1. Summary
2. Background
3. Hype
4. Features

Borderlands draws inspiration from a number of sources, with its visual, narrative, and gameplay styles all pulling from different forms of media. It is the modern game equivalent of a Frankenstein monster, and even despite all of the disparate influences, manages to be intriguing and original rather than an uninspired almagamation of sources.. Some notable influences or similar media off the top of the list are Diablo (and subsequently Hellgate: London), Valkyria Chronicles, Mad Max, any Quentin Tarantino movie, and Sin City. We told you the list was big!

First off is the visual style. The game is described as being traditionally rendered with hand-drawn textures. To most people, this means cel-shaded, but to avoid the connotation or the game appearing cartoony, which it doesn't, it is being marketed as definitely not being cel-shaded. Those looking for an approximate visual style, the games Crackdown and Valkyria Chronicles fit this style perfectly. They do not appear as cartoons, but rather as living, breathing comic books, leaping off the page. It's a unique visual style, and Borderlands seems to pull it off well, if the trailers are any indication.

The most obvious inspiration for the gameplay is Diablo and subsequent hack-'n'slash games. The reason for this is twofold: there does not seem to be any sort of deep plot structure like in more classic role-playing games, and most of the game is procedurally generated, with the exception of a few locations. Diablo did both of these when it was first released, with the town being static and the dungeons beneath being procedural in both content and style. It's a great way to add variety to a game without forcing the development team to cover every single angle. The most touted feature of Borderlands, the massive gun randomization system, is also pulled directly from these games as well. If you want a similar experience, drop into Hellgate: London sometime. It's not quite as satisfying as it could've been, but it is still a hack-'n-slash game with guns!

The setting smacks heavily of Mad Max, with the developers actively admitting that they made it to be similar. There are pockets of civilization in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and everyone seems to be looking for something to gain the upper hand. Fuel in Mad Max, the vault in Borderlands. The vehicle design and the bandits also seem to draw heavily from Mad Max, with the general sense of depravity and psychotic behavior that is exhibited in the classic series. There is indication that the game steps away from the desert-like setting it originally started in, but it still gets down to its roots.

Finally comes Sin City and Quentin Taratino movies. Borderlands reeks of noir comic books, with everything from the trailer to the game description touting things you would expect to see in a hard-boiled comic. Not only that, but the massive amount of violence, halfway-joking atmosphere, and yes, even the trailer music all pay homage to Tarantino, who has turned making violent movie epics into an art form. The original trailer wasn't all that great, but with the new one simply oozing class and originality, there is little cause for complaint.