Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, based on the point-and-click PC adventure, is coming later this year.
Nightdive Studios, the same company behind System Shock: Enhanced Edition, are developing the game, in a piece of excellent news for fans of the cult classic 1997 title, Blade Runner as a whole, and folks who just enjoy that late '90s point-and-click aesthetic.
While the original game was only released for PC, the new version will be "Steam and the PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox consoles." That language from the press release leaves the door open for PS5 and Xbox Series X versions as well.
Here's some gameplay of the original game from Westwood Studios, in case you need a refresher. We're feeling those late-century CGI vibes.
Blade Runner 1997's story takes place parallel to the events of the 1982 film: it follows rookie anti-robo-cop Ray McCoy as he chases down his own group of rogue replicants. While it tells its own story, it also features several locations and characters from the movie. The game was warmly received at the time, especially for the impressive lengths it went to in recreating the sights and sounds of the film, but it fell into obscurity soon after.
Even if you already own it, compatibility issues make it difficult to play on modern systems. On top of fixing Blade Runner up for modern machines, Nightdive says the 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."
That said, it's not supposed to look modern, it's just supposed to look right: “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," Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick explained in a press release.
Find even more to look forward to in our guide to the upcoming games of 2020 and beyond.
