First of all, SPOILER ALERT. I will be discussing key plot points of the new Borderlands 2 DLC, so if you wish to go into it fresh, which I HIGHLY recommend, then bookmark this blog and come back later.
The new Borderlands 2 DLC – Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep- is wacky, crass, and hilarious. I went into it expecting a good time, (as is always the case with Borderlands content) and nothing more. For the first five hours or so I enjoyed the fantastic new fantasy themed environments, awesome enemy types, loot and dialogue that could only be delivered by Tiny Tina herself. But as I neared the end of the story, I began to realize what the true message behind it was. This wasn’t a simple game of Dungeons and Drag- er, I mean, Bunkers and Badasses. I wasn’t simply trekking though these crypts and castles to save a queen and vanquish the Handsome Sorcerer. This was a story of loss, and how some of us will cope –or avoid coping- with this loss. This story hit closer to home that I expected.
I should probably give you some background into my situation first. Since 2007, my father has suffered from ALS, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a neuro-muscular degenerative disorder which, in the most basic of terms, slowly shuts down a person’s muscles until they have no fine motor function and eventually can no longer breathe or swallow. It is a horrible disease, with the usual life expectancy being 18 months to 2 years. My father has had it for 6 years. This is an unusually long time, and while from one perspective it is fantastic that he has lived this long, it is also terrifying because there is an overwhelming sense of impending doom hovering over every year, month, and day that passes. I have never been one to show fear of the future, or get upset over my family’s debacle. I generally just brush it off and say “I’ll deal with everything as it happens”. I’ve usually thought that when my father finally does go, I will deal with it with pride, maybe even not acknowledging it at all. This is where Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep hit me the hardest.
Anyone who has played the main Borderlands 2 questline will know that when the Vault Hunters finally get to Angel, they are forced to kill her. Soon after, Handsome Jack arrives and stabs Roland in the back, killing him. In the beginning of Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, Tina insists that the Vault Hunters wait for Roland before starting their game of Bunkers and Badasses. The others try to get the message across to her that Roland is gone, and will not be joining them, ever, but she ignores their words everytime. She even goes so far as to make him the “White Knight” (ironically) of the kingdom. With every instance of Lilith or Mordecai trying to explain to Tina that Roland is gone, it become increasingly clear that she knows, and is just delaying facing the facts. After the DLC’s final battle, she finally breaks. “I know!” she cries, “but it’s my story!” And then I almost broke.
I didn’t think any Borderlands content would ever almost bring me to tears, but it happened. To any other player it probably would have just been another cutscene, another barrier between them and more loot. But something in there clicked with me. I realized that someday, I was going to have to go through exactly what Tina went through. I will have to accept my loss, acknowledge it, and live with it. I still dread that moment, but I found help and guidance in one of the most unlikely of video games. It may be crazy, loud and rude, but boy, does Borderlands 2 have heart. Thank you Gearbox.
VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "While not carrying the same heft it enjoyed long ago, last year was one of the adventure genre's most commercially-successful years in this century. A Telltale-esque adventure eclipsing 3 million sales in three months would be the talk of the town were it not for another adventure game hurdling over 10 million sales in two. Though not all finalists reached those heights, each did share a greater amount of spotlight compared to similar titles within their respective sub-genres.
Past any sales thresholds and popularity contests, 2025 also deserves credit for its creativity; the last time our entire shortlist consisted exclusively of new IPs was for Best Adventure Game of 2020. An impressive year for the genre, with even greater potential ahead."
Inti Creates’ vibrant action platformer Majogami will shed its Switch console exclusivity and strike PS5 on 28th May, the Japanese dev has announced.
Bandai Namco announced today that its popular flight simulator-lite Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has passed another sales milestone.
Great game, and deserves all its sales. Ace Combat has always been a great series. I should replay AC7 again for the fourth time.
It’s unfortunate that Ace Combat8 won’t have vr, as the devs felt it would be too much work and they would be essentially making two games.
Would love a release of Ace Combat6 on PlayStation, but I’d be fine with Ace3,4&5 remasters for PS5 with updated tightened controls.
Good story. To say anything more would cheapen my sentiment.
Appreciate you're sharing, Matt.
I hope the best for you and your family, and I'm glad you found something in the game to help.
I love that Gearbox made Tiny Tina the center of the last DLC because she's such a strong kid with a lot of heart. I'm especially glad that you chose to write about your reaction to such a lovable character.
sob
The person disagreeing with the show of support from the above comments needs some serious help.
On Topic: This is further proof that video games are more than just "games." They can touch people in many different ways for many different reasons, you just never know. I think we all go through the phase that the passing of someone we care about won't affect us in the way people say it does, but then it happens and we're so unprepared for the emotions that wash over us like a tidal wave that there is no way to know how we'll handle it.
I think it's great that a game, any game, could help you out. I too hope the best for you and your family.