Info about Tales from the Borderlands:

Official game description:
Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box
=====================================
This title is included in Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box!  
NEW TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS
==============================
Tales from the Borderlands is included in New Tales from the Borderlands Deluxe Edition!  
New Tales from the Borderlands Deluxe Edition includes:  
*   Tales from the Borderlands Full Game (Digital)  
*   The PC digital version of New Tales from the Borderlands.
**About New Tales from the Borderlands:**  
Within the perpetually war-torn metropolis of Promethea, you'll control Anu, Octavio, and Fran on the worst day of their lives. Help these three lovable losers as they endeavor to change the world (and maybe even save it)! Face down a planetary invasion, vicious vault monster, and cold-hearted capitalist in this cinematic thrill ride where what happens next is up to you! Meet a motley cast full of misfits, assassin bots, and talking guns in this race to the top!  
It's time to fight back against exploitation and corporate greed. It's time to make Mayhem your business.
About the Game
==============
The beloved, choice-driven narrative adventure through the Borderlands universe is back! Set between the events of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3, Tales from the Borderlands follows two unreliable narrators on a quest borne of greed but destined for greatness. Your choices shape this tale to be uniquely yours, with plenty of unforeseen consequences ranging from hilarious to heart-wrenching.  
Explore the deadly planet of Pandora as Rhys, a company man who aspires to replace the infamous Handsome Jack as the head of the Hyperion corporation, and Fiona, a clever con artist who can talk her way out of almost anything. When a shady deal goes awry, Rhys and Fiona must begrudgingly team up to get their due, running into vicious gangsters, cannibalistic bandits, and terrifying wildlife along the way. How will you choose to guide their actions on this wild ride to Pandoran glory?  
*   Includes all five episodes of Tales from the Borderlands  
*   Experience an adventure from the perspectives of two very different protagonists: Hyperion lackey Rhys and quick-witted con artist Fiona  
*   Every choice you make drives the story forward, letting you tailor your journey and shape your relationships as you see fit  
*   See Pandora and Helios through the eyes of its everyday denizens, with humor and drama around every corner  
*   Cross paths with familiar faces from the Borderlands series, and get to know new friends like Rhys' best bro Vaughn and Fiona's savvy sister Sasha  
*   Witness the final fates of heroes and villains alike in this crucial chapter of Borderlands canon

Release date: Feb 16, 2021

Categories: Narrative Adventure, Choice-based Narrative, Point-and-click Adventure, Interactive Movie, Dialogue-based Gameplay, Character-driven Narrative, Branching Narrative

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Good with Reservations; summary: The game generally provides a positive experience on the Steam Deck, with users highlighting its suitability for relaxation and enjoyment. However, significant concerns have been raised about the anti-cheat system requiring root-level access, which poses potential security risks. Despite this, the game appears to be stable and functional on the Steam Deck, with no major issues reported by most users.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that while many users find the game worth playing, a significant number of them recommend buying it only when it is on sale or at a discount. This suggests that the community generally considers the full price to be higher than what they perceive as fair value. However, there are also mentions of the game being worth it even at full price, indicating that the fair price range should be somewhat close to the full price but still discounted.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 10.0h
  - Story completion: 10.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes several direct mentions of playtime for 'Tales from the Borderlands.' Multiple reviews indicate that a full playthrough or completion of the game takes around 10 hours. One review mentions a 12-hour story, which aligns with the typical range for completing the main story. There is no specific evidence provided for session length or endgame playtime, so those fields are marked as null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a slow start but becomes fun and engaging after the first episode or chapter, with improved pacing and storytelling.
  - Stance: Fun after first episode
  - Anchor: Completion of first episode
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: slow start; minimal traditional gameplay
  - Unlock drivers: story progression; character development
  - Conditions: engaging story; strong pacing; lovable characters; humor
- Player Archetypes:
  - Telltale Narrative Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Engaging storytelling and unique art style.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys narrative-driven games with strong character interactions and storytelling.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Telltale fan; Story-driven gamer
    - Reference games: The Walking Dead; The Wolf Among Us
  - Borderlands Lore Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Expanding knowledge and engagement with the Borderlands universe.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on understanding and experiencing the lore and story of the Borderlands series.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Borderlands fan; Lore enthusiast
    - Reference games: Borderlands 2; Borderlands 3
  - Privacy-Conscious Gamer (no buy)
    - Motivation: Ethical and privacy considerations.
    - Playstyle: Avoids games with invasive data collection practices.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: Privacy advocate; Ethical gamer
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Effective use of humor (weight 0.43): The game is filled with humor that is funny, effective, and well-placed. The comedic elements add a lighthearted and enjoyable atmosphere to the story.
- Well-developed and memorable characters (weight 0.39): Characters are well-written, full of personality, and deeply developed. They are charismatic, memorable, and feel alive, making the story more engaging.
- Classic Telltale storytelling (weight 0.33): The game captures the essence of old Telltale games, offering a classic Telltale story-driven adventure with high-quality storytelling.
- Stunning visuals and art style (weight 0.26): The game features beautifully animated visuals, a memorable art style, and well-done visual effects. The varied environments and cinematic presentation contribute to an immersive experience.
- Engaging and well-written story (weight 0.25): The game offers an impressive and brilliant story with excellent storytelling. The narrative is intelligent, engaging, and well-written, providing an entertaining experience.
- Impactful player decisions (weight 0.23): The game features impactful decisions where choices feel meaningful and affect the story. Players are invested in the decisions they make.
- Fun and exciting gameplay (weight 0.19): The game is described as fun, interesting, and full of exciting moments. It offers a mix of quirks, fun, and danger, making it an enjoyable experience.
- Unpredictable plot twists (weight 0.17): The story is full of unpredictable twists and turns, providing a wild adventure with surprising endings and cliffhangers.
- Emotional impact and engagement (weight 0.14): The game provides an emotional rollercoaster, with genuinely emotional moments that make the storytelling emotionally investing and engaging.
- Accessible to new players (weight 0.12): The game is enjoyable even without prior knowledge of Borderlands, making it easy to adapt to the story and entertaining for both fans and non-fans of the series.
- Stellar voice acting and music (weight 0.12): The game features stellar voice acting with talented voice actors and a remarkable soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience.

