Summary
Borderlandshas earned a reputation for its humor, absurd weapon designs, diverse characters, and unique blend of sci-fi and fantasy elements. These dynamics have built an empire for the influential looter-shooter franchise, and several mainline games and spin-offs later, it can be challenging for new fans to catch up with every bit ofBorderlandslore. To accommodate new players and invoke nostalgia in the franchise faithful, 2K and Gearbox Software introducedBorderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box, a digital-only package containing every piece of theBorderlandstale; all three core games,Borderlands: ThePre-Sequel, and bothTales From The Borderlandsiterations. However, the omission ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsfrom the collection has raised a few eyebrows in the fan base.
The wait forBorderlands 4has stretched on for a while, and Gearbox introducedTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsto serve as a stopgap. The medieval fantasy-themed spin-off based on the Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep DLC fromBorderlands 2, and its distinction as a separate game gave the developers more creative freedom to reel fans in. Tiny Tina took center stage, andWonderlandsoffered a whimsical and chaotic world teeming with magical creatures and mayhem while slotting in some of thefunniestBorderlandsjokesinto its gameplay, earning it a respectable reception. SinceTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis just as much a detour from the mainline series asNew Tales From The Borderlands, it deserved an inclusion in thePandora’s Boxcollection.
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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Exclusion From Borderlands Collection is a Missed Opportunity
In theBorderlands 2Dragon Keep DLC, Tiny Tina played the role of a bunker master for a game of Bunkers and Badasses (Borderlands' rendition ofDungeons and Dragons), and witty references to other series likeLord of the Ringsdominated the dialogue. ForTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Gearbox focused on scaling the fantasy aesthetics even higher, creating magic spells and classes for players to use. While the spin-off broke off from the mainline series in some spectacular ways, the storytelling was full of peakBorderlandshumor, which is a major part of what fans look for in DLCs or offshoots.
The exploration of themes of friendship, grief, and imagination throughout the game’s narrative made it widely praised by critics and fans alike, and this is why the exclusion ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsfrom the collection is surprising. 2K and Gearbox Software might argue that the spin-off was omitted in the collection because the storyline diverges from the originalBorderlandsplot. However, this explanation falls short, as players can see firsthand thatTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsfits into the overarching narrative. Its events occur betweenBorderlands 2and3on the canonical timeline, right after the Attack on Dragon Keep DLC, and some ofBorderlands 3’s technology was also present in the spin-off.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsshares a few characters with theBorderlandsfranchise, such as Brick and Mr. Torgue, proving the offshoot has more than cursory connections to the series. Even in the hypothetical situation whereWonderlands' storyline differed from the mainline series, theTales From the Borderlandsgames have followed a unique narrative path in both editions, with the choice system influencing the spin-off’s epilogues and emphasizing character relationships. Therefore, because of their inclusion inBorderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsshould also have appeared in the bundle.
No matter the developer’s reason forTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsexclusion from thePandora’s Boxcollection, it’s a real shame for the spin-off not to make the cut. The game deserves just as much recognition as any otherBorderlands-based title or DLC. HopefullyTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsgets to be part of a future collection for a truly all-encompassingBorderlandssaga.
Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Boxis available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
