The 1997 classic, Blade Runner, will be making its way to modern consoles with the Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, set to release in 2020.
Release in 1997 by Westwood Studios, Blade Runner has remained a fan-beloved game as an innovative take on adventure games of its era. It was renowned for its painstaking level of detail from its sci-fi cinematic masterpiece of a sibling from famed director Ridley Scott.
It delivered, at its time, groundbreaking graphics, an all-original score. Even the game’s narrative coincided perfectly with the 1982 feature film featuring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer. For a time, the game had been seemingly lost for years, Nightdive Studios has revealed they will be restoring the game using their proprietary KEX game engine, which was also used to restore the classic titles such as System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Turok, and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil to most modern platforms.
The new version of Blade Runner will feature updated character models, animations, and upscaled cutscenes in order to bring them to current standards. The game will even feature widescreen resolution support, keyboard and controller customizations as well as a plethora of other features.
“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.”
In order to bring the game to life, the Alcon-Nightdive partnership came to life thanks to Joe LeFavi of Genuine Entertainment, who is working co-producing the upcoming title alongside Nightdive and Alcon Interactive Group. LeFavi is no stranger to the franchise, however, as he produced The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049, an Academy Award-winning film sequel in 2017.
Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is scheduled to release on Steam, consoles, and other platforms at an undisclosed date in 2020. Nightdive, at this time, has asked for fans to stay tuned for upcoming news regarding the currently in-development title.
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