Borderlands 4could still be a while away, asTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsjust released andTales from the Borderlands 2is right around the corner. However, this has not stopped fans from speculating about characters like Lilith or potential Vault Hunters that the game could feature. Fans have also suggestedTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsfeatures that would make a good addition to the next mainline game.
WhileBorderlands 4could take inspiration from Spells,the Multi-Class system, side quests, or the Chaos Chamber, it is unlikely to useTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Overworld. The unique top-down traversal was crafted specifically because of the spin-off’s Bunkers and Badasses setting, and while it is adorable, cuteness is a lot less common within the gritty world ofBorderlands. Still, the Overworld could have a valuable lesson to teachBorderlands 4.
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Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Overworld Makes Traversal Between Areas More Interesting
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Overworldnot only gives players a break from the core gameplay of looting and shooting, but it makes them feel like they are actually traversing between the game’s locations. InBorderlands, players will just click on an exit door to leave an area and end up in another, getting no look at what happened in between. This extends toBorderlands 3and its planets, as gamers will fly from one location to the next with nothing happening in between.
Borderlands 4could shake things up by giving players control over Sanctuary, providing an interesting replacement for the Overworld that works better forBorderlands’ mature tone. Piloting the ship could look just like controllingthe Normandy inMass Effectgames, with players actually flying between locations. Unlike that system, though, gamers could enter into more traditional gameplay for combat sections.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ random encounters were a lot of fun, and they should influenceBorderlands 4. When flying between planets usingSanctuary, players could encounter enemy ships. They could choose to shoot and instantly destroy them using Sanctuary, or they could bump into the enemy ship to engage in some combat. Once this happens, the game could switch to first person, withBorderlands 4players fighting on the enemy ship or engaging pirates aboard Sanctuary.
Like withTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Overworld map, players could complete some special side quests in the ship sections. These could take players to smaller planets, moons, or asteroids, with Gearbox once again letting gamers get out of the ship to play in first person. Similar to dungeon doors fromTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, players could clear a few areas of enemies to find an item or get some extra loot, returning to the NPC afterwards to turn in the quest. By actually having players fly from place to place and asking them to complete side quests during their travel segments,Borderlands 4could feel like a more expansive game. Gearbox could even surprise players by hiding aBorderlandsraid bossin some far-off corner of space.
Considering how bigtheBorderlandsuniverseis, letting players travel to more planets in the sequel could be a lot of fun.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Overworld provides an example of how to make the travel between them feel more impactful, with players actually seeing and controlling their journey between areas. Completing brief quests to unlock new planets or having the choice to engage in random encounters could make gameplay feel more varied, givingBorderlands 4players a more engaging experience. While the nextBorderlandsgame could certainly still be enjoyable without space travel that works likeTiny Tina’s Wonderlands' Overworld, the feature is worth taking some inspiration from since it worked so well.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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