TheBorderlandsfranchise is rife with references, pop culture nods, and tie-ins to other games in the series.Borderlands 3, for example, starts soon after theLilith and the Battle for SanctuaryDLC forBorderlands 2,while the praisedTales from the Borderlandstakes place between the two.
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After Telltale Games went out of business, for a while it was incredibly difficult to get a copy ofTales from the Borderlands.The point-and-click spinoff game wasrereleased early in 2021, making the adventures of Rhys and Fiona accessible once again. The game ties into the main franchise in many ways, especially when it comes to guest characters.
10Set Between Borderlands 2 & The Pre-Sequel
Tales from the Borderlandstakes place betweenBorderlands 2andBorderlands 3. The first chapters are all set just a short time after the events of the second game, whereas the last two take place right around the same timeframe asThe Pre-Sequel,which was also set before the events ofBorderlands 3.
Tales from the Borderlandsfeatures new characters to the series and sees the return of some old favorites, all of whom tie into the overall narratives presented in theBorderlandsseries. There isn’t a point where the story is completely isolated, everything is connected for a reason.
9Just Like In The Main Series, The Game Revolves Around A Vault
Tales from the Borderlandsdeviates from thegameplay of the main gamesin a lot of ways, but it doesn’t change one core aspect ofBorderlands: the search for vaults across the universe. The game is centered around Rhys and Fiona each exploring their side of the same story, which the player has a choice in.
The ending of the game is entirely dependent upon the choices that the player makes throughout. In the regularBorderlandsgames, there is a lack of such choice, making the experience of eventually opening the vault that much more personal inTales.
8Rhys Will Remember That
InBorderlands 3, several characters fromTales from the Borderlandscome back into play. On Promethea, the player runs into Rhys, a man who once wanted to be the next Handsome Jack and is now head of the Atlas corporation.
After completing a quest line with him, Rhys asks the player whether he should keep his new mustache or shave it. The text “Rhys will remember that” pops up no matter what decision is made, an obvious reference toTales from the Borderlandschoice system.
7Vaughn Becomes A Bandit Leader
Vaughn, inTales from the Borderlands,is an accountant for the Hyperion corporation. After the destruction of Helios inBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel,not much is known about what happened to him – then inBorderlands 3, he shows up again, now as the leader of his very own bandit clan.
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Vaughn was a nervous man inTales from the Borderlands,but inBorderlands 3he seems to mostly have overcome this anxiety andproves a valuable assetto the Vault Hunter.
6Athena Is Playable In The Pre-Sequel
Athena, the gladiatorial greek-goddess-inspired Vault Hunter, appears inTales from the Borderlandsafter Handsome Jack’s death. She now lives in Hollow Point with Janey Springs. She is a relatively minor character inTales from the Borderlandswho is captured by Mordecai and Brick.
This leads intoThe Pre-Sequelopening and ending scenes, and Athena makes a return as a playable Vault Hunter in her recollection to Lilith.
5Krieg DLC Secret Handsome Jack Reference
Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluckwas the fourth DLC forBorderlands 3and focused on Krieg, the playable psycho fromBorderlands 2.If the player looks outside of the map boundaries within this DLC, though,there is a secretreference to a main plot point fromTales from the Borderlands.
The mask of Handsome Jack is shown with a needle pointing towards its eye. InTales from the Borderlands, Rhys uses a similar needle on his bionics to force the holographic AI of Handsome Jack out.
4Catch a Riiiiiiiiiiiide With Scooter
In the second episode “Atlas Mugged,“Tales from the Borderlandsbrings back the fan-favorite character Scooter fromBorderlands 2. His catchphrase is used for the title of the third episode “Catch a Ride,” the iconic motto and name of his vehicle company.
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Tales from the Borderlandsis officially the last game that Scooter makes an appearance in. If you’re a fan of the backwoods mechanic, be prepared for feels.
3The Finale To Handsome Jack’s Story
Handsome Jack is undoubtedly the most iconic character from theBorderlandsfranchise, and possibly one of the best villains of all time. While the Vault Hunter killed his physical body inBorderlands 2, the player must choose whether or not to rid the universe of Jack’s presence forever.
Handsome Jack had his mind backed up into an AI andcan be heard mockingRhys throughout the game as a disembodied voice of consciousness.
2Zer0 Shows Up In The First Mission in Tales…
Another favorite fromBorderlands 2is the assassin Zer0. In the first episode ofTales from the Borderlands, appropriately titled “Zer0 Sum,” Zer0 shows up looking for the Gortys core and kills Bossanova in a grand race.
Zer0 is not a playable character and has minimal involvement in the story – he re-appears in the last episode – but his interactions spur the narrative onward.
When Zer0 kills Bossanova in the first episode,he calls Mad Moxxito update her on his search for the Gortys core. While she doesn’t make an appearance in-game, Moxxi can be heard flirting with Zer0 during this call.
She tells him that his reward for finding the core will be “long, hard, and powerful” to which Zer0 appropriately responds, “Innuendo.”
