Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 60 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 60
  2. Negative: 4 out of 60
  1. Oct 20, 2022
    92
    New Tales from the Borderlands is immensely entertaining, exceptionally well written, and acted with pitch-perfect attention to character. I wish the action wasn’t so restricted to quick-time events, because a full-on action game with such quality of humor and characters would be a hands-down GOTY contender. After replaying the original Tales from the Borderlands, it was obvious how much the new game improves on the first. Any gamer that appreciates great writing, fully dimensional characters, and a wide gamut of humor will love New Tales from the Borderlands.
  2. Oct 20, 2022
    90
    If you love the previous game or just are really craving a good giggle, New Tales from the Borderlands is most definitely a must-play title for you in 2022. I happily give this one a rating of 4 and a half skateboards out of 5.
  3. Oct 23, 2022
    86
    New Tales from the Borderlands is a charismatic game that will keep you entertained even with hours of "nonactivity moments." Its graphics and sound design, along with sophisticated characters, will make you live a high-level gaming experience.
  4. Oct 20, 2022
    85
    The new Tales from the Borderlands, but keeps the Telltale spirit and dives into the crazy world of Borderlands with an effective, permanent, offbeat and enjoyable humor. We will certainly criticize the game's perfectible technique as well as its lack of real player involvement and challenge, but that's nothing compared to the moments of anthology it offers us. The characters not only have depth, but they are also beautifully interpreted. The game is full of funny situations, and many of its lines could become mythical. It is a real success in its genre.
  5. Oct 20, 2022
    85
    New Tales from the Borderlands could have played it safe by using characters from the well-established universe that people know and love. However, Gearbox Quebec’s decision to create a whole new bunch of ragtag characters that connect so clearly with Borderland’s existing humour, art style, and lore has really paid off. New Tales from the Borderlands isn’t a gameplay-heavy game, but the visuals, narrative, and the way the character’s personalities are so well-developed kept me riveted and surprised. With what Gearbox has created here, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see even Newer Tales From The Borderlands in the future.
  6. Oct 20, 2022
    83
    You don't need to know everything about the Borderlands franchise to enjoy this installment, since it remains an independent plot from what is seen in the main games. And for those who are already familiar, it is clear that they will enjoy it more because of all the winks and references that they will find along the way.
  7. Oct 20, 2022
    83
    New Tales from the Borderlands has amused us, excited us, even moved us at times (rarely eh, don't think you will get depressed!). To say that he never takes himself seriously would be a mistake, given that behind a shattered facade and at times jester characters in constant, deliberate and theatrical over acting hides an evidently remarkable study. The final result, whether in the form of direct narration, multiple choice questions, QTE or other is not always perfect but in general we are facing a more than successful revival of the expansive operation for the Borderlands universe that has begun. with the first Tales from, full of well-distributed quotes that will make RPG fans and enthusiasts very happy.
  8. Oct 20, 2022
    83
    A well-scribbled note in the margins of the Borderlands universe, that should elicit a chortle or two from anyone still drawing breath.
  9. New Tales from the Borderlands” takes a lot of what made Telltale’s gameplay unique and either keeps it the same or improves on it.
  10. Dec 6, 2022
    80
    The team at Gearbox have done a wonderful job of recreating the adventure game style that Telltale has perfected. The introduction of the mini-games does provide for change of pace, but they do detract from the flow of the story. However, the trademark Borderlands art style and humour together with the wonderfully diverse set of characters and well told narrative makes New Tales from the Borderlands a must for fans of Borderlands and adventure games.
  11. Oct 21, 2022
    80
    At about 10 hours, New Tales from the Borderlands is a solid successor to the first title under Telltale, and its story has all the right emotional beats. I cannot count the number of laughs the episodes drew from me, but towards the end, the game's uneven pacing was hard to ignore. Paired with its stale quick-time events, there is more New Tales from the Borderlands to improve on, but this sequel is a step in the right direction.
  12. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    New Tales from the the Borderlands delivers an entertaining sequel worthy of the Borderlands name, but doesn’t take enough risks to evolve the format.
  13. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    New Tales from the Borderlands is a coherent adventure game that manages to convey the wit and charm of the Borderlands universe. Also because the game doesn't take itself, its universe and video games in general too seriously. As gamers, we quickly warmed up to the excellently written protagonists and rooted for them as they tried to master the imponderables of their adventure. However, the developers could have done a bit more with gameplay and scope.
