New Tales from the Borderlands is the Tales from the Borderlands successor that many thought (including me) we would never see. Happy to be proven wrong, this new instalment is now very much a real thing and with that comes a whole host of questions, such as what is the release date, how does it play, what platforms can I play it on and so much more besides. Luckily, our handy guide lets you know all the key details about the game and then some. To the vault!
What Is The New Tales From The Borderlands Release Date And What Platforms Can I Play It On?
The New Tales from the Borderlands release date has been confirmed as October 21, 2022. On this date, The game will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC platforms.
The PC version of New Tales from the Borderlands will be available for purchase on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. Essentially, if you own any gaming console or halfway decent PC rig from the last five years or so, you’ll be able to get stuck into it with ease.
Is New Tales From The Borderlands Basically Tales From The Borderlands 2?
New Tales from the Borderlands isn’t really Tales from the Borderlands 2. To be clear, it would appear to be more of a spiritual successor to 2014’s superb Tales from the Borderlands, rather than a direct continuation.
Seemingly more of an anthological entry (as hinted at by the ‘new’ part of its prefix), the game not only takes place on the totally different planet of Promethea, but it also boasts an all-new cast of characters to boot too. Naturally, this also means that you need not have completed Tales from the Borderlands in order to get stuck into the new game. Great stuff.
Will New Tales From The Borderlands Be Episodic?
Yes, this will follow the same episodic format that Tales from the Borderlands embraced. However, instead of forcing players to wait months between the release of each episode, every episode will arrive all at once in a single great lump when it releases for basically every major contemporary gaming platform on October 21, 2022.
What Is The Story And Setting?
Taking place on the chaotic and sprawling metropolis planet of Promethea, New Tales from the Borderlands puts players in the raggedy boots of a trio of lovable loser protagonists – Anu, Fran and Octavio as they attempt to navigate what is shaping up to be the worst day of their lives.
With a massive planetary invasion taking place and unscrupulous mega corporations seeking to suck the planet dry, not to mention a supremely efficient assassin bots, guns that speak and oddly empathetic bandits, it looks set to weave a frequently hilarious story about lovable losers getting tangled up in situations far above their collective station.
Who Are The Main Characters In New Tales From The Borderlands?
As hinted at above, the main characters are Anu, Fran and Octavio, a lovable bunch of underdogs looking to make their fortune in a world where pretty much everything and everyone wants to see them put firmly six feet under.
Dr. Anuradha Dhar (or just Anu to her mates), is a good natured and peace loving scientist looking to use her knowledge to improve the lives of everybody but finds herself frequently stymied by panic attacks.
Content to leave all the nerdy stuff to his sister, Anu’s brother Octavio is a street-smart hacker and self-aggrandising hype machine who wants to make his mark in a world that largely wants nothing to do with him.
Driven into a now self-sustaining, incandescent rage at the destruction of her restaurant business, the furious but still charming Fran is looking for any sort of score to make herself whole again and if that means raising a middle finger to the establishment, then all the better. Boasting much more than just a bubbly/furious personality, Fran also has a handy hoverchair that encompasses all manner of tools and weapons to allow her to address just about any scrape she might find herself in.
Can Players Pursue A Branching Narrative?
It most certainly does. Echoing the design of Tales from the Borderlands before it, New Tales from the Borderlands prides itself on offering players a wide swathe of choices to make as they progress through an entirely non-linear narrative with multiple endings. From branching dialogue trees to even branching event trees that can send the narrative down different avenues depending on the choices made, this game is certainly all about that non-linear storytelling and thus boasts a veritable vault load of replayability as a result.
Will Quick-Time Events Feature?
Quick-Time Events or QTEs as they’re more commonly known will feature in New Tales from the Borderlands, but the implementation of them is a little different to what you might expect. While a fair chunk of QTE sequences, such as failing to avoid a gunshot, will certainly result in a fail state that ends the game, there is also a sizable number of other QTEs that if failed, merely send the narrative down a different route; providing a whole heap of extra replayability beyond an initial playthrough as a result. Brilliantly, players can also tweak the difficulty of the QTEs as well, either making the sequences shorter (harder) or longer (easier), depending on how you like your QTEs cooked.
What Pre-order Bonuses Are Available?
Anyone who pre-orders not only scoops up a pile of in-game credits and unique cosmetics for Anu, Octavio and Fran, but also a fancy in-game collectible item too. In addition to all those goodies, folks who purchase the Deluxe Edition will also receive the still-brilliant Tales from the Borderlands chucked in there for free as well. Lovely.
Buy New Tales From the Borderlands Here
If you’re looking for more narrative fun in your Borderlands then head over to our store to grab a great deal on New Tales from the Borderlands. Corporate overlords are bad, except when they’re offering you deals on video games.
