Um, isn't this the upteenth time the Escapist has written an article on the Borderlands Development staff patting themselves on the back? I'm glad the art was nice, although I feel the rest of the game (although I enjoyed-ish it) wasn't so great.
How Borderlands Went From Brown to Brilliant
- Thread starter Russ Pitts
- Start date
Not a big fan of the art style change, to be honest. cel-shaded =/= instant win, especially when it stays brown in the transition.
I only played it for the modded weapons, after I beat the main game and got to 50; it was hilarious and awesome to use the Peashooter and launch people halfway across the maps and outside of the boundaries of the game. After they patched those, I sold it, because it was just boring.
I only played it for the modded weapons, after I beat the main game and got to 50; it was hilarious and awesome to use the Peashooter and launch people halfway across the maps and outside of the boundaries of the game. After they patched those, I sold it, because it was just boring.
I'm glad they came to this decision. While it can still be a bit brown in the new game model, the cel-shading really brought it up from the pack for me, and I really loved the style. And I'm sure the desert planet setting didn't help it much, but it was just unique enough for me. One of my more played recent games.
Borderlands became brilliant? And when did it ever change from being really brown?
Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but still...
Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but still...
I wouldn't recommend that process either. While the art direction of the game is really excellent, a number of elements in the game suffered from lack of polish. If they hadn't spent the 11th our implementing a new art design, then that time could have been used to:
-fine-tune the user interface;
-make co-operative leveling much more flexible (it's barely playable unless all characters are on the exact same plot mission);
-fine-tune and modernize some of the rendering techniques (my friend saw Mad Mel's arena for the first time tonight and the fire pit made him laugh out loud - it's a dome with an animated texture wrapped around it, guh);
-increased the character production value (walking through New Haven after playing Mass Effect is depressing, what with all the wax-museum people standing around);
-reduced the amount of grinding (another friend of mine hated the game because he was stuck trying to assault Bonehead and couldn't hack it. It's hard to convince someone that it's a good game when you're blaming them for not spending one more hour hunting skags.)
It speaks volumes that in spite of all those glaring flaws, Borderlands is one of my favorite games. I think Gearbox started with a great gameplay concept and graced it with a complimentary look and feel, between the two the game is a success. If they can take this formula, improve it and increase the production value of the experience, they're going to have one hell of a great sequel on their hands.
In the meantime, I'll keep looting Pandora with my friend and imagining just how mind-blowing this game would have been back when I was 12 and was still hooked on exploring the levels of Doom.
-fine-tune the user interface;
-make co-operative leveling much more flexible (it's barely playable unless all characters are on the exact same plot mission);
-fine-tune and modernize some of the rendering techniques (my friend saw Mad Mel's arena for the first time tonight and the fire pit made him laugh out loud - it's a dome with an animated texture wrapped around it, guh);
-increased the character production value (walking through New Haven after playing Mass Effect is depressing, what with all the wax-museum people standing around);
-reduced the amount of grinding (another friend of mine hated the game because he was stuck trying to assault Bonehead and couldn't hack it. It's hard to convince someone that it's a good game when you're blaming them for not spending one more hour hunting skags.)
It speaks volumes that in spite of all those glaring flaws, Borderlands is one of my favorite games. I think Gearbox started with a great gameplay concept and graced it with a complimentary look and feel, between the two the game is a success. If they can take this formula, improve it and increase the production value of the experience, they're going to have one hell of a great sequel on their hands.
In the meantime, I'll keep looting Pandora with my friend and imagining just how mind-blowing this game would have been back when I was 12 and was still hooked on exploring the levels of Doom.
Now I want to play Borderlands and I'm going to have to make room on my hard drive and install it and everything 
For those curious to see the changes
BEFORE
AFTER
It's interesting seeing how certain designs maintained, but were reintegrated into their new style. I'm really looking forward to a sequel, one of my few problems with Borderlands is that you only got momentary glimpses of that unique style because of it being a last minute change. A game fully realized in that will be even more fun.
BEFORE
AFTER
It's interesting seeing how certain designs maintained, but were reintegrated into their new style. I'm really looking forward to a sequel, one of my few problems with Borderlands is that you only got momentary glimpses of that unique style because of it being a last minute change. A game fully realized in that will be even more fun.
It's not just the art shift that improved the game, it's the tone.
If you look at the first video, it makes borderlands look like a bland, generic shooter. Not only in the looks, but in the sense of seriousness. The second video just makes it look like fun.Slycne said:
That's what the game was all about in the end: brainless, homicidal and trigger happy fun. Nevermind the bland story, I still haven't gotten tired of grinding bandits into mush.crimson5pheonix said:
The goal is fun, and seriously, the first trailer makes me yawn.
Second trailer? More colourful, lotsa visceral guns and blasting and shooting, and firefireFIRE, craziness and more guns!
I don't know how much the gameplay changed from 1 to 2, but the style certainly did, and that was part of the appeal for me.
Second trailer? More colourful, lotsa visceral guns and blasting and shooting, and firefireFIRE, craziness and more guns!
I don't know how much the gameplay changed from 1 to 2, but the style certainly did, and that was part of the appeal for me.