Back in 1997 Westwood Studios released one of the most innovative adventure games of its era – Blade Runner – a game that came with a canonical branching narrative seamlessly interwoven with the events of Ridley Scott’s iconic 1982 film. Today though it has been confirmed that the classic will be coming back, with an Enhanced Edition due to hit Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC later in 2020.
A game that was long praised as a masterclass in game design for its painstaking recreation of the sci-fi cinematic masterpiece, it could be said that the original Blade Runner delivered an unforgettable gaming experience. And that is what we are hoping will be delivered once more as Nightdive Studios and Alcon Entertainment team up to deliver Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition to console and PC later this year.
A modern restoration of the classic 1997 video game Blade Runner for Steam and the PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox consoles, this seminal game will soon become widely available to a whole new generation of gamers around the world, with fans of the cult classic being promised a polished and premium restoration as Nightdive use their proprietary KEX game engine. With this being utilised previously to restore classics including System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Turok, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Blood, and Forsaken Remastered, there is much hope for the future of Blade Runner.
As you would expect from any reinvention, Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition will feature updated character models and animations, upscaled cutscenes using machine learning algorithms, widescreen resolution support, keyboard and controller customization, and much more. However, Nightdive are promising that fans of the original will still be treated to the original look and feel of the game.
“Blade Runner is still a jaw-dropping achievement on every level, so while we’re using KEX to upgrade the graphics and respectfully elevate the gaming experience in a way you’ve never seen before, we’re still preserving Westwood’s vision and gameplay in all its glory,” said Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick. “While you can enjoy the benefits of playing the game on modern hardware, the game should look and feel not as it was, but as glorious as you remember it being.”
The Alcon-Nightdive partnership has come about thanks to Joe LeFavi of Genuine Entertainment, who is co-producing the game alongside Nightdive and Alcon. No stranger to the franchise, LeFavi previously produced The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049, Alcon’s top-selling art book for their Academy Award-winning film sequel in 2017.
We will be sure to keep you updated as to the development of Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC as the weeks and months advance. Keep your eyes peeled for details as and when they arrive.
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