Blade Runner — in many ways — is one of the best and most important films in cinematic history. The original broached so many interesting themes and the sequel pushed the lore forward in the modern area.
If you enjoy these films, you’ve probably played or at least heard of Blade Runner — the adventure game by Westwood Studios. This point-and-click title originally debuted in 1997. The digital form has never been released, though, due to source codes getting lost.
Fortunately, the community wasn’t about to let this game die off completely. Thanks to reverse engineering efforts, a digital version of Blade Runner is now available and it’s on the GOG platform for a low price.
If you haven’t had the chance to play this adventure game, it’s a true gem. It’s set in the same universe as that from the original film. Only, it focuses on a different series of events and detective.
This time, you’re Ray McCoy. Like the original movie, you’re tasked with hunting down replicants who’ve gone rogue. There are some similar characters and locations that appear in this game from the original. Thus, it’s a great stroll down memory lane — especially if you like the franchise as a whole.
When this game first released, it was pretty revolutionary for the fact that it had 3D rendered character models. The game also progresses in real-time, which was pretty novel at the time. The gameplay involves a lot of investigative work. You’ll explore the futuristic Los Angeles looking for clues and interacting with various NPCs.
Every character in this game is pretty fleshed out, even ones with minor roles. There are so many areas to explore at your own pace as well. A lot of your time will be spent looking for clues. There will be times — though — when you get into sticky situations and must fight your way out. That’s where things really get interesting.
There are numerous ways you can investigate as Ray McCoy, such as taking photographs of odd markings on buildings and asking NPCs certain questions. The game does a great job at making you feel like a real detective.
It’s incredible to see Blade Runner finally receive a digital release. It has been a long time coming, and many fans began to give up hope. If you haven’t had the chance to experience all of this game’s investigative action, GOG is the platform to visit today.
