Tales From The Borderlands: Episode 1 - Zer0 Sum

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 395 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 322 out of 395
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 395
  3. Negative: 51 out of 395

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Davidnotavailab
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    This is a contender for one of telltale best episodes ever. Its definitely telltale's best opening ever, thats not even up for debate, second one being the wolf's among us but this is very good. The introduction of characters and the fun and the pacing ahhhhh , it s just really good, yeah it s telltales formula, like wtf do you expect its a tellatle game, this episode nails everything
  2. breakbacon
    Oct 9, 2015
    9
    The twists and surprises embedded in this introductory episode are alone enough to grab your attention and lock you in for the rest of the ride. Personalities clash and characters are trumpeted as the narrative unfolds in non-linear, action packed ways. Expect to have a lot of convincing to do as well as have unexpected and contradictory outcomes to result from your best attempts atThe twists and surprises embedded in this introductory episode are alone enough to grab your attention and lock you in for the rest of the ride. Personalities clash and characters are trumpeted as the narrative unfolds in non-linear, action packed ways. Expect to have a lot of convincing to do as well as have unexpected and contradictory outcomes to result from your best attempts at steering the narrative. Here the unexpected has such a surprising, rich, and hilarious quality to it that there is almost no fault to be found in some of the slightly janky plot devices or uninspired puzzles. Many times it comes down to a matter of 'who cares if what happened isn't perfect - it's awesome'.… Expand
  3. DLight03
    Oct 2, 2015
    9
    This review is for the episodic adventure as a whole, not just episode one.

    You don't need to have ever played Borderlands to love this game. The humor in this game is as quick-witted and on-point as it gets, and reminds me of the best that Monkey Island had to offer from a comedic standpoint. This game is pure fun from beginning to end, and does maybe the best job of making you feel    This review is for the episodic adventure as a whole, not just episode one.

    You don't need to have ever played Borderlands to love this game. The humor in this game is as quick-witted and on-point as it gets, and reminds me of the best that Monkey Island had to offer from a comedic standpoint. This game is pure fun from beginning to end, and does maybe the best job of making you feel like your choices meant something of any Telltale game. An absolute blast.    … Expand
  4. BrainAndSoul
    Jul 24, 2015
    8
    It is really good to see that Telltale Games are progressins. A lot of prople used to think that after a great success of TWD this guys will just stop at this point. However, The Wolf Amon Us and Tales From Borderlands are huge "no's" to this opinion. TTG are staying on the top of this genre, but I can't see charm and addiction to gaming universe that I saw in original Borderlands and inIt is really good to see that Telltale Games are progressins. A lot of prople used to think that after a great success of TWD this guys will just stop at this point. However, The Wolf Amon Us and Tales From Borderlands are huge "no's" to this opinion. TTG are staying on the top of this genre, but I can't see charm and addiction to gaming universe that I saw in original Borderlands and in other Telltale games. Hope, that they left it for final, as always)… Expand
  5. MeritCoba
    Jun 13, 2015
    8
    Tales of the Borderlands(short: Tales) is another great Telltale adventure, this time set in the Borderlands, a planet somewhere out there and the setting for the Borderlands 1 and 2 games. This might lead to some confusion as Borderlands was a first person shooter with some role play elements while Tales of the Borderlands is best described as an interactive story. Tales has thereforeTales of the Borderlands(short: Tales) is another great Telltale adventure, this time set in the Borderlands, a planet somewhere out there and the setting for the Borderlands 1 and 2 games. This might lead to some confusion as Borderlands was a first person shooter with some role play elements while Tales of the Borderlands is best described as an interactive story. Tales has therefore nothing in common with the Borderlands games but the setting and some cameos by characters.
    I wonder at what audience this game is actually targeted as it seems to me that the group of people who liked the Borderlands games are of a somewhat different disposition than those who like interactive stories, but maybe I am just mistaken.
    Tales is also not a game for those who like complex puzzles. Although Tales has some puzzles, these are far in between and not very complex and offer therefore no challenge.
    The game also sports dialog trees, but again this is of a rather superficial nature as the different choices do not play out in significant different ways. This might disappoint some people no doubt, especially when you are used to be able to make a significant impact on the story line.