Common complaints:
- Limited interactivity and gameplay (weight 0.3): The game features very basic and minimal gameplay with little interactivity. Players have noted that controls and player input are minimal, making the experience feel more like watching a movie than playing a game.
- Choices lack meaningful impact (weight 0.27): Player choices have little to no impact on the story or ending. Many decisions feel inconsequential or cosmetic, leading to a fixed outcome regardless of the choices made.
- Slow pacing and story issues (weight 0.17): The game's story starts slowly and takes time to get interesting. The pacing can feel off, with some chapters having rhythm issues.
- Disappointment with sequel (weight 0.15): Players have expressed disappointment with the sequel, noting that it was either cancelled, not released, or not as good as expected. Some have even described it as 'hot garbage'.
- Unsatisfying and cliffhanger ending (weight 0.13): The game's ending has been described as disappointing, unsatisfying, and a cliffhanger. Players feel that there is no proper ending without a cliffhanger.
- Issues with Quick Time Events (weight 0.1): The game's Quick Time Events (QTEs) are poorly implemented and can be glitchy. Some players have reported that QTEs happen too fast, leading to frustration.
- Lack of localization (weight 0.09): The game lacks localization for certain markets, such as Chinese and some European languages. This can be a significant drawback for non-English speaking players.
- Character development issues (weight 0.09): The game has been criticized for its character development issues, particularly in relation to Borderlands 3. Some players feel that the characters are unattached and not well-developed.
- Predictable dialogue and jokes (weight 0.07): The game's dialogue and jokes have been described as predictable and nonsensical, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- Less interesting compared to other Telltale games (weight 0.07): Players have noted that this game is one of the least interesting Telltale games, with some even calling it the worst Telltale title ever.
- Plot holes and inconsistencies (weight 0.07): The game features noticeable plot holes and inconsistent writing, which can detract from the overall narrative experience.
- Graphical and audio issues (weight 0.06): The game has been criticized for its graphical glitches, missing textures, and muddled audio quality. These technical issues can detract from the overall experience.
- Limited replayability (weight 0.06): The game does not strongly encourage replaying, as the replayability is limited. This can reduce the game's long-term appeal.
- Short gameplay duration (weight 0.03): The game ends too quickly, with a short gameplay duration. This can leave players feeling unsatisfied with the overall length of the game.

