Borderlands 2 might be sitting off in the not-so-distant future of September, but details about the game and its improvements upon the original are still scant; even in my time with the game at PAX East, I still was incapable of finding much diversion from its predecessor’s foundation. Today, in a conversation with the PlayStation Blog, Borderlands 2 producer Matt Charles shed light on the upcoming title and its revamped inventory system.

In the original game, players were often forced into the addictive habit of downing health kit after health kit in order to stay afloat in the title’s busy combat sequences. According to Gameranx, Borderlands 2 makes amendments to the issue in that it places a bigger emphasis on shields, relics, and other pieces of equipment that keep players far enough away from death that health kits largely become fodder for only the most dire situations.

We decided to remove carryable health packs and instead fill that need with new relics and shields that can help keep you out of that emergency state to begin with…The result is a more fluid combat experience since now you’re not worrying about when the best time to pause the game is and you still get that fun sense of preparing for a battle by choosing the right gear. Health Packs will still appear and drop and they will now heal you up in the middle of battle.

Borderlands 2 will arrive in North America on September 18 for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.