Things are about to get wonderous 🪄

My recent Black Friday sale video game purchases featured five games. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands was one of those games, but it was the last on my list. I nearly did not purchase Wonderlands until I say that the Chaotic Great Edition with all of the DLC was down from $100 to only $23. I had to get it for my brother and I to play together.

Borderlands was my first experience with a looter shooter. If you know you know. Basically, the game is half high-octane gunplay and half inventory management as you constantly have to swap out your weapons to keep up with your new level. It's an addicting gameplay style and one that I've been fond of for over 10 years now. Some of my best college memories are of me and one of my roommates playing split-screen Borderlands in our apartment.

Developed by Gearbox Software, Wonderlands is a spin-off of the popular Borderlands series, focusing on the whimsical character Tiny Tina. The game blends the irreverent humor and cooperative gameplay of the Borderlands franchise with a fantasy setting inspired by tabletop role-playing games.

The unique aspect of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands lies in its narrative structure, as it is presented as a tabletop game hosted by Tiny Tina herself. Players experience a dynamic and unpredictable story, with Tina acting as the dungeon master, creating a distinct and chaotic atmosphere. The game offers a mix of traditional Borderlands-style gunplay with new magical elements, which equals a fresh and fantastical take on the cooperative looter shooter genre.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands features a diverse cast of characters, each with their own abilities and skill trees, allowing for varied gameplay experiences. The combination of the beloved Borderlands humor, unique storytelling approach, and the introduction of magical elements set Tiny Tina's Wonderlands apart as an exciting addition to the Borderlands universe.

I can say that this game surprised me with just how much I enjoyed it. After trying all of my new games, this is the one that I initially spent the most time with. I banged out a dozen hours like it was nothing. I even got to have my brother drop-in during one of my missions. I was several levels above him as he just started, but the game did a great job of balancing out the enemies so it was equally difficult for us both. I was able to drop some of my old loot for him to use too. Progress saved for both of us and the way that co-op seamlessly works is just amazing. Other games should take note.

Now let's get into my raw first impressions of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.