Borderlandsâ?? lighter style explained

Gearbox Software has revealed more about its conscious decision to shift the visual style of its upcoming FPS, Borderlands.

Mike Neumann, a writer at the Texas-based developer, has explained to Shacknews that the game’s intentions are to be more simplistic fun, believing that the current slew of dark, deviant shooters can grate on the player:

“Last time we were [at E3], [Borderlands] was dark and gritty. Those games are fun to play, I have nothing against them, but I think as you play them, you start getting a little more depressed.

“You don’t have the same kind of fun [as] when the game is laughing with you, if that makes any sense. Borderlands is definitely a game we want to laugh with you. We want you to enjoy the same things that we thought were funny and fun and different and new.”

From Neumann’s comments, it seems that Gearbox wanted to go back to basics with its upcoming title:

”I’m not mentioning names, but there’s this weird – we [as game developers] almost make immersion a necessity, like ‘yeah, we’re gonna immerse you in the world’ and… really?

“Again, games are supposed to be fun,” he added.

The Xbox 360, PS3 and PC title is scheduled for release in October this year; on the proviso that the cert process goes swimmingly.

Interestingly, Neumann went on to cite the most impressively-discovered bug a QA team has ever sent his way:

“The best cert bug we ever got was in Half-Life PS2. Long time ago.

“It was this very specific corner in the game, and if you went into this corner and you crouched, and you spun around 39 times, I think, and stood up, the game would crash.

“It was replicatable. 38? No crash. 41? No crash. Those dudes are serious.”

Full interview can be found here.