Borderlands Interview

IGN AU caught up with Borderlands art director Brian Martel for a Q&A about the team’s decision to “radically” change the RPG hybrid’s visual style.
IGN AU: Borderlands looks radically different from last time we saw it. How did such a huge shift in direction for the visual design come about?

Brian Martel: We had been looking for a way to give the game some punch that suited the style of the game as a Role Playing Shooter. There were elements of the game that were over the top and exaggerated and the typical realistic gritty feel wouldn’t feel quite right. So I spent some time looking back over much of our concept art and I thought that we should make the game look like that art work.

There can be something a little sterile and cold about contemporary super normal mapped games. I wanted something a little more human and warm something that lets you really see the artists’ hand in the work. You should feel the art in the way that good concept art moves you. That was the genesis of the concept art style. As I sort of tested it with the artists I could see that they just lit up and got extremely excited about the idea. A small group of artists, level designers, and I came up with the style and then we executed a test on a small area of the game. It was a no brainer after that!

IGN AU: How supportive was 2K of the decision? How much extra development time is needed as a result?

Brian Martel: To be honest, they were a bit shocked at first, but that was because it was a bold new look and we surprised them with it. But they were instantly taken with it and could see how it might give the game a new and fresh identity. 2K really understands what it means to have unique identity. The way they supported BioShock and the unique visual style and design of that game is a testament to them as being an innovative publisher.

We didn’t really need that much new time to achieve the new look. The game was coming together and coalescing at the same time. It’s a big game and when you are doing something like adding role playing techniques to a shooter it needs time to make it better. I think the art direction change may have even inspired and reinvigorated a team that had been working for a long time in one specific world. It freed the designers to make the game even more fun and create the incredible game that it is today.