Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsdid many things right, some of whichBorderlands 4should strive to mimic. The use of major and minor side quests was excellent, as some of the more significant side content was on par with everything from the main story. Character customization was very good, even though it has room to grow, and spells felt far more meaningful than grenades due to their strong damage output and build potential.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands' Overworld mapand melee weapons were other great features that could be borrowed, though the DLC approach is something to avoid.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ DLC has been heavily criticized, and for good reason. Players bought the Season Pass expecting something as great as the expansions in theBorderlandsfranchise, but what they got in the planned “content drops” was a subclass and four very expensive quests. Meant to be replayable, the Mirrors of Mystery did not fit that description well, lacking the depth ofBorderlands’ expansions on top of that. Even if Gearbox returns to its old DLC format forBorderlands 4, which it likely will, it may have a difficult time winning fans over since they have been burned by another Gearbox release.
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The Negative Impact of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ DLC
Saying the backlash toTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Mirrors of Mystery DLCwas severe would be an understatement. At launch, many were satisfied with the game and excited to see what Gearbox had in store for its future, as the funny writing of the main narrative and the solid build variety had players hoping for a lot more content. Unfortunately, expectations were not met, with many seeing the $30 Season Pass as a waste of money and the individual $10 DLCs as overpriced.
While Mirrors of Mystery had the neat concept of the bosses featured within evolving from week to week, many players were uninterested in playing the exact same mission on repeat to reach them. Similarly, though the addition of the bosses to the Chaos Chamber was a nice touch, it did not help with the fact that many players were burnt out on running the Chaos Chamber by the point the DLC began to release. The Mirrors themselves felt like small DLC comparable toBorderlands 2’s Headhunter Packsinstead of the main course, which is unfortunately what they were positioned as.
Had new expansions released likeBorderlands’ always-excellent DLCs, bringing fresh main and side quests alongside new locations, gamers would have likely stuck byTiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Unfortunately, that was not the case. As soon as players finished a few runs through the campaign andChaos Chamber- and maybe the Mirrors of Mystery - they moved on. Content creators and regular players alike returned toBorderlands 2andBorderlands 3, asTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsfelt like wasted potential. InBorderlands 2, a $10 DLC added several hours of content like quests and raid bosses to make the game far more replayable, so each of the Mirrors of Mystery being clearable in 20 minutes felt like an insult.
Borderlands 4 Players Are Likely Going to Be Cautious About DLC
Even if Gearbox confirms thatBorderlands 4is returning to the old expansion style as soon as the game is announced, some players will be doubtful of the content within the next game’s Season Pass. This is understandable, as the vague nature of Mirrors of Mystery early on and the “content drop” wording prior to release saw players feeling deceived. For the price of each DLC, and just based onBorderlands’ reputation, many had wrongfully assumed that true expansions would be coming forTiny Tina’s Wonderlandswhen they pre-purchased the Season Pass.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandswas a great game that lacked thelongevity of the mainlineBorderlandsgames, with the Mirrors of Mystery being the main culprit behind its downfall. However, the impact of this lackluster DLC will likely be felt beyond justWonderlandsitself, asBorderlands 4players could avoid purchasing the season pass or any DLC ahead of time. This was hardly an issue withBorderlands 3, as given the great post-launch content ofBorderlandsandBorderlands 2, fans knew they were in for a treat. Now, though, players will be more wary ofBorderlandsDLC, with many likely being unwilling to spend money until they know for sure that the DLC is worth it. Because of this, a great first expansion forBorderlands 4will be a must, as Gearbox needs to reassure fans that the Mirrors of Mystery were a fluke.
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