Tales from the Borderlands

Tales from the Borderlands showed that the narrative style of Telltale Games can work even in the grotesque, humor-packed world of the Borderlands series by Gearbox Software, which is otherwise known mainly for cooperative shooter action with an endless supply of weapons. The story follows a pair of protagonists, the corporate employee Rhys and the former con artist Fiona, whose paths intertwine around the search for a legendary vault, giving the game room for the typical Borderlands humor full of exaggeration and black comedy.

In terms of gameplay, it is a classic Telltale adventure with an emphasis on dialogue with timed answer choices, moral decisions affecting the further course of the story, and quick-time events in action scenes, this time spiced up with a visual style and narrative pace that faithfully capture the energy and exaggeration of the original shooters. The cel-shaded graphics with bold comic-book outlines tie in well with the series' visual identity, and the voice cast, including the charismatic villain Handsome Jack, is among the most highly praised elements of the whole game.

Critics and players received Tales from the Borderlands exceptionally well, and many reviewers called it one of the best Telltale games ever, partly because it managed to combine emotional moments with genuinely funny writing, something the Borderlands series has rarely pulled off. The game's success later also inspired a direct sequel, New Tales from the Borderlands, from a different studio after Telltale's demise.