The latest game in Gearbox Software’s critically acclaimedBorderlandsseries has almost hit store shelves.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandswill be a spin-off of the mainlineBorderlandsfranchise and will bring the formula to the tabletop RPG world. It will be the first game in the series to stout character creation and will be disconnected from the actual story. After it releases, Gearbox will be looking toward what is next for theBorderlandsseries, and it should consider making a secondBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelreleased in 2014 and was made by 2K Australia with assistance from Gearbox Software. The game took place in-betweenBorderlands 1andBorderlands 2, but was released two years afterBorderlands 2. Each of the playable characters was a previous NPC or boss, and the game helped provide more context for the story ofBorderlands 2. It was a unique idea for theBorderlandsseries and added many new elements to the franchise that deserve to be explored again.
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What Borderlands: The Pre Sequel Looked Like
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequeltook placein betweenBorderlandsandBorderlands 2. It let players choose between four heroes that all appeared in previousBorderlandsgames. They could play as the Gladiator Athena who appeared in theBorderlandsDLC The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, Nisha the Lawbringer who appeared inBorderlands 2as Handsome Jack’s girlfriend, Claptrap who is in everyBorderlandsgame, and the Enforcer Wilhelm who appears as a cybernetic minion of Handsome Jack inBorderlands 2. Post-launch DLC added two more heroes; Handsome Jack’s body double named Timothy Lawrence and the Baroness Aurelia, who is the sister of Sir Hammerlock.
The story ofBorderlands: The Pre-Sequelbegins afterBorderlands 2and shortly after Episode 3 ofTales from the Borderlands, with Athena recounting her story to Lilith, Brick, and Mordecai. She tells them the tale of her hunt for a vault on Pandora’s moon, Elpis. A Hyperion programmer named Jack, who would one day become Handsome Jack, tasked her and the other vault hunters with finding this vault. Thus, the game begins as the player traverses various locales and watches Handsome Jack descend into villainy.
The game introduced some new gameplay mechanics to the series, some of which wereexpanded upon inBorderlands 3while others got left behind.The Pre-Sequelintroduced two new weapon types in laser guns and cryogenic freezing weapons. The game also added low-gravity environments to the series, as players had to fight through environments which allowed them to jump higher and caused items to float.The Pre-Sequelwas the only game that let players traverse airless environments, as players had to watch their O2 levels, something that added a whole new level of difficulty to the game.
What a Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel-Sequel Could Look Like
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelprovided moreBorderlandsgameplay for fans to enjoy and more context for events inBorderlands 2. It also allowed players to play as a variety of NPCs that they had met throughout the series, making them more connected to these characters. It was a unique title for theBorderlandsseries and was received pretty well by fans, and the series should attempt another game in the same style.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Sequelcould take place in-betweenBorderlands 2andBorderlands 3. Borderlands 3takes place 7 years afterBorderlands 2, andin that time the Calypso twinshave formed the Children of the Vault and gained immense power to hunt down the Great Vault. However, the game does not provide much information for how the Children of the Vault gained the power that it did, and the Calypso twins are weaker overall villains compared to Handsome Jack. APre-Sequelsequel could help provide that context and show the Calypso twins' rise to power, much like howThe Pre-Sequelshowed Handsome Jack’s descent into evil.
The game could also put players in the shoes of past villains or NPCs again. Maybe it could be thefirst time that Rhys becomes playableoutside ofTales from the Borderlands, or perhapsGearbox could finally give players control over Tiny Tina. The explosives expert would be fresh off the heels ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlands, so it would be the perfect time to let players play as her. Gamers could play as one or both of the Calypso twins, or they could play as smaller villains like Katagawa Jr, General Traunt, or even the firstBorderlands 3boss Shiv.
AfterTiny Tina’s Wonderlandshits store shelves, fans ofBorderlandswill surely be wondering what is next for the franchise. Gearbox could go right toBorderlands 4, or it could focus on anotherPre-Sequelgame. The second option is worthy of consideration, asBorderlands: The Pre-Sequelwas unique concept that deserves to be expanded upon.
MORE:An In-Universe Time Gap Between Borderlands 3 and Borderlands 4 Could Be Beneficial