  14. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    Simultaneously both full of heart and unapologetically in-your-face, it takes everything you loved about its predecessor whilst gently – almost invisibly – buffing the things you didn't like so much, too. What a treat.
  15. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    New Tales from the Borderlands risked ruining this series by focusing on a completely different set of characters and not really following up its predecessor at all. Thankfully, Gearbox Montreal proved that the Borderlands universe is still full of unique and interesting stories to tell, whether it does so in a first-person shooter or narrative adventure game format.
  16. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    As a slower-paced story, it lacks the action and zaniness of its predecessor – but by opting for a quieter, more intimate tale, New Tales from the Borderlands carves out a deeply heartfelt, character-driven adventure that highlights the power and potential of friendship in a barren land.
  17. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    New Tales from the Borderlands is a worthy successor to Telltale's magnum opus, with great writing and an engaging story.
  18. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    New Tales from the Borderlands doesn’t top the amazement of the original game. That still doesn’t stop it from delivering an impressive adventure game in its own right, however, filled with an enjoyable story about family, a lot of great bits of comedy, a deeper look into different parts of the Borderlands universe, and of course, the sheer joy that is L0U13.
  19. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    Those who are willing to wholeheartedly embrace New Tales From The Borderlands' ridiculous premise and larger-than-life cast are sure to enjoy a satisfying, meaningful experience.
  20. Oct 20, 2022
    80
    With a narrative that offers more hits than misses, New Tales From The Borderlands is a modern, gorgeous glimpse into what the nobodies of the Borderlands universe get up to on their shittiest days.
  21. Oct 20, 2022
    79
    This is a good successor of the original series, with charming character and the sense of humor we all know and love.
  22. Oct 20, 2022
    79
    New Tales from the Borderlands opens up another vibrant, extremely fun and mad exploration of the Borderland's universe, with a second round of episodes even better than the first.
  23. Oct 20, 2022
    77
    New Tales from the Borderlands did not deeply impress us and we believe that such an expected following would have deserved something more. The end result is an enjoyable game, which knows how to get even more laughter but which does not thrill when it becomes more serious and dramatic. Also sorry that Gearbox has only made half an attempt to expand the playful side with too simple minigames. It's not a bad game, as mentioned, but it's not the masterpiece that some were hoping for.
  24. Nov 7, 2022
    75
    New Tales from the Borderlands is clearly about the jokes and little else. A plot exists, but the story here isn’t anything to gab to your friends about. I tend to go in for the higher-brow stuff. I like my heavy fantasy epics and clever humor that is both dry and insightful. That said, I can appreciate what the developers were going for here. If you can tolerate some deeply flawed characters and the frequently crass, sometimes utterly distasteful jokes, NTB is entertaining. If that isn’t your thing, then definitely steer clear.
  25. Oct 20, 2022
    75
    New Tales from the Borderlands is a very good spiritual sequel to Tales from the Borderlands. The genre remains particular, of course, the total absence of challenge, and the passages actually playable can put some people off. But if this simplified gameplay suits you, then there's no reason to miss out on this humorous adventure, rather well written, populated by delirious characters, and surprisingly aesthetic.
  26. Oct 20, 2022
    75
    There's a lot to love here for fans of the franchise and fans of the genre alike... provided you have room in your heart, and schedule, this time of the year.
  27. Oct 26, 2022
    70
    What Gearbox did well, it now does even better, but it's more than obvious that they still don't feel at home within the "Telltale" framework.
  28. Oct 25, 2022
    70
    Borderlands has always been known for its likable characters, and the protagonists introduce in New Tales From The Borderlands continue this grand tradition alongside a well written story. The characters play very well off of one another and grow before our eyes as they each dive deeper into their own psyches. But the lack of innovation in the gameplay is disappointing after this many years, which makes New Tales From The Borderlands mainly worth checking out for fans of the series.
  29. Oct 24, 2022
    70
    Despite some dodgy pacing, unsatisfying mini-games, and the occasional attempt at dated humor, New Tales from the Borderlands is a funny and sometimes hilarious story full of charming characters. A game featuring performances of this quality is a true rarity and the potential replayability inherent in a choice-based game such as this makes it worth checking out.
  30. Oct 21, 2022
    70
    Visually the characters, animation, and cinematics benefit greatly from the use of performance capture, and it doesn’t take long for the physical ticks and mannerisms of the three main players to do that thing where they no longer feel like characters in the story - but, real characters. This is the best the franchise has looked from a purely cinematic level. In the end, New Tales From The Borderlands succeeds because it lives up to its namesake and presents the best Borderlands storytelling since the original Tales.
