As a framing device, it's a clever twist that fits perfectly at home in the Borderlands sensibility. The paths of the two are fated to cross, with both sides retelling their stories to a third party.

Thankfully, those unfamiliar with the Borderlands series' fiction need little background to grasp Tales' central premise: with overpowered weapons/robotics manufacturer Hyperion fueling the search for Vaults on the planet Pandora at the expense (and safety) of those residing in its ramshackle communities, players take control of two different protagonists Rhys, a Hyperion employee out to hurt a corporate rival, and Fiona, a grifter from the surface looking to lie, cheat and steal just to survive. Unsurprisingly, it seems to be a (at-times uneven) departure for the studio - but one that many fans of the shooter will find irresistible. Now the first episode of the series, 'Zer0 Sum' has arrived in just as unexpected a fashion, offering the first glimpse of just how Telltale has turned their recent knack for tense, excruciating decision-making to work on the over-the-top, off-kilter characters of the Borderlands universe. But fans and casual audiences were stunned to see Tales from the Borderlands, a choice-driven story from Telltale Games set within Gearbox's fictional universe, announced seemingly out of the blue.

With the shocking surge in momentum enjoyed by Borderlands' loot-and-shoot series following the game's sequel, it went without saying that the developers were going to be pumping out more content than ever before.

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