Gameplay feedback:
- Narrative-driven and choice-based gameplay (weight 0.45): The game emphasizes a narrative-driven experience with a strong focus on character-driven storytelling and meaningful dialogue choices. Players engage in a choice-driven adventure with an episodic narrative structure, akin to an interactive movie.
- Character relationships and choices (weight 0.26): Character relationships significantly affect the story, with choices influencing relationships and outcomes. Players' decisions impact character dynamics and the overall narrative, including the ending.
- Dialogue choices and mechanics (weight 0.23): The game features dialogue choices that affect future episodes and the story. These choices, while sometimes having limited impact, are central to the gameplay mechanics.
- Interactive movie genre (weight 0.22): The gameplay is often compared to an interactive movie, with elements of classic interactive movie gameplay and episodic adventure game mechanics. It plays more like a slightly interactive movie with dialogue choices.
- Point-and-click mechanics (weight 0.14): The game includes point-and-click mechanics for exploration and interaction with the environment. This classic adventure game element allows players to engage with the game world.
- Quick Time Events (QTEs) (weight 0.1): Quick Time Events (QTEs) are a key gameplay mechanic, requiring players to perform specific actions during certain sequences to progress the story.
- Branching storyline (weight 0.09): The game offers a branching, choice-heavy narrative adventure with multiple paths. This linear story includes many branches, providing a unique experience based on player decisions.
- Unique visual and narrative style (weight 0.08): The game boasts a unique narrative style and humor, complemented by a distinctive comic book art style. This visual style enhances the overall storytelling experience.
- Action sequences and exploration (weight 0.08): The game includes dynamic action scenes and light exploration areas. Players can engage in action sequences while also exploring the game world.
- Dual protagonist storytelling (weight 0.07): The game features a dual-protagonist setup, with two main protagonists driving the narrative forward. This unique storytelling approach adds depth to the game's plot.
- Character-specific abilities (weight 0.05): Characters possess specific abilities that influence gameplay and story progression. These abilities are unique to each character and affect how the story unfolds.
- Chinese language feedback (weight 0.05): This cluster contains non-English feedback and appears to discuss narrative or thematic elements unique to a specific cultural perspective. The feedback seems to appreciate the detailed world-building and unique storytelling approach.
- Use of flashbacks (weight 0.04): The game employs flashbacks as a storytelling device, providing context and depth to the narrative. This technique helps players understand the background and motivations of the characters.

Performance notes:
- Outdated graphics and engine (weight 0.16): The game's graphics and engine are considered outdated, with issues such as texture Z-fighting, aliased textures, and stiff animations.
- Performance issues on weaker PCs (weight 0.1): Players report input lag and general performance issues, particularly on weaker PCs. This includes animation problems and overall lag.
- Runs well on various systems (weight 0.09): Despite some issues, the game runs well on a variety of systems, including the Steam Deck and Linux with Proton.
- Display mode issues (weight 0.07): There are issues with both windowed mode and full-screen mode, affecting the gameplay experience.
- Frame rate capped at 24 fps (weight 0.06): The game's frame rate is capped at 24 fps, which is particularly noticeable in full-screen mode.
- Audio quality issues (weight 0.05): The game has muddled audio quality and a dated sound mix, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Lack of graphical options (weight 0.03): There are no graphical options available in the game, limiting customization for players.
- Enjoyable despite age (weight 0.03): Despite being released in 2014, the game is still playable and enjoyable for many players.
- Decent PC requirements (weight 0.03): The game has decent PC requirements, making it accessible to a wide range of players.
- Deleted save files (weight 0.03): Some players have reported issues with deleted save files, causing progress loss.
- No way to skip sections (weight 0.03): There is no way to skip any sections of the game, which can be frustrating for some players.
- No mid-section saving (weight 0.03): Players cannot save mid-section, which can be inconvenient during longer gameplay sessions.
- Ultrawide support with modifications (weight 0.03): Ultrawide support is possible but requires hex-editing the EXE file.
- Steam Deck playtime issues (weight 0.03): There are playtime issues specifically related to the Steam Deck.
- Game replicates image on second monitor (weight 0.03): The game replicates its image on a second monitor while running on the primary monitor, which can be distracting.
- Distracting game interface (weight 0.03): The game interface can be distracting, detracting from the overall gameplay experience.
- Occasional texture loading issues (weight 0.03): There are occasional texture loading issues, affecting the visual quality of the game.
- Music stopped during final section (weight 0.02): The music stopped during the final section of the game, which can be immersion-breaking.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for Borderlands fans (weight 0.4): The game is frequently recommended for fans of the Borderlands universe, including those who enjoy the story, humor, and action of the series. It is also suggested for fans of Telltale games and choice-driven adventure games.
- Strongly recommended for its story (weight 0.3): The game is praised for its engaging narrative, interesting characters, and humor. It is recommended for anyone who enjoys a good story, including those who may not be familiar with the Borderlands series.
- Recommended purchase conditions (weight 0.15): The game is recommended to be bought on sale or as part of the 'Pandora Pack'. Some reviews suggest waiting for a big sale before purchasing.
- Recommended for fans of narrative-driven and choice-based games (weight 0.13): The game is suggested for those who enjoy narrative-driven and choice-based games, highlighting its appeal to fans of Telltale games and choose-your-own-adventure type games.
- High praise and must-play status (weight 0.09): The game is described as one of Telltale’s best games and one of the best Borderlands stories. It is also called an absolute must-play and a must-buy.
- Suggested playing order and prerequisites (weight 0.08): It is recommended to play Borderlands 2 first and to have knowledge of the prehistory. Some reviews suggest a specific playing order: Pre-Sequel, 1, 2, Tales, 3.
- Miscellaneous recommendations (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for achievement hunters, French-speaking fans of the series, and those who want a good introduction to the Borderlands universe. It is also suggested to play the whole game in one go.
- Technical and gameplay suggestions (weight 0.05): Reviews suggest using a controller for better gameplay experience and mention the option to turn off all interactions and watch the game straight through.
- Requests for future content (weight 0.04): There are requests for Fiona as a playable character in a new Borderlands game and for a sequel to Tales from the Borderlands.

