| Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep | |
|---|---|
 Key art for theTiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure standalone release | |
| Developer | Gearbox Software |
| Publisher | 2K |
| Series | Borderlands |
| Release | |
| Genres | Action role-playing,first-person shooter |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is anexpansion pack for the 2012first-person shooter video gameBorderlands 2. It was developed byGearbox Software, published by2K, and released on June 25, 2013, forXbox 360,PlayStation 3, andPC.[1][2][3] It is set in thetabletop role-playing game "Bunkers & Badasses", which is theBorderlands 2 derivation ofDungeons & Dragons. The titularTiny Tina serves as thegamemaster for thetabletop game. The expansion also received a standalone release.
Assault on Dragon Keep is anexpansion pack from thefirst-person shooterrole-playing game,Borderlands 2.[4] It maintains the main game'sscience-fiction,looter shooter, and comedic elements,[5][6] while incorporating elements oftabletop role-playing,[7] including themes fromDungeons & Dragons, and, as a result, creates a concept that integrates fantasy gameplay within a first-person shooter experience.[6] The expansion pack's difficulty is best suited for players who are at least level thirty.[8]
Assault on Dragon Keep revolves around "Bunkers & Badasses", atabletop game derived from Dungeons & Dragons and is tailored for theBorderlands 2 universe.Tiny Tina serves as thegamemaster, while the originalBorderlands characters take on the roles of players.[9] Tina herself predominantly narrates the storyline,[10] and her whims often result in the gameplay to undergo spontaneous changing to its mechanics and storyline.[11]
Starting at the Unassuming Docks of Potentially Little Importance, the player embarks on a trek to a village called Flamerock Refuge.[12] As the player approaches the dock, a beautiful sight unfolds, complete with a bright blue sky,[13] a picturesque landscape, and a rainbow floating in the air.[12] However, after Tina realizes the appropriateness of the setting,[13] the atmosphere suddenly darkens and the player is ambushed by skeletons.[12] The player encounters and is quickly knocked down by the first boss, an invincible dragon. In response to the Bunkers & Badasses players' complaints, Tina revives the player and instead offers "Mister Boney Pants Guy," a small skeleton, as the first boss.[11] The player's ultimate mission is to go to Dragon Keep and save the Queen from the Handsome Sorcerer's and his Handsome Dragon's grasp.[13] Characters from the main game, such as Torgue, Claptrap, Moxxi, and Roland, assist the player along the route.[8]
Assault on Dragon Keep includes references to popular titles likeDark Souls,World of Warcraft,Star Wars, andLord of the Rings.[11] It introduces new enemies,[14] such as a Mimic, a creature disguised as a chest,[11] and adds new environmental elements, like replacing ammunition crates with clay jars that can be smashed by the player.[14] Additionally, the expansion pack features recreated assets of the game's chests and vending machines.[10] Some chests now featureicosahedron-shaped dice on top, and the quality of the randomly generated items inside them are directly influenced by the outcomes of the dice rolls.[11]
The expansion is set within a tabletop game played by the originalBorderlands characters, with Tiny Tina serving as the gamemaster. This game, calledBunkers & Badasses, is theBorderlands universe’s equivalent ofDungeons & Dragons.[9] Overall, the expansion centers on Tina’s struggle to cope with the death of Roland, the leader of the Crimson Raiders and a close friend killed during the mainBorderlands 2 campaign. Tina inserts Roland as a character in the game’s campaign, creating scenarios and dialogue for him. Her denial is evidenced by her continuation of bringing him into the game, despite opposition from the other players.[15]
Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is the fourth campaign expansion pack forBorderlands 2 and was released on June 25, 2013,[16] following the previous expansion packs:Captain Scarlet and her Pirates Booty,Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage andSir Hammerlock’s Big Game Huntand followed by Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary from 2019.[17] This particular expansion pack, along with the previous ones, are included in theGame of the Year Edition.[18] Furthermore,Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is also included inBorderlands: The Handsome Collection, which includes bothBorderlands 2 andBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel, along with alldownloadable content for both games.[19]
In June 2021, Gearbox announced aBorderlands spin-off game—Tiny Tina's Wonderlands—which would be set after the events of the expansion.[20] On November 9, 2021, Gearbox releasedTiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep as a standalone game for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One under the titleTiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-Shot Adventure.[21]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 87/100[22] X360: 86/100[23] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9/10[10] |
| IGN | 9.2/10[24] |
| PC Gamer (UK) | PC: 86/100[5] |
| Eurogamer | 7/10[14] |
| GameCentral | 8/10[1] |
| GodisaGeek | 9/10[8] |
| Gaming Nexus | 9/10[13] |
According to video gamereview aggregator siteMetacritic,Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep garnered generally positive reviews across PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.[22][25][23] Overall,Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep has been hailed by critics as the best expansion pack added to the game and a vast improvement over its predecessors, particularly the previous release,Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt, which was viewed by some as a disappointment.[26][8][27][28] It was described as being "the best saved for last" byGameCentral reviewer Roger Hargreaves.[1]
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