Gearbox Software is known for supporting its games well after launch through regular updates and paid expansions, andBorderlands 2was no exception to that rule. In 2013, Gearbox Software released the popularTiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keepexpansion forBorderlands 2, giving the looter-shooter a fantasy makeover in the form of aDungeons & Dragonsparody game hosted by fan favorite character Tiny Tina. It seemsAssault on Dragon Keepwas popular enough to justify Gearbox exploring the concept further in a full-fledged game, asTiny Tina’s Wonderlandstakes that foundation and makes a proper standalone experience out of it.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandstells a story that primarily takes place in the made-up world of Wonderlands, which exists through theBorderlandsversion ofD&D,Bunkers & Badasses. Instead of taking on the role of a Vault Hunter like in previousBorderlandsgames,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsplayers instead play as The Fatemaker, a completely original, made-up character that they are free to customize to their liking.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands' character customizationis one of the key ways that it stands apart from other games in theBorderlandsseries, with Gearbox giving players a lot to work with to make their character look exactly how they want. Players unlock more customization options later in the game to further refine their look, but what’s there at the start is plenty and helps giveTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsa personal touch.
This freedom to customize one’s character extends beyond their looks.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandshas six classesto choose from, all with their own skill trees and unique abilities. Later in the game,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandslets players pick a second class as well, further deepening the build options and giving players more agency over their character than they have ever had before.
Once players have made their character and selected their class, they are set loose in the Wonderlands, a fantasy world that is a breath of fresh air after multiple games set on the desert planet, Pandora. Gearbox has created a fun world with numerous visually distinct areas that makes it a treat to see where exactly Tina’s imagination will take players next. One area looks like something out of a fairytale book, with players fighting trolls and goblins, while the next may be a beach area patrolled by land-based shark monsters.
Unfortunately, engaging with these enemies and exploring the levels can sometimes become monotonous, even with the visual variety.Combat inTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis the exact same that players will remember fromBorderlands, except they now have spells to use instead of grenades. Each area boils down to shooting all the nearby bullet-sponge enemies and then moving on to the next, without much need for strategy, unless one is playing on the higher difficulties or tackling the more challenging endgame content.
It doesn’t take long to see everythingTiny Tina’s Wonderlandshas to offer from a combat standpoint, and unfortunately, the repetitive combat isn’t the only bad habit it brings over fromBorderlands. One ofBorderlands' defining traits is that there is an absurd number of guns that players loot on their adventure, and the same holds true for theweapons inTiny Tina’s Wonderlands. The problem is the vast majority of this loot is completely worthless, really only worth picking up to be sold at a vendor later. Gearbox has once again gone with a quantity over quality approach with loot, which means spending a lot of time managing one’s inventory and making trips to vending machines.
The unfortunate thing is that there are a couple of seemingly obvious ways to improve this aspect of the experience. One would be to tone downTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsloot dropsso that players may be picking up less stuff, but at least it will be more worthwhile whenever something is found. The other would be to make sure precious inventory slots aren’t wasted on stuff like cosmetics. With cosmetics, players have to pick them up, then go into their inventory and click on them to claim them. Players can’t sell unclaimed cosmetics, so it’s strange that they aren’t automatically redeemed upon collection. It’s a small thing, but it adds up to more time wasted in the inventory menu.
It doesn’t help that there are plenty of glitches that revolve around inventory, some of which seemed to have carried over fromBorderlands 3. It’s not uncommon at all for items to be marked as unsellable even though they can be sold, and sometimes the pictures for items in one’s inventory will simply disappear.
The inventory isn’t the only thing that’s bugged inTiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Players will run into all kinds of problems when playing the game, like lag, freezing, the quest list not appearing, andChaos Chamber loot disappearinginto the ground. There is a particularly annoying problem when it comes to the Shift Servers, as the game will sometimes struggle to connect or stay connected to the servers, which translates to long stretches of freezing and stuttering until it resolves itself.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandshas serious technical problems, but it has fixed some of the issues that were present inBorderlands 3at least. As some may recall,Borderlands 3had bad lag when playing split-screen, stuttering the game whenever the other player opened their menu. This problem is nonexistent when playingTiny Tina’s Wonderlandssplit-screen. Split-screen, in general, has been improved, withTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsplayers also finally having the choice between horizontal and vertical split-screen.
So putting aside the technical issues and monotonous combat,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsprovides a looter-shooter adventure that is fun to play with friends and is mostly entertaining throughout. There are plenty of funny jokes in the game for those that enjoyBorderlands-style humor and the actors all deliver great performances, withTiny Tina’s Wonderlands' voice cast featuring Ashly Burch as Tiny Tina, joined by Hollywood talent Will Arnett, Andy Samberg, and Wanda Sykes voicing the rest of the main characters.
That being said, Tina’s over-the-top personality is definitely better in smaller doses, as players will likely get tired of hearing her say, “RNG ain’t got nothing on you” and similar lines whenever they pick up one ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlands' lucky dice collectibles. Otherwise, the main story has fun set pieces and a couple of emotional moments that definitely make it worth playing through forBorderlandsfans. It’s also much better-paced thanBorderlands 3, as it’s shorter and less bloated with filler.
There’s plenty to like aboutTiny Tina’s Wonderlands' main story, but the side quests really outshine it. The side quests inTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsare often hilarious, with one of the most entertaining mixing hillbilly Smurf-like creatures, zombie apocalypse tropes, andStar Warsto great effect.
After beating the side quests and main story, players will likely want to turn their attention to the Chaos Chamber. The Chaos Chamber inTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsserves as the endgame content, with players slaughtering a room of enemies, choosing a curse to make the next room more difficult, and trying to make it to the end to get the best loot possible.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands' combat isn’t really its strong suit, but the Chaos Chamber curses help to make it a lot more interesting than what players experience in the story content, so there is still some fun to be had here.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis an easy recommendation forBorderlandsandD&Dfans, but those who have had their fill of the franchise may get tired of the repetitive combat and constantly looting useless items. The technical problems are the biggest issue, so hopefully, Gearbox Software releases newTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsupdatesto address them soon.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
WHERE TO PLAY
Embark on an epic adventure full of whimsy, wonder, and high-powered weaponry. Bullets, magic and broadswords collide across this chaotic fantasy world brought to life by the unpredictable Tiny Tina. Roll your own multiclass hero and loot, shoot, slash and cast your way through outlandish monsters and loot-filled dungeons on a quest to stop the tyrannical Dragon Lord. Tiny Tina is your disorderly guide through an extraordinary tabletop realm where rules rarely apply. Explore a vast overworld spanning majestic cities, dank mushroom forests, foreboding fortresses and more! Joining you at the table are headstrong captain Valentine and rule-obsessed robot Frette. During your quest to defeat the Dragon Lord, you’ll meet a cast of lovable misfits like a lute-wielding Bardbarian and your very own Fairy Punchfather. Everyone’s welcome, so join the party, throw on your adventuring boots and be Chaotic Great!
