The Vault of the Traveler is also packed with effective nods to Borderlands past, present, and future. The sense of hopelessness in Rhys and Fiona, all set to the tune of James Blake’s Retrograde sets an effective tone for the rest of the finale. While the style and soundtrack have remained consistent throughout this season of Tales from the Borderlands, The Vault of the Traveler delivers by far my favorite opening credits musical montage. It reminded me of the great scene between Bigby and The Woodsman in The Wolf Among Us Episode 1, which made me feel like I was choreographing a gigantic Hollywood action sequence. Though they still basically amounted to quick time events, it felt like my choices actually mattered.
The third act culminates in a massive battle ripped straight from an episode of Power Rangers, but infused with Telltale’s patented humor. I was really happy that every character I’ve grown to love, from Handsome Jack to Loader Bot, all got a moment to shine.Įven the action scenes - generally a weak point in Telltale games - pop with energy and excitement.
#Tales from the borderlands episode 5 review series#
Likewise, players who were relegated to comic relief throughout the series suddenly and effectively gain emotional, dramatic weight.
Over the course of a single, incredibly written and acted scene, characters I had hated became powerfully sympathetic. I also really love how my expectations for the finale were completely subverted. Knowing that how I chose to have Rhys and Fiona act toward those around them had actual ramifications retroactively made me like and appreciate previous episodes even more. Everything from how much mercy I showed in Episode 1, to how I treated an ally in Episode 3, to how much money I spent along the journey (which, up until now, seemed to be a frustratingly useless mechanic) funneled into the final act in meaningful way that gave me a really great sense of authorship over the finale. I’m really impressed at how Episode 5 takes the entire breadth of your choices into account in a more impactful way than any Telltale game in recent memory. Telltale has always been at its best when its stories deal with shades of gray, and Tales From the Borderlands absolutely captures that. I spent much of the episode looking back on the choices I’d made throughout the season, and genuinely wondering if I'd made the right decisions. The stakes reach new heights as Fiona, Rhys, and company have to come to terms with the destruction they've caused and really ask themselves, "Has this all been worth it?" After a series filled with so many hilarious moments, I was honestly surprised at how impactful these emotional, contemplative moments truly were. After the wheel-spinning disappointment of Episode 4, The Vault of the Traveler wastes no time in a runaway approach to the finish line.
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