Building the vertical-oriented worlds found in Blue Omega's Damnation takes a great deal more effort than simply plotting out points on graph paper.

Damnation's lead game designer Jacob Minkoff walks us through the process of creating the expansive, realistic spaces found in the Western steampunk shooter Damnation. They use a completely different method for mapping out levels from your more traditional shooters, working directly from the concept art in order to develop pathways, putting the gameplay into the art itself.

Damnation drops next month for the Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3. Check out the gallery below for some bigger shots of the gorgeous concept art.

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