    Tales is the story of Rhys and Fiona. Rhys is an employee of the malignant corporation Hyperion who tries to get back at his boss Vasquez by buying the Vault key Vasquez is trying to get his hands on before he is able to do so. Fiona is a con artist who tries to sell a fake Vault key to Hyperion as part of a con job that she and her sister Sasha try to pull of, helped by their replacement daddy and mentor Felix and the unknowing August, a small time gangster who is in love with Sasha.
    The whole deal gets messy fast when the vault key is found out to be a fake and at that same precise moment a gangster boss, Bossonova, chased by a vault hunter named Zer0, enters the scene and steals the ten million Rhys has 'borrowed' from Hyperion to buy the key. And now the ten million becomes the MacGuffin of the story that is filled with chases, lunatics, funny dialog, double crossing, odd characters, back stabbing, silliness and hilarious over the top scenes. But also with love, loyalty and friendship.
    Tales can best seen as a story with some interactive elements and should not be mistaken for a game. While you will be able to have some interaction with the story line, this will mostly be superficial.
    For me this might diminish the game somewhat, but because of the sheer fun it gives this can be forgiven.

    There are some dark linings though.
    At the moment the story is full of unfinished business and more loose ends are in the make in episode three as far as I can tell. The danger is that there are just too many of them to wrap it up neatly later on. The concept kill your darlings applies here as well. But there are still a few more episodes in the make, so let's give Tales the benefit of the doubt. An eight at least.    … Expand
  6. Skinnny
    May 13, 2015
    9
    WOW.This is one of the best game of TTG.Great story,great characters,great and tasty humor.Original borderlands game i didn't like but this is awesome.TTG is great game maker studio.
  7. oDjento
    May 12, 2015
    8
    Quick review the clarify my status on this episode compared to episode two. More intersting and dynamic choices, scripted sequences are more exciting and the sight of zero was awesome! Jokes are good but better in episode two. Overall this is the better episode though.
  8. DiggetyDoo1
    May 10, 2015
    9
    A great game for newcomers to the Borderlands series. I bought it because of the good press the other entries in the series received, the art style and the fact that it was produced by Telltale. And boy, am I glad I did. The game switches between the perspectives of Hyperion company man, Rhys and con-woman Fiona. The game has a dark and off-beat sense of humor that never seems to falter.A great game for newcomers to the Borderlands series. I bought it because of the good press the other entries in the series received, the art style and the fact that it was produced by Telltale. And boy, am I glad I did. The game switches between the perspectives of Hyperion company man, Rhys and con-woman Fiona. The game has a dark and off-beat sense of humor that never seems to falter. All the jokes made me at the very least go "Ha, ha. That's funny. I should be laughing. But I'm not. Probably due to my emotions being deadened from spending every waking hour in front of a computer". Which is a good thing, I guess. The menacing, crazy world of Pandora is absolutely engrossing. Learning more about it (and it's inhabitants) is an absolute delight). It's action setpieces are amazing ( a death race with Psychos and bounty hunters all racing for a Hyperion suitcase you need to get back, a battle between loader bots and bandits) but the moments I most enjoyed where when I was playing through Rhys' perspective and got to analyse things with his Echo-Eye implant. Completely inconsequential objects were given funny, detailed and interesting descriptions. The attention to detail is marvelous. You also get to hack things or control technology at specific points in the story with Rhys' robotic arm. Fiona's arc is touching and in my opinion the one with the best jokes. I absolutely recommend this game to anybody who like story-based point-and-click games. You won't be disappointed.… Expand
  9. Skitte
    Apr 5, 2015
    10
    I am not a fan of Borderlands, but neither hate it. But, apparently, being a fan of TellTale, I started playing this title and I was overwhelmed...

    Pros: - Immersive story - Great battles - Great characters - Length - Premise - Appealing acting Cons: - Few bugs I cannot say that I am truly impressed by this title brought by Telltale... Even though I don't know nothing    I am not a fan of Borderlands, but neither hate it. But, apparently, being a fan of TellTale, I started playing this title and I was overwhelmed...

