Tales from the Borderlands

Yindaba ekhishwe ngezinhlelo ezincane kusukela ngoNovemba 2014 kuya ku-Okthoba 2015, i-Tales from the Borderlands iwumdlalo we-adventure owakhiwe yi-Telltale Games ngokubambisana ne-Gearbox Software, abasunguli bomdlalo we-first-person-shooter we-Borderlands. Ngenkathi imidlalo eyinhloko ye-Borderlands igcizelela ukudubula okubulalayo nokuqoqa impango, inguqulo ye-Telltale idlulisa uHlekHlekhi olungahloniphi, izindawo ezimibalabala, nokugxeka izinkampani ibe yinto ehamba phambili ngokukhethwa, egxile ekuxoxweni ngezindaba okugxile ezindabeni, okugxile endabeni yokuxoxwa ngendaba yobuciko yalo studio. Indaba ivuleka eplanethi iPandora kancane ngemva kwezenzakalo ze-Borderlands 2 futhi ixoxwa izindaba ezimbili ezingathembekile: uRhys, umphathi ophakathi we-Hyperion ofuna ukuthatha indawo kaHandsome Jack ongasekho, noFiona, isela elihlakaniphile elakhulela emalokishini ePandora. Befuna ukubambisana okuyingxabano, le mbhangqwana ilandela isihluthulelo se-Vault esidumile esingavula ingcebo enkulu futhi siguqule ibhalansi yamandla ePandora. Kulo mahlelo amahlanu—Zer0 Sum, Atlas Mugged, Catch a Ride, Escape Plan Bravo, noThe Vault of the Traveler—izimfihlo zale mbhangqwana ziyashintshana, ziveza izinguqulo ezingqubuzanayo zezigameko ezabiwe. Izinhlamvu ezibuyayo ezivela kumdlalo njengoZer0, u-Athena, noScooter bahlala nezingqwele ezintsha njenge-robot bodyguard Loader Bot nodadewabo kaFiona uSasha, behlanganisa ulwazi lomdlalo neziqalo ezintsha. Izinqumo zomdlali zinquma ubudlelwano, izikhathi ezihlekisayo, ngisho nokuthi yiziphi izinhlamvu ezisekela ezisindayo ekugcineni, zikhuthaza ukudlala kaningi. Umklamo we-Telltale usekelwa ezinkulumweni ezihlukahlukene, imicimbi esheshayo yezinkinobho, nokuhlola okuhlobene kunokuba kube izimfihlo eziyinkimbinkimbi noma ukulwa. Amashende asheshayo abalulekile phakathi nezigameko zobuciko, kodwa inhliziyo yomdlalo ikhuphuka ezinkulumweni eziyehlukene ezakha ubudlelwano bekhwalithi futhi zingashintsha izindlela zenqaku—nakuba ngaphakathi kwesakhiwo esenziwe kusengaphambili. Ngokwesitayela, umdlalo wamukela ubuciko obubuyiselwe ubuciko be-Borderlands universe, uvumela ukuqhubeka kwezithombe ngenkathi uvumela abapopayi be-Telltale ukuthi baye ngemizwa egcizelelwe nezenzo ezihlekisayo. Izinketho zomculo, kusukela ku-folk-rock kuya ku-synthpop, zivula isiqephu ngasinye ngezingeza zesihloko ezihlotshisiwe ezikhulisa ukuvuleka komabonakude futhi ziqinisekisa isimo somdlalo esidlala ngaso. Ukwakhiwa kwaqala lapho umongameli we-Gearbox uRandy Pitchford ethi unentshisekelo ekwandiseni i-Borderlands ngokusebenzisa imodeli ye-Telltale yezinhlelo ezincane. Ababhali uKevin Bruner, uAnthony Burch, kanye nethimba lezindaba le-Telltale bafuna ukuhlanganisa indlela ye-Telltale egxile ekuphatsheni nentokozo ye-Gearbox, okwaholela esakweni esidume ngokuhlekisa okubukhali nemizwa engafani naleyo kwi-Borderlands. Abadlali njengoTroy Baker (Rhys) noLaura Bailey (Fiona) banikeze imidlalo eyavuselela izinto, ngenkathi ukubuyela kwabalingisi abavela kumdlalo njengoDameon Clarke (Handsome Jack) kwahlinzeka ngokuqhubeka. Ngokwezindaba, i-Tales from the Borderlands yaba phakathi kwezinto ze-Telltale ezidume kakhulu, yathola izindondo ngenxa yomdlalo, i-pacing, nobuhlobo phakathi kwezinhlamvu ezimbili. Ababuyekezi bagcizelela impumelelo yayo ekukhaliseni abasanda kungena emdlalweni—abangakwazi ukujabulela ngaphandle kolwazi lwangaphambili lwe-Borderlands—nabalandeli abahlala isikhathi eside, ababonga uxhumano olunzulu lwezindaba. Kwenziwa ukugxeka okuthile ngama-hiccups ezobuchwepheshe njalo atholakala ku-Telltale engine yaleso sikhathi, futhi ukulinda isikhathi eside phakathi kweziqephu ezithile kwavivinya isineke sabadlali. Ngokwezohwebo, umdlalo wawunamalanga aphansi uma uqhathaniswa ne-Telltale's The Walking Dead neThe Wolf Among Us, ingxenye ngenxa yokuthi izithameli ezijwayelekile zabathanda izidubedube zazinganqandeki ngemodi engashelele kakhulu. Noma kunjalo, umlomo wokusabalala waqala ukuthola abalandeli abakhulu, futhi imiphumela yezindaba zomdlalo yafakelwa ku-Gearbox's Borderlands 3, yenza izindaba ezithile zibe ngokoqobo futhi yaqinisekisa indawo yayo emlandweni omkhulu. Ukuvalwa kwe-Telltale ngo-2018 kwadala ukungabaza mayelana nokutholakala komdlalo esikhathini esizayo, kodwa inguqulo ye-"Redux" ekhishwe yi-2K Games ngo-2021 yayigcinile ezindaweni zesimanje ngezinguquko ezincane ezithuthukisa isipiliyoni. Izingxenye ezethulwe lapha—izinhlamvu ezimbili, ibhalansi yezwi ehlekisayo, neziqephu ezinkulu zomphakathi ezakhiwe yiziqulatho eziningi—zaba nomthelela kwimidlalo ezayo exoxayo futhi zabonisa ukuthi imidlalo edumile yezenzo ingadlulisela ngempumelelo kumamodeli agxile ezindabeni. Ngokubheka emuva, i-Tales from the Borderlands ibonakala njengomkhawulo ophezulu wezinga lendaba yokuxoxwa ngendaba futhi njengobufakazi bokuguquguquka kwe-Borderlands universe. Ngokuhlanganisa ubuhle bokuxoxwa kwe-Telltale ngobudlova be-Gearbox, yakha indaba ehlekisayo kodwa enezindaba zezindaba mayelana nesifiso, umndeni otholakala, nokuthi kusho ukuthini ukuzikhethela umuntu umlando wakhe phakathi nokuxhashazwa kwezinkampani nokufihlwa kwezinhlamvu ezinkulu.