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Tales from the Borderlands recap: Balancing out around a ‘Zer0 Sum’ game

SPOILER ALERT: This is a recap, not a review. We’ve decided to start treating episodic releases from Telltale Games and others as incomplete for review purposes until a given “season” concludes. Reviews tell you what we think, but recaps are all about conversation. Let’s talk about the episode, water cooler-style. Where do you think the story’s going? What do you make of the characters? By all means read on, but the spoilers are strong with this one.

On the alien world of Pandora, all mysteries inevitably lead back to a Vault.

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You don’t need to know much about Gearbox Software’s comedy-fueled first-person shooter series when you fire up the first episode of Telltale Games’ Tales from the Borderlands, but it helps to know that. Pandora is a frontier world inspired by California’s 19th-century gold rush, with the “gold” here amounting to hidden caches of alien technology. Vaults.

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

The people of Pandora know a thing or two about Vaults, and about the folks that seek them. There are Vault Hunters, heroic warriors armed with a bajillion guns and an array of abilities that would give even Chuck Norris pause. And there’s Hyperion, a ruthless weapons manufacturer that – thanks to competitor Atlas’ discovery of the original Vault – has ruined the lives of Pandora’s average citizens with its extensive mining operations.

Episode One: Zer0 Sum opens with Hyperion in a precarious position. The company’s ruthless CEO, Handsome Jack, was killed in an attempted conquest of the planet. There’s a power vacuum in Hyperion’s executive offices, and low-level company man Rhys hopes to take advantage. He’s got a lead on someone selling a Vault key, and – with the help of Hyperion accountant Vaughn and requisitions officer Yvette – he hopes to use $10 million in stolen company funds to get the key and climb the corporate ladder.

Rhys is a bit of a putz. He dresses like Jack, looks like Jack, even sounds a little like Jack. He’s nowhere near as ruthless as the deceased CEO – at least, not yet – but he aspires to reach Jack’s “lofty” heights. The degree of Rhys’ putziness is ultimately in the hands of the player, with dialogue choices that range from funny a-hole to dickish a-hole.

Sitting opposite Rhys in the starring (read: playable) cast of Tales from the Borderlands is Fiona, a Pandoran grifter. She’s a smooth talker just like Rhys, but she’s much more composed and savvy in the ways of the world. Fiona’s dialogue choices help to establish her degree of expertise. The two stars are alike in a lot of ways; swap their backgrounds and you might find that Fiona turns into a corporate dick and Rhys, a sly con man.

Fiona and her kid sister Sasha were raised and trained in their dishonest profession by Felix. We don’t know much about Felix, beyond the fact that he’s good enough at what he does to still be breathing. He also seems to have some kind of agenda where Hyperion is concerned, but who knows? Everyone on Pandora hates Hyperion. Felix is kind of a jerk too, but we’ll get to that later.

On the alien world of Pandora, all mysteries lead back to a Vault.

Rhys and Fiona’s paths intersect around the sought-after Vault key, which is actually a fake cooked up by Felix. Fiona’s crew enlists August, a crime boss-slash-bar owner operating out of Pandora’s Prosperity Junction, to act as the seller. He doesn’t know his product is a phony. He just knows that a Hyperion stooge is willing to pay $10 million to collect the thing.

That stooge is actually Vasquez, Rhys’ chief rival at the company. Rhys might idolize Handsome Jack, but Vasquez embodies the fallen CEO’s ruthlessness. It’s suggested that Rhys committed some not-so-awesome acts in order to position himself for the promotion, but Vasquez grabs the reins and steals the new job for himself – and then some – when he tosses the executive standing in his way out of an airlock.

That’s what prompts an angered Rhys, freshly “promoted” by Vasquez to senior vice janitor, to steal the key deal out from under his new boss. So he and Vaughn head down from Hyperion’s orbital base to the planet, with their illicit $10 million in hand.

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

Everything goes smoothly at first. Rhys and Vaughn hook up with August, who’s accompanied by Sasha. There’s some initial confusion over Vasquez’ absence, and subsequent worry that the con will be uncovered when Sasha notices Rhys’ prosthetic robot eye, which could out the fake. But Fiona, watching the meeting in secret, saves the day, and the deal, with a secretly planted EMP device. Sort of.

