REVIEW: Tales From The Borderlands Episode 4 “Escape Plan Bravo”

Tales From The Borderlands has been a wild ride so far, but Telltale pumped the brakes in episode 4, Escape Plan Bravo. The latest episode is the calm before the storm in what should be an intense finale. While the pacing of the episode is much slower than the previous three, Escape Plan Bravo is an emotional rollercoaster that you will not want to get off.

Escape Plan Bravo picks up where Catch a Ride left off, with Rhys, Fiona, and the gang at Vallory’s mercy. Caught in a desperate situation with no other alternative, you are forced to give in to Vallory’s demands of retrieving the last Gortys piece and getting her one step closer to vault riches. To accomplish this, the team must head to Helios and infiltrate Hyperion headquarters.

The gang’s master plan is laid out in an Ocean’s 11-esque heist montage, followed shortly after by an extremely cliche slow motion space shuttle walkout complete with 80’s power ballad. During the trip to Hyperion an unlikely hero arises. One must sacrifice themselves for the mission to continue, and that’s when things start getting a little emotional.

Once inside Hyperion headquarters the group is split up once again with Rhys and Fiona going their separate ways. Fiona is accompanied by Sasha and Gortys, and must use their Pandora pickpocketing skills to track down the last Gortys piece. Giving the directions is Rhys, who not only has to deal with Handsome Jack’s constant peer pressure, but must stay in character with his clever new disguise. Although he was the star of episode 3, unfortunately Gortys’ role in Escape Plan Bravo has shrunk significantly. Gortys’ naiive and innocent humor is still present, but in a much smaller dose.

Escape Plan Bravo has a few moments and dialogue that seem like time filler, and it would have been nice to have more relationship building to get to know the characters more. There are plenty of easter eggs and references to various Borderlands games during these scenes (Butt Stallion anyone?), so players who are familiar with the franchise will get an extra laugh or two. The pinnacle of the episode, and perhaps the entire Tales From The Borderlands series, is the “gun fight” sequence when Rhys takes on what seems to be the entire headquarters.

Going into the final episode there are many unanswered questions that remain. The mysterious man escorting Rhys and Fiona throughout the story has yet to be identified, and where is he taking them? Vaughn’s whereabouts are still unknown, and the whole Rhys/Handsome Jack situation is coming to the forefront, and depending which way you chose to side you may be unhappy with what’s to come.

One thing is for sure, Tales From The Borderlands Episode 4 provided a nice change of pace, and perfectly set up for the final chapter in the series. Escape Plan Bravo has it all: moments that may bring a tear to your eye, moments that may make you laugh until you cry, and finally moments that will leave you waiting in anticipation to see how this series ends.

 

Review code for Tales From The Borderlands Episode 4 provided by Telltale Games