Since 2K Games and Gearbox Software made the development of Borderlands 3 official in early 2019, there have been two immediate questions for any Vault Seeker : first, whether it would manage to outperform Borderlands 2; and second, if their expansions would be just as colorful.
Not in vain that sequel with the villain Jack el Guapo has the honor of being one of the games with the best DLC, by way of expansion, of video games, especially for the quality of Tina Chiquitina Assaultes the Dragon’s Dungeon . And if we return to the two questions at the beginning, in relation to the first there is a division of opinions (I myself do not agree, depending on the day), but regarding the second there is total unanimity: the DLC of Tina Chiquitina is still the best .
Be careful, SPOILERS below about the end of Borderlands 2 and this DLC.
What made this DLC about Tina Chiquitina special
Counting this psychopathic girl as the master of ceremonies was already a most attractive entry in itself, but Gearbox Software managed to create a role-playing game in which the first Seekers of the Chamber had fun for a while with this unique master . The tone was much more relaxed, seeing how the hefty Brick did not hesitate to ask the Siren for being the strongest and most beautiful.
Tina Chiquitina Assaultes the Dragon’s Dungeon offered, in turn, pure fantasy. It was a free card where everything was worth everything, since Tina decided what to show in the game, to the surprise of the players. And there, of course, the way he avoided talking about how long it took for Roland to “show up” was striking, since in this game only Brick himself, Lilith and Mordecai showed up. It was, in fact, one of the strengths of this expansion : giving prominence to the heroes of the first Borderlands, regardless of the character of the sequel to control.
The narration was total by Tina Chiquitina, supported by her talks with Brick, Lilith and Mordecai based on her decisions. Decisions to which Tina was giving in, not without scares and surprises, throughout the game. Because if this saga has always been characterized by its great sense of humor , here it was completely fired, reserving moments for its main cast and other secondary ones.
There was no lack of winks to other franchises , being The Lord of the Rings one of the most evident for its setting and for that scene of Claptrap emulating Gandalf’s “YOU SHALL NOT PASS” , as well as the mythical Dungeons and Dragons for its approach board role-playing game (hence the name of Tina Chiquitina’s game, “Cameras and Cabronazos”). Because this DLC was consistent with its radical change in its landscapes, full of fantasy, with castles, dungeons, magical forests, knights, orcs, mimics or dragons.
Throughout its ten scenarios there was room for all kinds of situations, where each shit on our part (because of the decisions that forced us to make his characters, with Brick insisting on hitting everything that moved instead of chatting ) was resolved with a great sense of humor. There was also no lack of new bosses, among them giant skeletons, with some of whom we had to remove the sword stuck in their back to be able to “free” them. And also with room for surprise, since Tina ended up bringing in a White Knight who was most familiar to us: Roland himself!
Because this expansion was a tribute to the protagonists of the first game of 2009 and also to those who carried the greatest weight of the plot in the sequel, with a Handsome Jack who was also resurrected for the occasion disguised as Jack the Witcher . Because in a role-playing game anything goes, as long as the master says so.
The best DLC of Borderlands 2. And with a better ending
Beyond the attractiveness of its setting, where Tina Chiquitina even showed us certain scenes full of happiness, with rainbows and pastel tones, to move to a more macabre tone to stay true to the game of “Cameras and Cabronazos”, it was a expansion to which interest was not lost at any time, especially after the early appearance of Roland and the doubt as to who would be the queen. Because Moxxi was in Flamerock Refuge, without going any further.
It did not matter that it was predictable at times (the protagonists themselves make fun of it with Tina Chiquitina), which was a love letter to the fans and under a more casual tone compared to the previous expansions. There was no limit, since this one was set by Tina and it’s like a key. That’s why we love this character so much, just like Krieg, for all his unfiltered nuances.
But all that madness with a clear comic vision and the tremendous number of known faces that swarmed through this expansion to give it color and offer the most varied missions, hid something inside that was simmering until its explosion in the final section , with a shocking scene.
Because that way in which Tina Chiquitina avoided talking about Roland seriously, ignoring the messages from Brick, Lilith or Mordecai about what happened to her in the story of Borderlands 2 , it was for a simple reason … She never accepted his death .
The phrase that tears our hearts is this from Tina, before the end:
And Roland showed up and he was very happy, and they all lived happily and ate partridges. End!
There Lilith tells Tina to “stop denying what Jack did to Roland”, with the rest of the classmates telling her “you have to accept that Roland is dead”.
There Tina collapses saying “I know, but this is my story and …” , to immediately hear from the Chamber Seekers that “he does not have to leave” and that they want “to know how the story ends.” Because Roland deserved another ending against Jack (the Witcher). And that’s when Tina’s madness was unleashed, resurrecting Bloodwing to block a shot from Jack and cause an explosion, then landing on Roland’s arm. And the best? The final fireworks were still missing: the queen.
Yes, because after defeating Jack the Witcher with the help of Roland and Bloodwing, it was time to free the queen, who turned out to be Ass Stallion . And to finish off the job, with the possibility of obtaining legendary weapons by giving it eridium. Weapons that, of course, he violently expelled from his ass . The perfect brooch, without a doubt.
Or almost, because between the surprise, the laughter and the emotion, Tina Chiquitina Assaultes the Dragon Dungeon was going to leave us one last scene to remember, the kind of crying out loud, with Tina herself hugging a statue to honor the Roland’s death in real life, alongside that of Bloodwing. There the most vulnerable Tina was seen, a version never before seen for this adorable little girl. And that’s why this expansion continues to be the DLC to beat of all Borderlands , because it knew how to capture our interest with force from the beginning to the end, touching us the potato.