Rhys also has a prosthetic robot arm. It, along with his eye, is deactivated when Fiona sets the EMP off. And since the robot arm is the one holding the key as Rhys prepares to inspect it, the fake falls to the ground and promptly shatters. Not good. But not an immediate problem either, as this crew has a bigger situation to deal with.

Zer0, a robo-ninja Vault Hunter from Borderlands 2, happens upon the deal just as it goes bad. He’s pursuing a dubstep-loving bandit boss, and their scuffle ranges into the space where the fake key sale is going down. Chaos ensues, and the bandit makes off with Rhys and Vaughn’s briefcase as a prize, completely unaware that it contains both $10 million and a bomb that’s set to detonate if there’s a forced entry.

An unlikely partnership forms, with Rhys and Vaughn convincing the grifters to let them use their Hyperion tech to track the money. In return, they get to keep on living. It’s a pretty great deal for all parties while the money’s still missing. As for who keeps the cash once it’s found … well that’s a non-issue, as it turns out.

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

Our crew ends up caught in the middle of a bandit-sponsored destruction derby/death rally, with Rhys, Fiona, Sasha, and Vaughn all chasing after the case – which is the event’s grand prize – as it gets knocked around the arena. Zer0 shows up too, to end his feud with the bandit boss once and for all. A big mess ensues, and in the confusion it’s scheming Felix who finally gets his hands on the prize.

Yes, Felix is a betrayer. It’s not yet clear what his motivations are. Fiona catches him in the act, and he seems apologetic even as he holds a gun on her. Felix doesn’t get to explain himself though. He might never have a chance, depending on how the episode’s final choices play out. Does Felix blow himself up when he tries to force open the booby-trapped case or does he toss it away in time? That’s for you to decide.

The driving events of Zer0 Sum ultimately unfold as a flashback, as Rhys and Fiona share their own sides of the story while a masked, shotgun-toting stranger holds them at gunpoint. Who is this stranger? What does he or she want with our luckless duo?

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

As you learned at the start of this recap, it all comes back to a Vault. The key that got everything going might have been a fake, but Rhys and Fiona’s discovery of an Atlas lab below the bandit death rally leads them to something called the “Gortys Project” and an apparent map to a very real Vault. Zer0 knows about Gortys. So does the masked stranger. And Handsome Jack.

Yes, the deceased CEO pops up in the final moments of the episode as a digitized spectre that only Rhys can see. It’s not clear what his motives are, or how a dead guy like him can even have motives, but it probably not good considering Jack’s history. August and Vasquez are still out there too, and they’re no doubt scheming up their own revenge plans.

All of Pandora’s mysteries may lead back to a Vault, but only so many people can claim the secrets stored there. Rhys and Fiona are on the hunt, but at whose expense? One way or another, their search for fame and fortune is bound to turn into, as the episode’s title suggests, a zero-sum game.

Adam Rosenberg
Former Gaming/Movies Editor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
The best video games of October 2022: Mario, Bayonetta, and more
An angry Wiggler ambushes the heroes from behind in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

