Tales From The Borderlands: Episode 1 - Zer0 Sum

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 164 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 122 out of 164
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 164
  3. Negative: 21 out of 164

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  1. adamkynaston
    Nov 28, 2014
    10
    LOVED this episode. They had to spend some time laying groundwork and establishing characters, but even those scenes are rife with humor and extremely enjoyable. Having played Borderlands ques you in to some of the more subtle humor, but overall this game is for anyone that loves action and a little crude humor. Fantastic experience!
  2. SirPiglet
    Dec 9, 2014
    10
    I was worried going into this tale, knowing that telltale not only had big shoes to fill after the huge success with the walking dead but also I was wondering to myself how can they make a story out of borderlands to me it was a mindless insane game and nothing else BUT my god was I happy when I finished this episode, I was glued to my TV after the first 5 mins of playing, it feels justI was worried going into this tale, knowing that telltale not only had big shoes to fill after the huge success with the walking dead but also I was wondering to myself how can they make a story out of borderlands to me it was a mindless insane game and nothing else BUT my god was I happy when I finished this episode, I was glued to my TV after the first 5 mins of playing, it feels just like a telltale game, story so far is as crazy as a borderlands game whats there not to like? I honestly cannot wait for the next episode I can tell this is going to be one of my favorite games of this year...WELL DONE SO FAR TELLTALE! 10/10… Expand
  3. xepherys
    Dec 1, 2014
    9
    I love Borderlands. I love Telltale's storytelling games. Still, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this particular installment. Color me happily surprised!

    All of the Borderlands writing and the Telltale engine work wonderfully together. Playing more than one character is new for these games, but it works really surprisingly well. It's only out a week before Telltale's GoT game, but    I love Borderlands. I love Telltale's storytelling games. Still, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this particular installment. Color me happily surprised!

    All of the Borderlands writing and the Telltale engine work wonderfully together. Playing more than one character is new for these games, but it works really surprisingly well. It's only out a week before Telltale's GoT game, but it's worth picking up and plowing through before Tuesday's new treats drop.    … Expand
  4. djrussell
    Jan 27, 2015
    9
    Genuinely funny game from Telltale. If you like their other series like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us then you'll feel right at home here. It was a bit of a shame to see a lot of the old bugs/slowdowns coming back in - if anything their engine really does need an upgrade at this stage. Other than I cant wait till the next episode. Check it out.
  5. romanontherun
    Jan 14, 2015
    8
    + strong storyline - even if a bit cliche - which keep you wondering whats next
    + interesting characters - even if a bit cliche again
    + tons of jokes, references, hilarious situations, creatures and stuff + no dull moments, there is something interesting happens every moment - dated graphics (but still ok) - almost no gameplay - even by Telltale games standards Bottom line: it's    + strong storyline - even if a bit cliche - which keep you wondering whats next
    + interesting characters - even if a bit cliche again
    + tons of jokes, references, hilarious situations, creatures and stuff
    + no dull moments, there is something interesting happens every moment

    - dated graphics (but still ok)
    - almost no gameplay - even by Telltale games standards

    Bottom line: it's just fun.    … Expand
  6. Phil_Panteleit
    Nov 26, 2014
    8
    Simply put, another Telltale masterpiece! Lets hope we don't have to wait 2 months between episodes. Can't wait for Game of Thrones. Plus you gotta love the easy Platinum for all you trophy hunters out there.
  7. CouchLicker
    Nov 25, 2014
    10
    It's simple:
    Do you love Borderlands?
    Do you love Telltale's adventure games?
    Do you own a PS4?
    Are you able to read at a 5th grade level?

