Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has proven to be a big success, and for good reason. Gearbox’s new franchise delivered an entertaining story mode full of colorful locations, hilarious dialogue, and addictive gameplay. Fans loved the Dungeons and Dragons-inspired character creator and Overworld, with spells also being a big hit with the Borderlands community.
Despite all the goodwill Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands had at launch, though, the game’s season pass has been heavily criticized by even the biggest fans of the main game. Many have pointed out that the Mirrors of Mystery are overpriced at $10, with each one only offering a replayable thirty-minute mission. However, while many may have preferred Borderlands’ major expansions over these pricey additions, the Mirrors themselves are not bad – they just take on the wrong format.
Mirrors of Mystery Could Have Made Perfect Seasonal Events
With nothing announced by Gearbox thus far, it seems unlikely that Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will get seasonal events like Borderlands 3. In that game, players were able to enjoy special, limited time missions for the Halloween-themed Bloody Harvest and Revenge of the Cartels. Revenge of the Cartels in particular provided about the same level of content as a Mirror of Mystery, with players able to explore different wings of the visually appealing Villa Ultraviolet before battling a final boss.
The puzzle room of Villa Ultraviolet can be easily compared to the side objectives players get for the Mirrors of Mystery, like destroying all the elemental barrels in every room. Despite the similarities, players need to spend $10 for each Mirror of Mystery or buy the $30 Season Pass – a far cry from the free admission to Revenge of the Cartels. This is a shame, as if one Mirror of Mystery dropped for free every month, Gearbox would likely be getting extreme praise for top-notch support. Despite the Glutton’s Gamble DLC being a perfect fit for a Thanksgiving event, it is instead paid content, leading fans to view it in a negative light.
Mirrors of Mystery Would Have Been Fun Mini-DLCs Like Headhunter Packs
Still, since Gearbox is adding a new boss and fresh areas with each Mirror of Mystery, it is understandable that the developer would want to make some profit off the content. After all, the unique rooms and enemies would have taken time and resources to create. The main issue comes with the price of the DLC and the fact that the Mirrors are treated as the main post-launch content for the game.
Borderlands 2’s headhunter packs would have been a perfect example to follow, as if the Mirrors of Mystery were priced at $3 (or even $5) the community likely would not complain. Each one of the Mirrors could be introduced between a proper expansion, too, making sure that fans always have something new to do in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. The decision to replace major DLCs like Assault on Dragon Keep with the expensive Mirrors of Mystery is ultimately where the controversy comes from, as if the Season Pass included one or two proper expansions as well as some cheaper Mirrors, fans would likely be thrilled.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Mirrors of Mystery are fun, and the decision to add the content to the Chaos Chamber once it is completed was a great move that ensures the endgame mode remains fresh over time. Had they been priced more fairly or made into seasonal events, the discussion around them would likely be far more positive. Unfortunately, this was not the case, with the community remaining disappointed in this approach to DLC and wanting to see traditional expansions added instead.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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