  31. Oct 21, 2022
    70
    Pleasant to play, visually beautiful, full of humor, we are delighted to be able to return to the world of Borderlands in the manner of a TellTales. Unfortunately, the additions of gameplay and the wobbly side of its scenario do not play to its advantage.
  32. Oct 20, 2022
    70
    Are you playing one of those bland interactive storytelling games again?, one character asks another at one point. New Tales from the Borderlands is like that. Funny, capable of laughing at himself and very clear in his proposal. But also bland. Characters, plot and situations have lost magic, the quick time events are terrible (worse than usual), and their decisions don't bother to hide one of the most linear adventures in the genre.
  33. Oct 20, 2022
    70
    New Tales from the Borderlands is a solid narrative adventure game, but it fails to live up to the standards set by the original. Even though it has great gameplay systems and presentation, the story's disjointed structure, lack of adequate character development, and spotty comedic writing left me feeling disappointed.
  34. Oct 20, 2022
    70
    New Tales from the Borderlands is the first time that I’ve felt invested in the series since Borderlands 2. It’s a much smaller-scale adventure that sometimes feels more like a movie than it does a game, but its heartfelt cast of characters, (somewhat) smarter humour, and tighter focus make this a tale well worth listening to.
  35. Oct 20, 2022
    70
    New Tales from the Borderlands successfully recaptures a lot of Telltale’s original magic with a fresh, funny, and affable new set of main characters, but unfortunately it also introduces new problems – both in the story and in some half-hearted game mechanics – that gum up the works. You don’t need to have played the first Tales in order to enjoy this one, but if you’re going to choose one or the other, stick with the original and circle back to this pseudo-sequel with tempered expectations if the first one grabs you as much as it grabbed me.
  36. Oct 20, 2022
    70
    Ultimately, New Tales From The Borderlands feels like more of the same and fans of the first are likely to enjoy this, but given it’s been nearly eight years since that first one, I wanted more of an evolution.
  37. Oct 20, 2022
    70
    New Tales from the Borderlands manages to accomplish many of the narrative highs of its predecessor by providing a glimpse into how normal, everyday people handle the outrageous going-ons of the Borderlands series. The story is helped along by the narrative arcs of its three main characters, each of which feeds into and builds on one another. The narrative momentum stalls mid-way through the story, but New Tales from the Borderlands manages to finish strong, delivering a charmingly fun space western adventure.
  38. Oct 20, 2022
    70
    New Tales from The Borderlands follows the step of its predecessor, with a well written story and a cast of protagonists that will entertain you for hours. The cell shading style and the filmmaker direction make the whole package well worthy of your time.
  39. Nov 11, 2022
    69
    The return of the spin-off franchise is unfortunately not a triumphant one. Impressive technically especially in animation, but with borderline non-existent gameplay and an uneven story, it fails to deliver an overall strong experience.
  40. Oct 26, 2022
    69
    We love the characters and the sense of humor in Tales of the Borderlands, but decision making, QTE and exploration sequences don´t live up to the story.
  41. Nov 10, 2022
    65
    New Tales from the Borderlands is completely overshadowed by Tales from the Borderlands. It's less fun, the gameplay is full of gimmicks, the characters are frustrating, the story is slim and you have few things to choose from. What remains is an adventure with some creative moments and cute friendships.
  42. Oct 25, 2022
    65
    Gearbox has tried to match the pace and storytelling style of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands but falls short with a rushed story and uninspiring characters.
  43. 65
    New Tales from the Borderlands, as a spiritual successor to Telltale’s series, is a cavalcade of peaks and valleys. It expands on the franchise’s complex lore with a terrifically produced five-episode stint that will, for most, be a one-and-done experience that sadly fails to iterate on or improve the tired formula these types of games all rode into the ground.
  44. Oct 20, 2022
    63
    Apart from some nice insane gimmicks and a valuable graphic-artistic sector, New Tales from the Borderlands is far from the levels of its predecessor.
  45. Dec 13, 2022
    60
    New Tales from the Borderlands is so overblown with all sorts of different kinds of humour that it is choking the comedic timing it could have had - most of the funny moments involve side characters and not the main ones. The story is good, but the choices don’t feel that important compared to the other games in the genre.
