Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is officially in the works for current-gen platforms– and it'll be available to play later this year, no less. It'll feature updated visuals and greater customization in the game's settings, according to developer Nightdive Studios, which has just announced the new edition of Blade Runner.
The original Blade Runner game most definitely qualifies as "vintage," having released in 1997. The point-and-click adventure game was first developed by Westwood Studios and launched to critical acclaim, selling over a million copies and winning multiple Game of the Year awards. To be clear, Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition isn't going to be a remake, only a remaster, but the modernized version of the game will come with a few special additions.
The Blade Runner game was, of course, based on the 1982 film of the same name, following detective Ray McCoy in his task of hunting down defective androids; the game's setting will be a 2019 version of Los Angeles. Nightdive's press release promises a "polished and premium restoration" of the original game, which specifically means updated character models, animations, and cutscenes, as well as several brand new features.
Enhanced Edition will also offer keyboard and controller customization, and widescreen resolution support. The original Blade Runner only recently became available for purchase again itself, following years of legal and technical turmoil that took it off the market.
The task of updating this classic cyberpunk game certainly makes sense for Nightdive Studios, the developer also behind the upcoming remake of 1994's System Shock, also planned for a 2020 release; however, while System Shock is a remake, Nightdive decided to handle Blade Runner differently.
"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. He also added that players returning to the franchise after having played the original back in the day will find Blade Runner "as glorious as you remember it being."
That being said, there are still a number of features coming to the Enhanced Edition that haven't been announced yet. Time will tell if the remaster can capture– and expand upon– the magic of the original game, but in the meantime, those with the proper PC software can still pick up the 1997 Blade Runner for nostalgia's sake.
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is coming to PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One sometime in 2020.
Source: Hollywood Reporter