Tales From The Borderlands: Episode Four - Escape Plan Bravo
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Critic Reviews for Tales From The Borderlands: Episode Four - Escape Plan Bravo
While still far from perfect, Escape Plan Bravo contains enough good moments to get me excited for the final entry
Tales from the Borderlands' penultimate episode stretches thin its gamey bits, but its emphasis on character relationships and humanity make it a heartbreaking experience.
The beginning of this review stated that Tales from the Borderlands' fourth episode was its worst episode to date, and while that's technically true, we're basically talking about the difference between great and amazing. Tales from the Borderlands has firmly established itself as a bona fide game of the year contender, meaning that Telltale has earned the right to take an episode to set up what will inevitably be a grand and thrilling final episode.
Escape Plan Bravo marks a departure in setting and tone for the series, but the humor, fun, and charm of the series remains intact. It's the funniest installment yet, and despite a few technical hiccups, it will have you preemptively sad that a series this entertaining only has one episode left.
Escape Plan Bravo solidifies Tales as a must-play series for those interested in the Borderlands universe. I cannot wait for the last episode, The Vault of the Traveler.
Because of a greater focus on subtler story cues, reining in Pandora's complete irreverence for normalcy, "Escape Plan Bravo" works in a way previous episodes didn't, though "Atlas Mugged" came close. The emotional moments worked without that awkward, out-of-place feeling that came with similar scenes in the past. There is an action scene, a giant shootout of sorts, but you have to see it to believe it, and it serves as some necessary comic relief before the final act.
I loved this latest episode, and I'm adoring Tales From The Borderlands, easily the best thing Telltale's done since season one of The Walking Dead. It continues to demonstrate how the light-adventure formula can be played for humor as much as tragedy, how good writing can shine in a videogame with the right presentation, and just how accomplished the studio behind it is.
It's been a bumpier ride than I'd expected – especially given the potential comic goldmine that is the Borderlands universe – but Tales from the Borderlands seems to be back on track just in time for what's shaping up to be weird and wild final episode.
