That's Not How Magic Missile Works

[WolfofWords]

I have been playing Tiny Tina's Wonderlands recently and it's been great. It is a fusion of the first-person shooter Borderlands series with a more Dungeons and Dragons feel to it. In the game, you are playing Bunkers and Badasses with Tina as your DM. You have Valentine (Andy Samberg) and Frette (Wanda Sykes) as your 'advisors' (since Tina declares them useless at actually playing the game. The game has the usual Borderlands humor while also giving it some of the feelings of tabletop gaming. Two moments have stuck out in my mind so far:



This is the culmination of a part of the main quest. You have gone on a quest to retrieve the bardbarian Torgue so that he can bless your ship (the only one left in the harbor after the BBEG's attack) so that you can leave for your quest. After you are told that it would be folly to leave without having the ship blessed, Valentine argues that this rule is stupid while Frette argues that the rules must be followed. After retrieving Torgue, the argument comes to a head with Frette and Valentine at odds. Torgue tries to use music to reunite the party. A full-on honest discussion about rules vs. fun in tabletop gaming ensues which actually captures a lot of what gaming is. As everybody agrees to get along and understand each other, the music goes out of control (I blame the cowbell). Torgue has to let off some steam so he casts magic missile and ends up blowing up the entire ocean. The scene is a perfect mix of comedy and heartfelt love of tabletop gaming.

The other moment that hit me hard in a different way is one I don't have video or pictures of. Whenever you enter a new area, you get an announcement in bold white letters across the screen that says "Now Entering: <Blank>". The town of Tangledrift is a fantasy city that had a magical beanstalk grow under it, lifting it into the sky and also tearing it apart. The townspeople of Tangledrift are trying their best to carry on but the place is infested with undead skeletons, mushroom creatures, and wyverns. I was doing the main quest in the town and I was told to go and inspect "the cathedral". As I approached the quest marker, I got a big message that said "NOW ENTERING: MURDER CHURCH". I had to pause and collect myself at that point because wow.