Tales From The Borderlands: Episode 1 – ZerO Sum Review

Going into the game, I was a little hesitant. Not because I was not a Borderlands fan, not because I was not a TellTale fan, but because I was worried how the two, radically different elements would work together. There are so many ways this game could have went wrong, but I’m happy to say it didn’t.

From the start of the game, you feel comfortable. Since both games are done with cell shading, it immediately feels familiar.

For me, Pandora is not normally a world I can experience being a person who does not like to play FPS (first person shooters), so I was excited about exploring the world. You start out playing as Rhys, a Hyperion employee. You quickly find out that the promotion that you were up for, and quite frankly was owed, is no longer an option. You and your friend, Vaughn set out with a plan to right this wrong. Traveling to Pandora to execute your plan, you quickly run into trouble, Pandora style. Now I won’t go into detail about what happens because I don’t want to ruin it for you, but there is something else you should know. Rhys is not the only person you play as. For the first time, you play as a second character, Fiona, who also has her own agenda. As these two worlds collide, it provides danger and excitement.

Overall the episode delivers. It gives you a taste of Pandora while also giving you what you expect from a TellTale game. While Borderlands players who have never experienced a point and click adventure before might feel a little out of place at the beginning, they won’t feel that way long as this is a nice break from the quick pace style of a shooter. Decisions do need to be made on the fly, sometimes quickly and sometimes not.

If you are looking for the borderlands experience without the fast pace of a shooter, this is your game. If you are looking for a Telltale game, this is also your game. Overall, this is your game! Do not miss out!