After some odd summer months that were dominated by indie and AA games, the AAA part of the video game industry is finally back in the swing of things. October 2022 saw the release of the year's biggest games, and many of them didn't disappoint. From ambitious sequels to games taking bold risks with established franchises, this October was the most exciting month for gaming since March 2022. 
With so many fantastic games coming out, some of them might not be on your radar. That's why I've rounded up the eight best games from October 2022 that you need to check out before the end of the year. 
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope 
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: Story Trailer
Ubisoft finally released a sequel to 2017's surprise strategy game hit Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and innovated while doing it. This game drops the grid setup common in the tactics genre, giving players the option to run around with their characters each turn, jumping off allies and dashing into enemies along the way. This change to the game's turn economy was risky but ends up making the game much for free-flowing and approachable for newcomers. 
"The sequel brings a host of important changes that improve on the original’s ideas rather than throw them out the window," Giovanni Colantonio wrote in a four-star review of the game. "Less rigid combat, a greater emphasis on exploration, and a stronger approach to character building all make the sequel feel as fresh as the original did in 2017."
The game's story and visuals are full of charm too, making it feel like a first-party Nintendo game even though it was developed by Ubisoft Milan. Although it's not the only fantastic Nintendo Switch game to come out this month, Switch players can't go wrong in picking this one up. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch. 
A Plague Tale: Requiem
A Plague Tale: Requiem - "End of Innocence" Gameplay Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022
A Plague Tale: Innocence was a surprise sleeper hit in 2019, following a young brother and sister as they try to survive during an Inquisition and plague in the 1300s. Its sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, ups the ante on almost all accounts: there's more story, more combat, and more rats to chase the siblings. It's a beautiful game, one of the best-looking on current-gen yet, even if its story about violence gets a little muddled.  
"A Plague Tale: Requiem is a fantastic sequel on several counts," Giovanni Colantonio wrote in a 3.5-star review. "It improves on its predecessor in just about every way by finely tuning its stealth and navigation systems, adding more gameplay variety, and delivering a visually stunning world that puts games with much larger budgets to shame. Its weak spot comes down to its messy storytelling, which exposes the thematic limits of a medium that’s over-reliant on violence as its primary form of interaction."
For a AA game from a somewhat smaller team at Asobo Studio, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a really impressive-looking current-gen game that expands on the formula established in its predecessor. If The Last of Us Part II's story about violence annoyed you, though, parts of this game might feel like a slog to you as well. A Plague Tale: Requiem is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a cloud version playable on Nintendo Switch.
Bayonetta 3
Bayonetta 3 - Ways of the Witch - Nintendo Switch
Despite a voice-acting controversy leading up to its launch, Bayonetta 3 didn't disappoint upon release, launching to critical acclaim. PlatinumGames is known for its stylish action games, and the Bayonetta series remains its crown jewel. With a bombastic opening and fast-paced combat that feels great and rewards skillful combos and dodges, Bayonetta 3 was worth the eight-year wait. The game does push the Nintendo Switch to its limits, though. 
"Bayonetta 3 is the series’ wildest entry to date, mixing PlatinumGames’ knack for fast-paced combat with unbelievably entertaining set pieces that just get bigger and bigger," Giovanni Colantonio's four-star review of Bayonetta 3 explains. "The massive scope of it all makes for some sloppy moments, both technically and narratively, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find an action game that’s having as much fun as this one."
Even though the discourse around this game was messy leading up to its launch, don't let that prevent you from checking this great game out. PlatinumGames continues to prove that no one can make action games that feel quite as refined and satisfying as its games. Bayonetta 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch. 
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed - Now Hiring!
Illfonic's track record with 4v1 horror games based on famous franchises isn't great, but they've finally nailed the formula with Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. Unlike Friday the 13th: The Game or Predator: Hunting Grounds, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed feels polished, decently balanced, and doesn't take too long to get you into a match. Though an asymmetrical multiplayer game where one player haunts a building as a ghost and four Ghostbusters try to hunt them down and trap them wouldn't be my first idea for a Ghostbusters game, Illfonic nailed that concept here.
You can really tell they love this franchise too, as the Firehouse is lovingly recreated to serve as your base of operations between missions. Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson even return to voice their characters in this game and do it well, making it feel like a more credible licensed game. While Ghostbusters video games can be hit or miss, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed will provide a good time for those looking for a new game to play with friends. Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. 
New Tales from the Borderlands
New Tales from the Borderlands - Official Announce Trailer
Tales from the Borderlands was one of Telltale's best games, so it was great to see Gearbox Montreal finally deliver a follow-up, even if it features an entirely new cast. The aptly titled New Tales from the Borderlands follows a scientist named Anu, her hustler brother Octavio, and frogurt shop owner Fran as they find an object that can heal any injury and garner the attention of the evil corporation Tediore. 
"Thanks to entertaining writing, strong characters and performances, and a different game engine that enables more seamless cinematography, I’d recommend New Tales from the Borderlands to fans of the original and those yearning for a very traditional Telltale-like experience," I wrote in a four-star review of New Tales from the Borderlands.
Although it doesn't really push the boundaries of what a narrative adventure game can be from a gameplay perspective, New Tales from the Borderlands tells a captivating story that should entertain fans of this sci-fi series. New Tales from the Borderlands is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. 
Marvel Snap
MARVEL SNAP GAMEPLAY TRAILER | AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE NOW
Mobile games don't have the best reputation, but Marvel Snap is one of the most entertaining games I've played this year. It's a collectible card game based on the Marvel superhero universe where players fight for control of at least two of three locations, playing cards at the same time each turn. Add special location and card abilities on top of that, and you have a speedy card game with a whole lot of depth. And if you want to risk it, you can snap during a match to double your rewards. While its progression system to acquire cards is still flawed, even basic starter decks are fun to use in Marvel Snap.
Microtransactions are present in Marvel Snap but aren't intrusive. You can buy a season pass or gold that can be used to acquire new card variants or currencies to level cards up, but those are purely visual upgrades. Marvel Snap is the best mobile game of 2022, and I highly recommend that fans of Marvel or card games check it out when they can. It's available for free on the iOS App Store and Android's Google Play Store. 
The Case of the Golden Idol
The Case of the Golden Idol - Official Release Date Trailer
Ever since playing Return of the Obra Dinn, I've learned that I love a good deduction game. We've gotten a few great ones this year, like Strange Horticulture, but The Case of the Golden Idol is an absolute standout. The point-and-click game places players in different murder scenes and asks them to piece together what happened. To do that, they'll need to click on objects scattered around and collect keywords like names and verbs. The goal is to fill out a Madlibs-style crime report in each level, deducing who killed who just from clever sleuthing.
It starts simply enough, with a scene of one man pushing another off a cliff. However, it escalates from there in complex and surprising ways. By the end of the game, I'd uncovered a massive conspiracy that revolved around a creepy cult, a corrupt political party, and a mysterious golden idol capable of performing magic spells. If you're looking for a challenging mystery game, you can check it out on PC. ~ Giovanni Colantonio
Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights - Official Cinematic Launch Trailer
I've saved Gotham Knights for last because it's the most divisive game on this list. WB Games Montreal's first game in nine years takes some bold narrative swings, following four of Batman's sidekicks as they fend off the Court of Owls in Gotham following Batman's death. It also lets you go on patrol and explore the entirety of Gotham City with a friend. That said, some have been turned off by some gameplay issues and technical problems, so this game isn't for everyone.
"It’s not as good as the best Batman games from the last decade due to a lack of gameplay ambition and performance issues," I wrote in a three-and-a-half-star review of Gotham Knights. "Still, it overcomes those flaws to entertain Batman fans who have always wanted to play a game that lets them explore and defend the streets of Gotham with a friend."
While Gotham Knights isn't perfect, diehard Batman fans should still get a kick out of its story and patrolling the streets of Gotham City in co-op. There's simply no other Batman video game that's quite like this, for better and for worse. Gotham Knights is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, but be aware of its technical issues before deciding which platform to pick the game up on. 