    Pros:
    - Immersive story
    - Great battles
    - Great characters
    - Length
    - Premise
    - Appealing acting

    Cons:

    - Few bugs

    I cannot say that I am truly impressed by this title brought by Telltale... Even though I don't know nothing about Borderland universe, I bet every game is a masterpiece    … Expand
  10. Sharpshooter188
    Mar 30, 2015
    9
    Just purchased the 2 episodes today. At first I was iffy but it was 5 dollars so I figured why not. Then after getting through the first episode I simply HAD to watch/play the second. All of the characters are very well defined imo, and Handsome Jack is both humorous and vile. I don't think that the story can really change too much at pivotal points but I've yet to try doing so as I'veJust purchased the 2 episodes today. At first I was iffy but it was 5 dollars so I figured why not. Then after getting through the first episode I simply HAD to watch/play the second. All of the characters are very well defined imo, and Handsome Jack is both humorous and vile. I don't think that the story can really change too much at pivotal points but I've yet to try doing so as I've only gone through the episodes once. This is my first time trying these types of games and I must say I am hooked. Looking forward to the third. Check. It. Out.… Expand
  11. LeeEverett
    Jan 28, 2015
    9
    It's a good game so far. During the first 10 minutes or so I was doubting this game was worth the money I spent but it gets awesome, you just have to stick with it. Definitely a 8 or 9 out of 10.

    The story writing is great and all the action is great. I have to admit I was a little confused with the story line first time round but I guess I was just slow to pick up on things. Now that I    It's a good game so far. During the first 10 minutes or so I was doubting this game was worth the money I spent but it gets awesome, you just have to stick with it. Definitely a 8 or 9 out of 10.

    The story writing is great and all the action is great. I have to admit I was a little confused with the story line first time round but I guess I was just slow to pick up on things. Now that I understand the game it's awesome.

    I'm looking forward to the next episode. I hope TellTale keep up the good work and don't slack like they did with TWDG (Season 1 of TWDG was great but season two...meh, mediocre?). I'm especially looking forward to a second season of TWAU and now the next episode of TFTB too. I'm not too excited for a season 3 of TWDG but I hope TellTale surprises me by doing better, I will definitely be doing my part of research before spending money on TWDG season 3.    … Expand
  12. vonbird
    Jan 7, 2015
    9
    unlike game of thrones which was totally not cool this was really really good, it had a nice borderlandsy! graphics, nice references to the fps borderlands games and the game was really fun and awesome as it was serious and breathtaking.
    And using 2 main characters made the game even better and more enjoyable.
    I think that this was a great start to a great game. i hope they can do the    unlike game of thrones which was totally not cool this was really really good, it had a nice borderlandsy! graphics, nice references to the fps borderlands games and the game was really fun and awesome as it was serious and breathtaking.
    And using 2 main characters made the game even better and more enjoyable.
    I think that this was a great start to a great game.
    i hope they can do the other episodes like this too    … Expand
  13. ThatOneCritic
    Dec 22, 2014
    9
    Tales from the Borderlands! It's a pretty good game. Funny, Multiple choices, LOADERBOT!
    Umm it's made my Telltale. You know, the developers of multi choice games that seem to perfect everything from TV shows to Other video games, so you would expect this to be good, right? If you answered no your right! Just kidding every game telltale makes seem to be good. Gets a bit repetitive though.
  14. Spookydarren
    Dec 12, 2014
    9
    This was simply excellent,witty writing, non glitchy graphics and gameplay (a first for Telltale) and a decent length. I enjoyed it so much I immediately replayed it choosing different options to see where the different path choices led. Helps if you know your way around Borderlands lore but there's a lot to enjoy here if you don't. Looking forward to the next instalment.
  15. MourningStar187
    Dec 10, 2014
    10
    Wow! I enjoyed Borderlands and Borderlands 2 but this game takes the cake. The last time I enjoyed a game this much was Skyrim. Im a fan of Telltale, but the quality here far exceeds just about anything that I've ever played period.
  16. matteda
    Dec 10, 2014
    10
    The best game I played on PC this year 10/10

    I have played Borderlands & Telltale series from Walking dead,wolf Among Us This is far better than Game of thrones 7/10 I am comparing coz both released at almost the same time First time I felt satisfied after playing a single episode of a Telltale game If you like borderlands and have not played Telltale games before, you will not    The best game I played on PC this year 10/10

    I have played Borderlands & Telltale series from Walking dead,wolf Among Us

    This is far better than Game of thrones 7/10
    I am comparing coz both released at almost the same time

