Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep
A fantasy tabletop game within a first-person shooter.
Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is an expansion pack for the 2012 first-person shooter Borderlands 2, developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K. Released on June 25, 2013, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, it is set within a tabletop role-playing game called Bunkers & Badasses, the Borderlands universe's equivalent of Dungeons & Dragons. The expansion is notable for blending fantasy tabletop elements with the first-person shooter and looter shooter mechanics of the main game, with Tiny Tina serving as the gamemaster.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher
- 2K
- Series
- Borderlands
- Genre
- Action role-playing, first-person shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The expansion revolves around the tabletop game Bunkers & Badasses, with Tiny Tina as gamemaster and original Borderlands characters as players. Tina narrates the story, and her whims cause spontaneous changes to gameplay and storyline. The player begins at the Unassuming Docks of Potentially Little Importance, traveling to Flamerock Refuge, where a bright sky and rainbow are suddenly replaced by darkness and a skeleton ambush after Tina deems the setting inappropriate. The first boss, an invincible dragon, quickly defeats the player, but Tina replaces it with 'Mister Boney Pants Guy' after player complaints. The ultimate mission is to reach Dragon Keep and save the Queen from the Handsome Sorcerer and his Handsome Dragon. Characters from the main game—Torgue, Claptrap, Moxxi, and Roland—assist along the way.
Reader's Guide
Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is the fourth campaign expansion for Borderlands 2, following Captain Scarlet and her Pirates Booty, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, and Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt. It is included in the Game of the Year Edition and in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. The expansion centers on Tina's struggle to cope with the death of Roland, a close friend killed during the main Borderlands 2 campaign; she inserts Roland as a character in the game, creating scenarios and dialogue for him, despite opposition from other players. The expansion received generally positive reviews on Metacritic across all platforms and has been described by critics as the best expansion pack added to the game and a vast improvement over its predecessors, particularly Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt. GameCentral reviewer Roger Hargreaves called it 'the best saved for last.' In June 2021, Gearbox announced a spin-off game, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, set after the events of the expansion.
Did You Know?
- Tiny Tina serves as the gamemaster, and her whims can spontaneously change the gameplay and storyline.
- The expansion includes references to Dark Souls, World of Warcraft, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.
- Some chests feature icosahedron-shaped dice on top, and the quality of items inside is influenced by dice rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep?
It is a downloadable expansion for the 2012 first-person shooter Borderlands 2, developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K in June 2013. The entire campaign unfolds inside Bunkers & Badasses, a tabletop role-playing game that the player characters are running together.
What role does Tiny Tina play in the expansion?
Tiny Tina serves as the gamemaster of the Bunkers & Badasses session, narrating the adventure and directing every non-player character and enemy the party encounters. Her wildly imaginative storytelling is what shapes the fantasy setting and drives the plot from start to finish.
How does the story of Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep end?
The player's party defeats the final dragon boss, completing the Bunkers & Badasses campaign and wrapping up the tabletop session. The expansion then hands the narrative back to the main Borderlands 2 storyline.
Why is Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep considered important in the Borderlands series?
It was the first major expansion to fully commit to a fantasy tabletop role-playing framework while keeping the looter-shooter combat loop of the base game intact. It also cemented Tiny Tina as a central narrative voice and demonstrated that the series could successfully fuse tabletop RPG storytelling with first-person shooting.
On what platforms and when was Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep released?
The expansion launched on June 25, 2013, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. It was published by 2K and developed by Gearbox Software as part of the Borderlands 2 content lineup.
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