    If you said yes to any of these then you HAVE to get this game.
  8. Trunks252
    Dec 2, 2014
    8
    This is a great first chapter. The story and storytelling are both intriguing, and the new characters are instantly likable. I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next installments.
  9. Jollukka1
    Jan 1, 2015
    9
    If you like Telltale's adventure games and if you are good at humor, this game is perfect. Only reason why i don't give 10 is that this isn't full game and this is not for everyone.
  10. Kylee_Brodiee
    Dec 6, 2014
    10
    I got back into the Telltale feel with Game of Thrones and straight after that I purchased this, possibly one of the best gaming related decisions I have ever made. I have played a fair amount of Borderlands and completed Borderlands 2 so you could say I'm pretty well educated with the series, Tales from the Borderlands has the great Borderlands vibe of dark humour and gore and justI got back into the Telltale feel with Game of Thrones and straight after that I purchased this, possibly one of the best gaming related decisions I have ever made. I have played a fair amount of Borderlands and completed Borderlands 2 so you could say I'm pretty well educated with the series, Tales from the Borderlands has the great Borderlands vibe of dark humour and gore and just overall weirdness, the main characters Rhys and Fiona are great and supporting characters are interesting. Telltale really took it up a notch with the animations and gameplay, the gameplay was extremely fun and and the animations were great on the PlayStation 4. Tales from the Borderlands is a hilarious and amazing game, I thought the exact same of Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron From Ice, this game was perfect, Episode 1: Zer0 Sum is a must buy please don't pass it up for the super cheap price of £3.99.… Expand
  11. TSapper
    Dec 30, 2014
    1
    Borderlands 1, 2, and Pre-Sequel (and DLCs) were funny, action-packed, had an interesting storyline, varied baddies to kill in varied ways, and over-the-top weapons. Definitely worth every gamer's time and money to play them.

    Telltale took this fantastic game series and somehow made it BORING. Bad execution of a bad redesign of a great game. DO NOT GET THIS GAME.
  12. Jortal
    Jan 12, 2015
    2
    I am sorely disappointed with the game, in fact the $4.99 would have been better spent on just about anything else, graphics are on the scale of expectations and the world looks like borderlands, but doesn't have the same feel or the same punch I've come to expect. Not all borderlands character's can be Tiny Tina, but give me a break and let the game have some flavor.
  13. thenthomwaslike
    Mar 24, 2015
    7
    As someone who wasn't particularly taken with both the borderlands universe and it's brand of comedy, I was pleasantly surprised by how telltale has managed to fill those valleys with its own brand of humor and bring to life the world of Pandora in a new way. Looking forward to future episodes.
  14. MNecromancer
    Apr 3, 2016
    6
    This game has the humor of a borderlands title, but doesn't offer much else. The choices you make are usually completely irrelevant or ignored. Every action packed moment is ground to a halt by someone interjecting with "are you sure" or "this is important". The characters have tons of resources to take full advantage of many situations, but they never use the tools at their disposal andThis game has the humor of a borderlands title, but doesn't offer much else. The choices you make are usually completely irrelevant or ignored. Every action packed moment is ground to a halt by someone interjecting with "are you sure" or "this is important". The characters have tons of resources to take full advantage of many situations, but they never use the tools at their disposal and usually end up running away, leaving everyone alive and making no progress. Everything is designed to make sure your characters remain the underdogs, to maintain the tone of the story, but that means that the will of your characters and your choices have no influence on the story and the events just seem to unfold one after another at random, just loosely tied together.

    The characters are likable, so it's still worth checking out if you love Borderlands or Telltale and just want a light adventure. It just doesn't have the depth and richness of a great story like Life is Strange.    … Expand
  15. brockcheese
    Jul 7, 2016
    8
    This game is very good. I've never played a Borderlands game before this but was pleasantly surprised with the environment and the decisions you get to make.
  16. AMasterpieceFan
    Jan 8, 2019
    6
    Played this for free, from the PS Plus.

    PROS:
    Interesting story
    Nice setting
    Nice tone

    CONS:
    Forgettable characters
    Lack of gameplay
    Too short

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best PS4 Game of 2014
88
#88 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. games(TM)
    Feb 17, 2015
    60
    A fantastic proof of concept... it's just not as engaging or game-changing as the other cinematic episodes Telltale has been putting out over the last three years. [Issue#157, p.122]
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  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jan 26, 2015
    70
    Telltale's most creative adventure has promise, we're just holding out for the more alluring loot. [Feb 2015, p76]
  3. Hobby Consolas
    Jan 23, 2015
    83
    A high milestone for the upcoming chapters. Excellent and funky characters make this a frantic and colourful adventure.
    Read full review
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