    First time I felt satisfied after playing a single episode of a Telltale game
    If you like borderlands and have not played Telltale games before, you will not be disappointed
    It has all the action,humour for a game    … Expand
  17. Yesiamaduck
    Dec 8, 2014
    10
    I found Game Of Thrones decent but mildly disappointing, I didn't expect much from this game at all as a result but I bought it anyways, and I found it to be among the finest releases Teltale have put out to date. It's exhilarating, well paced, has a good story and is incredibly funny. Well worth the purchase.
  18. daftshadow
    Dec 5, 2014
    9
    I was never much a fan of Borderlands but this game is a gem from TellTale. So far it's not better than The Walking Dead but better than The Wolf Among Us and Game of Thrones. The quirky jokes, story telling and gameplay makes this game fun. I just wish these episodes were longer, they feel too short.
  19. LostSandwich
    Dec 5, 2014
    9
    This new series from Telltale Games perfectly fits in with the Borderlands universe. With funny, creative, and interesting storytelling. I was not expecting much from this game, as i am not too much a fan of the original Borderlands series. This game doesn't really have an emotional theme to it, (at least not the first episode) but my god is it hilarious. I found myself laughing the wholeThis new series from Telltale Games perfectly fits in with the Borderlands universe. With funny, creative, and interesting storytelling. I was not expecting much from this game, as i am not too much a fan of the original Borderlands series. This game doesn't really have an emotional theme to it, (at least not the first episode) but my god is it hilarious. I found myself laughing the whole way through, and to be quite honest, with all the emotional and depressing games as of late, this was really a breath of fresh air, and has even garnered some more interest into the Borderlands universe from me. The thing holding this game back some issues with the PC. Not massive issues but they can be annoying, slight mouse delay, tiny cursor that can be hard to see at time, all small issues that aren't a big deal. I would love Telltale to make their options menus more vast though, as basically all of their installments are extremely basic in the options menu, just Full Screen, Resolution, Anti-aliasing, and Texture Quality, and especially Texture Quality which only has "High" or "Low". The controls are worse, i know Telltales games are very narrative focused rather than gameplay focused but rebind-able keys would still be much appreciated and very easy for them to do. Overall fantastic game though that is really deserving of your wallet.… Expand
  20. badbd518
    Dec 3, 2014
    10
    Were do i even start with this amazing Game
    Another Amazing Game By Telltale Games
    I Was a bit nervous going into this game i mean borderlands story can be very confusing to a lot of people i must say that they did an amazing game as always with the telling of a story i wont go to in depth with this review i don't want to spoil the games story but if you are a fan of borderlands &    Were do i even start with this amazing Game
    Another Amazing Game By Telltale Games
    I Was a bit nervous going into this game
    i mean borderlands story can be very confusing to a lot of people
    i must say that they did an amazing game as always with the telling of a story
    i wont go to in depth with this review i don't want to spoil the games story
    but if you are a fan of borderlands & if you are a fan of telltale games then pick up this game
    its epic from the start to the end of episode 1
    it keeps you glued to your computer screen / tv & it keeps you playing
    the style of borderlands they captured it prefect here.
    & the voice acting also top notch
    the chatterers / voice actors put on a very believable performance
    the games world / story is so well crafted that it fells like a real breathing world
    at first you wont really care about the chatterers but give it 20-30 minutes in & you will want them to live & you will fall into love with them
    I Give this game an 10 out of 10
    Its an amazing game & should not be passed up by anybody that is looking for a good story
    and episode 1 took me about 3+ hours to beat so it has a good amount of gameplay time for episode 1
    i cant wait for episode 2 to be released
    Pick this game up.
    Again i gave it an 10 out of 10.    … Expand
  21. adhamhany
    Dec 2, 2014
    8
    Another great game from Telltale Games.

    The story is good enough so far, with some predictable elements. There are still questions left unanswered; but knowing there are still 4 other episodes to look forward too, I know we'll get them. The characters are really interesting. Some are fun, others are just mysterious, and all are made so thanks to the voice acting. The visual style and    Another great game from Telltale Games.

    The story is good enough so far, with some predictable elements. There are still questions left unanswered; but knowing there are still 4 other episodes to look forward too, I know we'll get them. The characters are really interesting. Some are fun, others are just mysterious, and all are made so thanks to the voice acting.