  46. Oct 31, 2022
    60
    New Tales From the Borderlands could have been a much better game. There is a huge potential in the Borderlands universe to explore stories about all those people who with their work and sacrifice pay the bills for the eternal greed of corporations. The potential of this world to tell stories we can relate to and then give us the illusion that the little guys can win, even if it's just once, was completely wasted.
  47. Oct 24, 2022
    60
    Like the three protagonists it features, New Tales From the Borderlands is a hot mess. If you don't take the game too seriously, there's a fun, heartfelt adventure buried somewhere beneath the layers of erratic writing and misplaced humor. It's an oddball romp with a bumbling cast of characters who deserve more substance than they were given. If the original Tales From the Borderlands is ice cream, New Tales From the Borderlands is frozen yogurt. And at the end of the day, even Fran admits that frozen yogurt just isn’t as good.
  48. Oct 20, 2022
    60
    New Tales from the Borderlands offers a satisfying experience within the Gearbox universe, with its characteristic sense of humor as its flag and main triumph. However, its lack of ambition and uninspired gameplay detract from the overall experience.
  49. Oct 20, 2022
    60
    The adventures of Anu, Octavio and Fran struggle to achieve the furious madness that we have come to expect from a game stamped Borderlands. Sometimes irreverent, often conventional, the title signed Gearbox is satisfied with the union minimum for an Interactive Drama of 2022 in terms of gameplay. The virtual absence of Cornelian choices and the rhythm which collapses after the third chapter prevent him from forgiving his lack of ambition. The problem with New Tales from the Borderlands isn't that it doesn't reinvent the wheel, but that it spins the genre around in circles. Fortunately, his humor gives him a significant sympathy capital.
  50. Oct 20, 2022
    59
    An unnecessary sequel that is miles behind the original in every regard.
  51. Nov 23, 2022
    50
    For a few moments, New Tales from the Borderlands captures the feeling of the series, but for the most part it's a rather generic and overlong trek that fails to excite, entertain, or amuse.
  52. Nov 7, 2022
    50
    A beautiful, great-sounding narrative adventure that loses its way with annoying and idiotic characters, drawn out exposition, and a distinct lack of challenge.
  53. Nov 2, 2022
    50
    If you're fan of the original Tales from the Borderlands and want to remember this series as funny, smart and tasteful, I suggest you to skip this one. Otherwise, know that average gameplay and non-funny jokes await you in this 10 hour journey.
  54. Oct 31, 2022
    50
    New Tales from the Borderlands won't be the spiritual sequel that so many fans were hoping for. More technically accomplished, the game adapts a formula that has been out of date for years without managing to bring any real flavor to it. It has the merit of making us laugh for about ten hours, without ever managing to be as memorable, enjoyable and delirious as its predecessor.
  55. Oct 20, 2022
    50
    The Borderlands series seems like it’s stuck in a rut right now. Borderlands 3 had great shooting and mechanics, but an abysmal story and dialogue. New Tales From the Borderlands suffers from those same issues, but the big problem is the focus on a lackluster narrative. For every rare good joke or exciting moment, there are hours of insufferable gags that make you cringe and wince.
  56. Oct 20, 2022
    50
    The best thing you can say about New Tales from the Borderlands is that it makes you appreciate just how good the folks at Telltale Games were at what they did. While Gearbox’s latest is more technically impressive than Telltale’s series, stale, irritating characters, a slapdash plot, and choices that don’t feel like they matter turn the game’s brief runtime into a slog. These Tales are new, but they’re definitely not improved.
  57. Oct 20, 2022
    45
    New Tales from the Borderlands impressed me with its graphics and pleased me with settings that let you customize QTE’s or even turn them off completely. It’s a shame that the game didn’t inherit its predecessor’s cool writing and kept annoying me with cringe-making attempts at humor. What’s worse, it simply bored me.
  58. Oct 26, 2022
    40
    New Tales from the Borderlands is confusing, messy, and accomplishes nothing over the course of 10 hours. The game meanders from incident to incident hoping you’ll laugh at a constant barrage of bad jokes, and lacks any heart.
  59. Oct 25, 2022
    40
    New Tales from the Borderlands is a sequel that seemingly forgets everything that made the original so special and shoehorns in a story that simply doesn’t keep you engaged. Whilst it’s visually lovely and feels like it’s a Borderlands experience, it’s all style and no substance. Without heart or humour, this feels like a cash-in, and for a sequel to one of the greatest narrative games of all time? That’s just not good enough.
