‘Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged’ Review (PC)
If there is one thing that Telltale Games have to sort out it is the release schedule of their episodic games. Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged has finally been released and as we are informs at the start of the game even the game characters know it has been a long time. This is probably why we get a detailed introduction to remind us what we actually did so many months ago.
As we are introduced back to the world of Pandora and into the lives of Rhys and Fiona the story not surprisingly starts right from where it left off. Having re-played the first episode before I started on this one it was easy to get back into the story. Finding new evidence about the Gortys Project our characters are not only on the run from Hyperion but also it seems half of Pandora. With the help of Handsome Jack (in Holographic form) they now make their way to New Haven with an eye on the prize, even if they have no idea what it is.
I really feared for Tales of the Borderlands, but for fans of the insane world of Pandora, Atlas Mugged really hits a sweet spot, to the point where I have to begrudgingly I have to admit all is forgiven. I will say though that they have ended this episode on such a good cliff-hanger that they can’t wait for so long this time before releasing the next episode, it really will start to annoy people, even more than the hold up on this episode did. The fact is the end to this episode shows Telltale Games at their best, and may be one of the greatest moments in not only this games but that of all Borderlands game in any form. I’d go as far as saying Handsome Jack may be stealing this story from the main heroes, and that is not s bad thing.
Handsome Jack and his inclusion hints at another element of the game that really is a great success in Atlas Mugged (and the first episode) and this is the returning characters from Borderlands, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. I won’t mention them as that would be a spoiler, but two of them have already been revealed in the trailer. There is at least one character though who makes a welcome appearance and shows a new side of another, which is a nice moment. If this story fits in between Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3 it will be interesting to see if these characters will be included in the future game in some form.
For people who are not Borderlands fans my feeling is that they will see Tales from the Borderlands find that they still enjoy the game, but for the people who are fans and picked up the backstories of their favourite characters, there is a lot in Tales from the Borderlands, especially Atlas Mugged that they will love. The fact that Telltale have worked to make sure these characters are faithful to the Borderlands games goes a long way to make the game fun, the fact that they also flesh the characters out more shows just how good they have become at making adventure games.
As I’ve already said, with Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged I have to admit all is forgiven…for now. The storyline in the game is strong, there’s of action and most importantly the game feels like a more advanced and flexible experience than previous Telltale Game. Now the important thing is to create a more tolerable release schedule and get the rest of the episodes out. Will they manage that? I’ll be more confident when I see them try. We may be hearing about plenty of their new projects coming in the future, but I for one want to see a more stable release structure for Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones before the future projects get in the way.
***** 5/5
Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 2 – Atlas Mugged is available now on PC.
