Gearbox Software trades spaceships for spells in Borderlands 2's Assault on Dragon Keep DLC, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands sees the titular airhead narrate a tabletop role-playing game and cast players as the protagonist.
Building off the beloved Assault on Dragon Keep expansion, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands conjures an expansive fantasy world for players to explore. This shift in setting alters the typical Borderlands formula, but the game still sits firmly in the looter shooter genre. Befitting the medieval vibe, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands gives players new tools like melee weapons and spells alongside the game's signature arsenal of firearms. A new character creation system lets players design their own adventurer, and Tiny Tina can randomly change combat encounters on a whim. A preview of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands from earlier this year details the dramatic effect that these systems have on the Borderlands experience.
Based on early reviews of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, the spellbinding shooter is able to successfully combine Borderlands with an epic fantasy aesthetic. Reviewers praise the looter shooter's unique setting, though most also lament how similar Tiny Tina's Wonderlands plays to Borderlands. The gameplay loop of shooting enemies and collecting colorful gear is still the focus, so those looking for a brand-new experience may be disappointed. A royal feast of wonderful reviews can be found below:
Ryan Keenum - 4/5 - Screen Rant
"Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is an excellent example of how the looter shooter genre can innovate. Even when only played solo, the gameplay was fun and the story quite engaging. While the game may not be a perfect experience thanks to some frustrating design choices and overlooked technical issues, it’s definitely worth it to take a trip to the Wonderlands all the same."
Stacey Henley - 3.5/5 - The Gamer
"Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a Borderlands game. It's not a spin-off, it's not inspired by, and it's not a mix of Borderlands and D&D - it's just Borderlands. It's a waste of a great concept, and comes with the typical Borderlands drawbacks of potentially grating humour, way too many guns, way too small storage space, and a lot of always-on characters who aren't given enough room to breathe. It's fun, but it's nothing special. The worst part is it could have been."
Travis Northup - 8/10 - IGN
"Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a fantastic fantasy take on Borderlands’ tried-and-true looter shooter formula. As spin-offs go, it sticks dangerously close to its past successes which at times felt a bit unoriginal and some of the new stuff it tries, like procedurally generated combat encounters, didn’t pan out terribly well. Luckily, the excellent writing, hilarious performances from an all-star cast, and ridiculous combat continue to shine brightly and make this tabletop-inspired explosion-fest absolutely worth your time."
Owen S. Good - No Score - Polygon
"By not taking its time or its space too seriously, the game leaves the player free to romp, roam, and plunder it likewise. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands thus breathes new, weird life into a franchise that had become terminally rote, and reminds me why guns-meets-Diablo was the perfect obsession so many years ago."
Leon Hurley - 4/5 - GamesRadar
"If you've been grinding yourself to the nub on Elden Ring, or just generally dealing with… this [waves hands at everything], then it's probably just the sort of lighthearted fun you need."
Darryn Bonthuys - 7/10 - GameSpot
"As a spin-off, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands doesn't reinvent the Borderlands wheel with its shift towards fantasy that bears a chaotic-neutral alignment. Instead, it explores familiar territory that repeats the best and worst of the Borderlands formula and it doesn't venture out of its comfort zone. That makes for a game that is packed with solid first-person shooter action and a competent multiclass system for creating an interesting Fatemaker."
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands sticks close to its predecessors, and that rings true in the game's post-launch plans too. Like the Borderlands titles, the Tiny Tina's Wonderlands season will grant players a plethora of able content following its March 25 release. These periodic expansions will include original locations, additional bosses, new cosmetics and a seventh playable class. Each new boss encounter will also be added to the game's Chaos Chamber, further increasing the number of variables players can face in battle, and the seventh class will include a unique new skill tree and Action Skills.
Many gamers find the Borderlands cycle of combat and collection very satisfying, and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands looks to put a fresh coat of paint on that same experience. While this will likely disappoint fans looking for a more original spin-off, interesting mechanics like character creation may make the title more than a mere retread. By combining tabletop role-playing games with deadly rocket-propelled grenades, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands covers every type of RPG.
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands will release on March 25 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