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Gearbox Studios on using performance capture in New Tales from the Borderlands
A character dressed as a doctor is kneeling, face to face with a girl with a red mohawk in New Tales from the Borderlands.

The AAA games industry has a clear interest in adopting more cinematic techniques. The most lauded titles of recent years -- God of War (2018) and Red Dead Redemption 2 are among them -- all seem like interactive movies in some respect. Many people point to aesthetics, like the continuous shot that frames Kratos, as clear examples of “cinematic” approaches to game design. And they are right to do so.

But the truth is that modern AAA production itself sometimes bears an even stronger, and less discussed, resemblance to cinema. Such is the case of New Tales from the Borderlands. Digital Trends sat down with James Lopez, Gearbox Software's head of production, and Amelie Brouillette, Gearbox Quebec's associate producer, to dig deeper into the team's first attempt at performance capture -- a modern technique that adds filmic detail to the already immersive world of Borderlands.

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The best Tales games, ranked from best to worst

The Tales series has always thumbed its nose at RPG traditions. Wildly popular in Japan, Tales hasn’t pierced the West in the same way that franchises like Final Fantasy have, though many of its titles remain in the pantheon of the best JRPGs. We’re counting down the 14 mainline titles released in North America -- plus two released in Japan -- in this guide to the best Tales games.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Tales games feature real-time combat in the style of a fighting game that's set in the framework of an RPG. The traditions of a good JRPG are still present, though, including dense character progression, a grand narrative, and a cast of interesting characters. With the two combined, the Tales games provide a break from the monotonous gameplay that often comes from JRPGs.

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