Today, a miracle has occurred within the PC gaming community. For the first time in over 20 years, Westwood Studios' classic adventure title (yes, the ones who created the Command & Conquer franchise) Blade Runner is now commercially available,
Originally released in 1997, Blade Runner was anything but a sure bet. With the advent of the FPS genre and better overall graphics with each passing year, the adventure genre was becoming increasing passe. The same went for Blade Runner, except in reverse, as it had crashed in burned at the box office in the early '80s and had then slowly become a Sci-Fi classic that is widely-loved today.
However, the game needed 300,000 sales to break even, an almost Herculean feat in a fading genre with a relatively un-proven brand. Blade Runner could have easily crashed and burned, and it probably should have. But it didn't. Blade Runner was released to rapturous reviews from critics and the general public alike, sold 800,000 copies within a year, and is now seen as one of the best games ever made, let alone one of the best adventure titles in existence. It had incredible graphics, a fascinating story that included randomization for each playthrough, and it even included some of the original cast.
But it came at a cost. To spare an overlong explanation, Blade Runner has been notoriously tricky to emulate due to how it was made. If you want more information on how it was made and why it's so tricky to run, there is a great video here and article here.
I won't go into too much detail about the game in order to avoid spoilers, but the Blade Runner game takes place during the events of the original film. As Ray McCoy, a detective, you are also searching for replicants. Along the way, you will answer for the decisions that you've made and while harboring your doubts about your own humanity.
For those interested in the GOG release, be sure to go here. It's 10% off for the next little while.
What do you think of this news? Have you been waiting to play Blade Runner again? Let us know in the comments!