Other player notes:
- Translation team link (weight 0.03): Players are requesting a link to the translation team, possibly to provide feedback or suggestions related to the game's translation.

Emotions:
- Joy (weight 0.24): Players experience joy from the game's engaging story, well-developed characters, and humor. The combination of comedic moments, heartfelt scenes, and a compelling narrative creates a positive and enjoyable experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.14): The game's story, characters, and humor contribute to a highly enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the engaging narrative, well-written characters, and the overall fun atmosphere.
- Excitement (weight 0.1): The game's engaging story, dynamic gameplay, and emotional moments create a sense of excitement. Players are captivated by the action, plot twists, and the overall adventure.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Players feel disappointed due to the lack of meaningful gameplay, repetitive structure, and the absence of a sequel. Technical issues, lack of interactivity, and unmet expectations also contribute to this emotion.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Frustration arises from technical issues such as game crashes, bugs, and performance problems. Players also feel frustrated by the lack of meaningful choices and the repetitive gameplay structure.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players feel satisfied with the game's story, characters, and the impact of their choices. The overall positive experience and strong recommendations contribute to this sense of satisfaction.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.05): The game evokes nostalgia through its references to previous Borderlands games, familiar locations, and characters. Players reminisce about the classic Borderlands writing and art style.
- Surprise (weight 0.04): Players are surprised by the game's emotional depth, unexpected enjoyment, and unique storytelling. The game's balance between humor, violence, and quieter moments also contributes to this emotion.
- Sadness (weight 0.03): Sadness is evoked by emotional plot twists, character deaths, and the overall emotional depth of the story. The game's impactful moments and dramatic elements contribute to this feeling.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's well-crafted story, character development, and beautiful soundtrack. The iconic characters and their ambitions also contribute to this sense of admiration.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's engaging story, well-developed characters, and the overall positive experience. Players are enthusiastic about the game's quality and its connection to the Borderlands universe.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players express love for the game's characters and story. The game's ability to capture the heart of the Borderlands series and its iconic characters contribute to this emotion.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is inspired by the desire for future game restorations, a second season, and follow-ups with beloved characters. Players hope for the continuation of the game's narrative and soundtrack in future games.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): The game's humor and lighthearted atmosphere provide amusement. Players find the funny moments and Borderlands humor entertaining.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the game's strong points, such as its voice acting, later acts, and overall enjoyment despite not being initially interested in the Borderlands series.
- Happy (weight 0.01): Happiness is derived from the game's wonderful art style, perfect characters, and awesome story. Players are happy about the game's return to the universe and its great story.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): The game's humor, absurdity, and overall enjoyment contribute to a sense of happiness. Positive reviews praising multiple aspects of the game also enhance this feeling.
- Affection (weight 0.01): Affection is felt towards specific characters like Rhys, Loader Bot, and Gortys. Players appreciate Telltale's approach to the Borderlands universe and the adorable characters.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret is expressed by players who missed out on the game initially or did not play it earlier. They wish they had experienced the game sooner.}