Tales From The Borderlands: Episode 1 - Zer0 Sum

Zero Sum stands tall as the ultimate point-and-click science project: combine the beloved Borderlands lore and setting with the shining vision of an artistic studio, crank up the heat, and enjoy...If you are a fan of Borderlands, you will love it. If you are a fan of Telltale Games’ previous franchises, you will love it. If you have a pulse and aren’t easily offended, you will love it.

Tales from the Borderlands Episode 1: Zer0 Sum sets the stage for another amazing adventure experience from Telltale Games.

Not to be taken seriously, Telltale demonstrate the ability to shift between serious and comedic titles.

This is one of the best first episodes we’ve seen from Telltale, and quite possibly one of the best episodes of all Telltale’s work.

It’s one of their best offerings, and a refreshing new direction for both a game series that had begun to go stale and a gameplay formula which had started to feel repetitive.

Hilarious, action-packed and engrossing, Tales from the Borderlands is a fresh new take on life on Pandora. We can't wait for more. [Jan 2015, p.55]

The worst thing I can say about the first episode of Tales is that the opening section, as noted above, drags on a bit. It’s an irritatingly long time before you actually do anything, and it’s way more interactive movie than game.

Quite possibly Telltale's single funniest, most enjoyable game to date. It will remind you of Full Throttle, Space Quest and every single anti-hero you ever grew up with. Regardless of your opinion of the Borderlands universe, this is an unmissable ride into the sheer, exuberant joy of setting the world on fire and getting away with it all.

As far as introductions go, Zer0 Sum gives us a hell of a welcome to Tales from the Borderlands.

Telltale’s trip back to its comedy roots is a triumph. Rhys and Fiona are a duo I want to spend more time with. Baker and Bailey do a phenomenal job of bringing them to life, with spot-on comic timing and just enough humanity so they don’t simply feel like vehicles for jokes.

Its consistently funny writing and duo of unreliable narrator protagonists set the stage for a great overarching story, and it feels very much like it belongs in the Borderlands franchise. If the rest of the season maintains this level of quality, Tales from the Borderlands will be up there in history with the other great recent Telltale adventures.

A well written piece of game comedy, and those might be even rarer than the dramas, horrors, and mysteries we have seen throughout gaming’s history. Tales from the Borderlands is undeniably fun, and I can’t wait to see what further episodes bring.

With a fantastic cast of starring and supporting characters, a story that appears to have multiple levels to it, a cracking script, and a hitch-free engine (though it’s the first episode, so let’s revisit that later, perhaps?), Tales from the Borderlands has taken me completely by surprise. As someone who enjoys both Telltale and Gearbox’s games, this is a marriage made in heaven, but there’s so much style and intrigue that anyone can enjoy this.

Zer0 Sum is probably the best first episode Telltale have ever done.

One more great work from Telltale Games. These guys prove to be really good at writing stories, not only dramatic ones.

Any of Tales from the Borderlands Episode 1: Zer0 Sum’s minor setbacks feel like nothing when put up against the strength of the characters, the caliber of the writing, and the charm of the world.

Even if you hate Claptrap or Clementine, you should take a look at Tales From The Borderlands: it can be the best Telltale series ever.

It’s the perfect blend of Borderlands’ humour and Telltale’s penchant for great writing and narrative-driven gameplay, and I’m eagerly awaiting the rest of the season.

After the heart-wrenching The Walking Dead and the dark murder mysteries of The Wolf Among Us, Tales From The Borderlands: Episode 1 feels like a delightful change of pace. The hard choices are still there, but the action scenes are a lot funnier and the comedic dialogue is being kept at just the right balance. A fine start for Telltale’s newest series.

It's hard to judge and episodic game by its premiere, but this first chapter in undoubtedly very well crafted, and it will please both Borderlands' and Telltales' fans.

Tales from the Borderlands may be light on gameplay, but it's long on entertainment. An easy recommendation for fans of adventure games and the Borderlands series alike.

Tales from the Borderlands is an adventure game executed with mastery. Its story is amazing and its characters very charismatic.

Everything I’d expected from Telltale’s take on this franchise, executed with such skill that it’s hard to find anything to complain about...It’s an enjoyable, violent and well-crafted introduction to the series. Episode Two can’t come soon enough.

Tales from the Borderlands Episode One: Zer0 Sum is a great start to the series. It brings Borderlands to life in promising new ways, it’s genuinely funny, and it has a terrific cast.

Tales From the Borderlands isn't an adventure game like other Telltale Games products. It is an interactive story experience, but a great and hilarious one. If you like Borderlands universe, don't miss it.

Tales from the Borderlands makes a promising start with the first episode, Zer0 Sum. Although the animations are a bit stiff, the game is full of humor and it has that typical Borderlands-feel to it. Pandora really comes to life and we appreciate the two perspectives this game offers.

Well written spin-off of the loot shooter series that focuses on characters and story while delivering humor and charm. Nice job, Telltale.

Overall, I think that Tales from the Borderlands feels different enough from Telltale’s previous efforts to be a worthwhile experience, regardless of whether you’re a Borderlands fan or not. I’m hoping that the humor clicks a bit more in later episodes, but I’m certainly on board for whatever this season brings.

Funny “wannabe-adventure” nicely expands the Borderlands universe and represents a small fragment to the mosaic of the mad world of the Pandora planet. [Issue#249]

Zero Sum is a very optimistic start of a new story by The Walking Dead studio. The beginning of a great and engaging adventure.

The first episode of Tales from the Borderlands offers us a typical Telltale experience. We do not love all new gameplay mechanics, but the new setting, intriguing characters and humor make up for it. This is a good start.

It's funny, it's brilliant, it's Tales from the Borderlands. After the seriousness of The Walking Dead, Telltale wants to show to the world they are still the king of comedy. We can't argue with that.

If the rest of Tales of the Borderlands is as solid as Zer0 Sum, then Telltale will be able to count another great story under its belt.

The first episode of Tales from the Borderlands succeeded beyond expectations. It is a great and frenzied ride that excels in the most important thing: it amuses fans of Borderlands and adventures from Telltale studios.

Tales from the Borderlands: Episode One – Zer0 Sum is a brilliant start to the season, showcasing a strong cast of characters, speedy pacing, while managing to sustain the Borderlands tropes without hurting what people like about the cinematic adventure genre.

A promising beginning and a surprising use of the Borderlands license that shows potential to be an interesting place beyond being a shooter gallery.

It could so easily have gone very, very wrong, but if this episode is any indication then Tales from the Borderlands might wind up being one of their better series.

A very promising start to what is mechanically just another Telltale adventure, but where the comedy and characterisation feels very different to their more recent games.

Gameplay offers few surprises, but it's the pitch-perfect writing that makes itself the star of the show. [Feb 2015, p.72]

It’s more of a superbly written movie than a game. [01/2015, p.59]

Tales From The Borderlands is more often than not a pleasure, and it has an authentic Borderlands feeling. But the the long action sequences where we have to push buttons only to let the movie play, rise a question: “why don't we play the real game, instead?”