Blade Runner Enhanced Edition

Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is a remastered version of the 1997 cult adventure game developed by the Westwood Studios team. The production was created by Nightdive Studios, a team specializing in refreshing classic hits. Their portfolio includes such projects as System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Turok Remastered or even Blood: Fresh Supply, and was created in cooperation with Alcon Entertainment.

Story

The action of Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition takes place in an alternate, cyberpunk version of Los Angeles in 2019, parallel to the events presented in the Ridley Scott-directed film Android Hunter. The main character of the game is Detective Ray McCoy, whose task is to find a group of replicants (androids) suspected of killing animals. Things are complicated by the fact that they behave and look almost exactly like humans; moreover, their identity is randomized each time. The game's plot has a non-linear structure and can end in one of thirteen ways, determined both by the result of the aforementioned draw, as well as the choices we make.

Mechanics

In Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition we observe the action from a variety of "cinematic" angles. There are over a hundred locations to visit in the game, among which we can find both brand new places prepared especially for the game and the sceneries known from the original movie. While wandering through them, we not only collect evidence in the form of various items, but also talk to neutral characters, trying to get as much information as possible from them. The detective is aided in his investigation by futuristic gadgets, such as the ESPER computer for analyzing photographs and the Knowledge Integration Assistant (KIA) for analyzing evidence. Although from time to time McCoy also has to reach for his gun, the fight is of secondary importance here.

Technical issues

Due to the fact that the source code for the original Blade Runner went missing when the Westwood Studios team moved from Las Vegas to Los Angeles while working on Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition the Nightdive Studios team had to do what is known as reverse engineering. The production is based on proprietary KEX technology, thanks to which the authors could prepare conversions for new platforms and thoroughly refresh the graphics. Among the changes introduced in the visual layer, the foremost are refreshed character models, animations and cinematic interludes. In addition, the whole thing was adapted to widescreen displays. During the game we are accompanied by the well-known from the original, climatic soundtrack composed by Frank Klepacki.