Gearbox alters Borderlands art style, now cel-shaded

Gearbox has changed the art style of upcoming shooter Borderlands to appear more like a comic book.

According to a post over on the Gearbox forums, community manager Ennui explains why a cel-shaded look has been favored over the realistic approach seen since the game was announced in 2007.

"We do care about all our fans, no doubt, and the decision to alter the art style was assuredly not one taken or made lightly... Though there's always the chance some people could be turned off by the style, it was decided that, overall, it fits the game and creates a more visually interesting experience," he wrote.

"The entire world has life to it, from the creatures to the very rocks and dirty walls," Ennui said.

"The game world is no less gritty, dirty, or harsh — all of the detail is there, and the environments have even more atmosphere. We solicited feedback from our focus testing initiative, which consists entirely of a very large pool of gamers from all walks of life, and in the end, the choice was clear for us."

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