  60. Oct 20, 2022
    30
    I wish I could say I nailed New Tales of from the Borderlands with a bad score because I was holding it to a higher standard because it was developed by Gearbox, and that it had a lot to live up to by following the original Tales. Those things may be true, but this game is a soulless slog regardless of who made it or what series it’s a part of.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.
  1. Nov 5, 2022
    It contains all the irreverence, style of humor and unjustified violence of the parent series, but I think the construction of the plot and characters fails to engage like other games that have used its formula.
  2. Look, I know making almost any game is a labour of love, but I spent like a week being sad and not knowing why, until I finished this game and realised I was happy because I didn't have to play it every day after work anymore. All this does is prove that Gearbox cannot be trusted with their own IP anymore. The very existence of New Tales From The Borderlands is a more effective critique of corporate structure and the pitfalls of capitalism than any of the content of any Borderlands game. Apart from the best one. Just play Tales From The Borderlands.
User Score
3.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 45
  2. Negative: 26 out of 45
  1. Oct 22, 2022
    1
    This game is not a Borderlands game. Bad characters, bad story and no humor. Very disappointing, especially if you were a fan of the originalThis game is not a Borderlands game. Bad characters, bad story and no humor. Very disappointing, especially if you were a fan of the original Tales from the Borderlands game. Full Review »
  2. Oct 23, 2022
    2
    This is the first time I really felt like I had to share my opinion on a game before. I am a massive fan of Tales from the Borderlands. EvenThis is the first time I really felt like I had to share my opinion on a game before. I am a massive fan of Tales from the Borderlands. Even after all these years have passed, it was always something of a comfort game to me that I loved returning to. I love the characters and what Telltale Games did with the world. Tales from the Borderlands was a labor of love and the passion of the development team shined through like no other game ever has. Tales from the Borderlands simply brought me nothing but joy and happiness every time I go back. New Tales from the Borderlands brought me nothing but sadness.

    New Tales from the Borderlands is a mess. From unlikable characters and a plot that struggles to have any comprehensibility, to a lack of player interaction and meaningful choices, and a lack of sense of fun.

    Telltale was often criticized for choices feeling as if they did not matter, but New Tales has never felt so on rails before. Never once did my choices ever feel like they meant anything. No spoilers, but only the ending is when the game feels like it is trying to branch out. However, I am still overwhelming confused by the outcome of the ending I had. The ending comes out of no where and feels as if I had missed 3 scenes in between. This also feels true for most of the game the longer it goes on, where the logic behind where the story was going, simply stopped making sense. Nothing drives the story forward other than something randomly occurring.

    The leads are all very forgettable and unlikable with very weak character motivations. Alongside the 3 playable leads, you will interact with L0I-13 (an assassin robot) the most, however, he may as well be the only other character in this game. I was completely shocked by the fact that even though a large cast is highlighted in the trailers, the vast majority of characters you see outside those 4 have maybe 5 minutes of time on the screen in the entire game. This ends up making the game feel so incredibly lonely, especially compared to the original's massive cast which were all much more fleshed out. Even characters in the original with not a lot of time felt like they had purpose and were memorable.

    The presentation was a very noticeable downgrade. This is the only Borderlands game that did not bother with a musical credit sequence. Once again, the original did it 5 times and all 5 of them from the song choices and how the scene plays out are fantastic. In New Tales, I feel would be lying if I said it made a genuine attempt. It simply chose not to do so, the best you will get is music playing over a scene as nothing really happens.

    Truth is there is so much disappointment I don't think I could ever shape all my problems in words. It feels so fundamentally misguided. I am sure those who worked on it really did try, but the writing and story telling is such a step down in quality and as Borderlands as a series continues to keep dropping the ball on narrative, more and more I wish we could go back to when Tales from the Borderlands showed just how much of a narrative powerhouse this universe could be.

    If this released without the original ever existing, I think I may have gone with something closer to a 5. However, considering the game wants to call itself "New" Tales from the Borderlands, Gearbox already chose to directly compare their game to the one they did not develop, so I feel it is more fair to rate it with the original in mind. So with that, I'd have to say a 2/10. The final scene of the game only makes me weary for what is next to come, and fans of the first I would easily recommend you skip.
    Full Review »
  3. Oct 22, 2022
    0
    Worst and cringiest game of the year, 0 outta 10. It has nothing to do with epic Tales from the Borderlands AKA the only good Borderlands spin-off.