has a truly satisfying gameplay loop.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