    The visual style and action mechanics are as great as any other game they made. The soundtrack is fine. I really enjoyed having more than one player-controlled character, because I liked seeing the same scene from different angles. I don't know if it was done before or no (the only other Telltale Game I played was The Wolf Among Us); so I can't say for sure if it's innovative, but it sure was cool.

    Looking forward to the rest of the series.    … Expand
  22. doughnutsfan
    Nov 30, 2014
    9
    Tales from the borderlands delivers, I can pretty much guarantee that. With superb pacing, great cast and laugh-out-loud humor, the first episode promises awesome things to come while being an awesome set-piece in itself. Great job, Telltale!
  23. Nobilis1984
    Nov 29, 2014
    9
    A very nice game
    Telltale Games makes with the good quality continue where they left off in The Walking Dead.
    This time it is action-packed and the player controls from the outset two people. I really do not care for Borderlands but what Telltale Games has touched just fine.
    I had 3-4 stuttering in the game. Maybe you would have to fix that.
  24. Inxmarati
    Nov 29, 2014
    10
    This game is amazing,funny characthers,and a brilliant story with certain twists...You follow a story of two characthers,which is wierd,because Telltale Games,always follow's one main protagonist.As always,i can see this game being one of my top 10's!
  25. doncsoo
    Nov 29, 2014
    10
    So far I think this is the best episodic game that Telltale made. I love the new gameplay mechanics, the action, the story and the humor! So far I love this game and I really looking forward to the next episodes.
  26. Thilus
    Nov 29, 2014
    9
    I must say this in an excellent start to the new series. Well written story, memorable characters with good voice acting, and quite a lot of unforced humor. After the downer that was The Walking Dead Season 2, Telltale rebounded nicely. Although it really poses a question whether the publisher didn't spread it's resources too thin (especialy since they were working on TWD, Wolf Among Us,I must say this in an excellent start to the new series. Well written story, memorable characters with good voice acting, and quite a lot of unforced humor. After the downer that was The Walking Dead Season 2, Telltale rebounded nicely. Although it really poses a question whether the publisher didn't spread it's resources too thin (especialy since they were working on TWD, Wolf Among Us, this game and also the upcoming Game of Thrones at almost the same time).

    The biggest flaw? I woldn't exactly call TftB a game. Tales from Monkey Island was a game. Both seasons of Sam&Max were games. This is more of an interactive experience with a series of casual QTEs, that let's you make some choices which turn out to have very limited consequences. If you get past that, you should have a really terrific time though.    … Expand
  27. justagamer123
    Nov 28, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game is awesome, but i will go into a bit more detail

    ok so if you don't know this game is made by telltale same people who brought us the walking dead game (season one and two) the wolf among us and now this. so the game is setup all about the story so instead of the classic non-stop action millions of guns and looting every thing that's all gone but whats left is story humor and some borderlands charm, the story so far is great really its very good and very funny at times. it feels like telltale has finally done it i felt that the walking dead just felt a little slow paced and a bit boring at times (never played the wolf among us looked boring to me) but this game is so far great

    one issue is that during the times when ever rhys had to fight the bandits with the stun baton i found a bit of frame rate issues and once it would not allow me to attack one of the bandits because your circle (aim like thing) was stuck in the corner even though i was moving my mouse    … Expand
  28. Dree74
    Nov 28, 2014
    9
    Impressive, the control is bit clunky but very solid storyline and interseting characters. Little pricy for 2 and half hours but still it was worth it.
  29. Gamer147
    Nov 28, 2014
    10
    Telltale hits another home run. Or, well, makes an awesome game. Which is better, because I don't really have any use for a home, or a run. Or both.

    Just buy it. Full price. Don't be stingy on brilliance, it costs, alright?
  30. brian456252
    Nov 28, 2014
    10
    Almost the best game Telltale made, just finished it and is pretty awesome!! you definetly gotta try out this one, don't let this pass, it's really awesome, you can now know more about Pandora after Borderlands 2 (and Hyperion too)
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Best PC Game of 2014
87
#87 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 43
  3. Negative: 0 out of 43
  1. CD-Action
    Feb 7, 2015
    75
    It’s more of a superbly written movie than a game. [01/2015, p.59]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 2, 2015
    80
    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]
  3. Multiplayer.it
    Feb 1, 2015
    70
    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?”
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »