It’s been almost six months sinceBorderlands 3released, and the game is deep in its first year of DLC support that has become a staple for huge multiplayer games these days. Following this pattern of add-on content, Gearbox has released theSpring Content Mapfor the game’s coming updates.
With the new content getting prepped forBorderlands 3, it appears that Gearbox has plenty of new material ready to roll out, but looking back at previous DLC in the series, how will it measure up. While the recently announcedGuns, Love, and Tentacleslooks like it could be a blast, with just the right level of humor, fan service, and of course guns, the bar for DLC was set pretty high back withBorderlands 2.
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Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep was easily the best DLC inBorderlands 2
It’s hard to top a DLC likeTiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, and looking at how it went out of its way to create an entirely new world filled with nonsensical stories and monsters, we can see why. Framing a story around a fictional D&D campaign gave the developers room to push whatever crazy idea they had in the series, from a gun that launches exploding swords, to special “magic spell” grenade mods that may very well be the best in the series. This setup allowed for something that had been otherwise unobtainable when sticking strictly to the world ofBorderlands.
Borderlandsisn’t even the only game series to go crazy with the DLC. Other big games, likeRed Dead RedemptionandSaints Rowhave completely thrown away the reality of the world they are set in in order to create some of the most memorable add-on campaigns of all time.Red Dead Redemption’sUndead NightmaresDLC was so popular that when rumors started circulating about a return inRed Dead Redemption 2, fans went untilRockstar finally respondedand shut down that speculation.
These huge left turns make players feel less cheated
It isn’t news that players have a certain love-hate relationship when it comes to DLC and add-on content. In most cases, it’s the add-on content that fits into the story, and sometimes either serves as an epilogue or a lead in to the next in the series, that leaves players with a spoiled taste for their purchase. Take the latestKingdom Hearts 3DLC for example, as the content managed to deliver on almost every aspect that veteran players had asked for, but sinceReMind’s storywas mostly used to clear up the base game, some fans still had a negative reaction to it.
As a result, when a DLC campaign takes the player somewhere new and completely irrelevant to the original story, that is when players feel that they aren’t being swindled. No one could pretend to argue thatTiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keepis important to the overall arc that the series has followed of vault hunters tracking down vaults across the galaxy. So in that case, charging players to play through the campaign feels less like charging to complete an unfinished story and becomes an opportunity for players to explore something completely unexpected. Even if it were another D&D based campaign, many would still see it as something unexpected inBorderlands 3.
Dungeon’s & Dragons is more popular than ever
If Gearbox ever intended to re-explore the concepts from theBunkers & Badassestabletop game that they created forTiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, now would be the best time to do it. Between pop culture phenomenons likeStranger ThingsbringingD&Dinto the mainstream view and web series likeCritical Role, tabletop games have gained a heavy resurgence in the past few years. With more players than evercrafting epic charactersand heading out on grand adventures than ever, this is almost something that Gearbox can’t afford to miss out on.
There’s even room to includeCritical Roleinto another one of these tabletop inspired, with voice actors like Laura Bailey having already provided voice work forBorderlandsbefore. Gearbox can even take inspiration from thecurrentCritical Rolecampaignfor how to direct a second adventure intoBunkers & Badasses, especially if they want to make something fresh that doesn’t just try to recapture the lightning in a bottle. However, that being said, there are certainly more tabletop games to draw inspiration from, and one impressive game could be an even better dive for the series.
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Call of Cthulhu would make for an excellent DLC
WhileD&Dis obviously the powerhouse of tabletop games, some fans of the genre might be interested in seeingBorderlandsbranch out to other popular titles.Call of Cthulhustands as another one of those well-known tabletop adventurers, although not quite as popular asD&Dit’s fame did still earn it avideo game titleunder the same name, and a number of similarly inspired games. Inspired by the LovecraftCthulhu Mythos, the game’s themes could make for a delightful campaign as the godlike entities attempt to grandly boast about their power before being shot in the face by a vault hunter.
In fact, it would seem that Gearbox isn’t too afraid of approaching theCthulhu MythosforBorderlands 3as theGuns, Love, and TentaclesDLCseems to be heavily inspired by a Lovecraftian art style and enemy types. This new campaign may be the closest we get to a full dive into Eldritch horrors while equipped with a shotgun and rocket launcher. However, this could still be the off-the-rails adventure, battling old ones and cosmic horrors, that fans of the genre have been hoping for.
The wacky story has the most heart
So, we’ve talked for a while aboutTiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keepwithout going to into detail on the story, but now its time to get into spoiler territory. For the most part, the adventure takes the player through an abridged, fantasy version of the mainBorderlands 2campaign, with a few differences for comedic effect and based on Tiny Tina’s perspective. However, the turning point comes towards the end, where Tina seems to have trouble accepting the Roland’s death at the hands ofHandsome Jack.
This provided for one of the most heartfelt moments in the entire series, with Brick, Mordecai, and Lilith all comforting Tina and helping her get over the loss. To a degree, what Tina is going through here is what games likeD&Dand evenBorderlandsitself is about, escapism. Many fans havehigh hopes froGuns, Love, and Tentacles, and given the series' past, there may be more in this fun little adventure than meets the eye.
Also, spell grenades were awesome.
Borderlands 3is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
