It’s a tradition for everyBorderlandsgame to start off with a bang, usually through a cinematic and cool intro sequence coupled with funky music. They also double as character introductions. More than anything, however, aBorderlandsintro cinematic is an appetizer to a lengthy all-you-can-eat buffetwith guns and goreas the main course.
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Some intros are certainly more iconic than others due to their timing, relevance to the game, and their general style. As a result, they immediately set the tone of the game and instantly make it memorable while also opening up players to a finer taste in music. Here’s how eachBorderlandsintro cinematic holds up against one another.
8Borderlands Legends
Borderlands Legendsis by far the worst game in the series, as is expected of a mobile port. It essentially turnedBorderlandsinto a hybrid MOBA game though the transition wasn’t well-received and was lukewarm at best. Likewise, the intro cinematic was lackluster and didn’t even feature a catchy soundtrack.
In fact, it ironically looked like a generic sci-fi game, especially following mobile gaming staples likeShadowgunand the like. It also didn’t help that it featured old characters from the first game, all of whom had a much better introduction in the firstBorderlandstitle, meaning theBorderlands Legendsdidn’t do them justice at all.
7Tales From The Borderlands
Speaking of an off-the-beaten-path twist for aBorderlandsgame,Tales From The Borderlandsis another experimental venture that easily became one of Telltale Games' most underrated titles. While the story-driven game was good, the intro cinematic set off a misleading precedent by starting off as an action-packed chase and mobile ambush, similar to the mainBorderlandsgames.
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Seeing that kind of intro out of context could have easily fooled fans of the franchise into thinking thatTale From The Borderlandshad moreaction-oriented gameplay. Still, it made a decent effort to portray a troubled and treacherous world and more importantly, it featured a competitive soundtrack.
6New Tales From The Borderlands
New Tales From The Borderlandsis a spiritual sequel toTales From The Borderlandsand this time around, it knew what it wanted to be right from the start. Instead of the high-octane intro cinematic that its predecessor aped from the mainBorderlandstitles,New Tales From The Borderlandstook the narrator approachwith good old Marcustelling the tale.
And while this kind of intro lacked movement and the usual excitement one can expect from a regularBorderlandsgame, the presentation was promising. It set off a different vibe that’s more fitting for a story-driven game rather than trying to relate itself to its more action-focused cousins.
5Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Moving on to the said action-focused cousins,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsexpanded on one of the most fun and uniqueBorderlands 2DLCs and it spun off into a title of its own. It was also an ARPG looter shooter like themainBorderlandsgames, so an intro cinematic that encapsulated that quality was well warranted here.
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And how’d it fare? It certainly wasn’t as seamless as the mainBorderland’s intro cinematics but it was equally as playful and it did its own thing.Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsadds a healthy dose ofDungeons and DragonstoBorderlands,giving itself a hybrid fantasy theme while still retaining some of the crass and informal trademarks of theBorderlandsgames.
4Borderlands 3
As one of the latest mainBorderlandsgames,Borderlands 3already had a solid reputation and a bigger budget with which to play. And play they did, asBorderlands 3,starting with its intro cinematic, offered one of the most polished openings to the franchise in a long time.
It’s different since it doesn’t featuretraditional vehicular carnagelike inMad Max(which wasBorderlands' chief inspiration). This time around, the playable heroes are on the offensive in what appears to be a regular in-game activity where they massacre a whole enemy base. In that regard, it’s more truthful.
3Borderlands
Still, it’s hard to beat the original, and the firstBorderlandsgame laid the foundations for future titles as early as its intro cinematic. It was a rather simple introduction. Marcus is escorting sometough-as-nails Vault Huntersand they get their own show-off spotlights summing up their capabilities.
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What really tied the intro cinematic together was Cage the Elephant’s “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked.” It’s arguably the best songBorderlandshas featured. The way the intro cinematic danced around this song with the chorus firing off at the same time as Mordecai’s sword skills was nothing short of spectacular.
2Borderlands The Pre-Sequel!
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!also tried to do something different seeing as it’s the third main game in the series already and it needed to offer something unique. So, the intro cinematic took the players to outer space, but not before some bandits assaulted the ship transportingall the heroes(and Claptrap).
Needless to say, it was perhaps the most action-packedBorderlandsintro cinematic. But then, it also took a more melodramatic (but funny) turn by shifting into its second song, from The Vines' “Black Dragon” to their sadder song, “Goodbye.” Claptrap sobbing into Nisha during their imminent rocket crash amid the comedic sad music was the cherry on top.
1Borderlands 2
While mostBorderlandssongs are memorable, some of them don’t really have meanings that fit well into the story or the game’s general theme. They just sound good. ButBorderlands 2had the most cohesive take on the intro cinematic by incorporating The Heavy’s “Short Change Hero.” It’s a cynical song that best describesBorderlandscharacters.
Sure enough,Borderlands 2’s intro cinematic sees these “heroes” getting attacked by Hyperion and Handsome Jack, immediately giving a face to the main villain and allowing players to chart a goal for vengeance. More than anything, it’s the perfect song forBorderlands' capricious and lawless universe.
