It’s a general rule that movie-licensed games range from lackluster to outright terrible, but 1997’sBlade Runnerwas a rare exception. With this point-and-click adventure, developer Westwood Studies told its own story with twists and turns worthy of the neo-noir classic.
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Now, with the recentEnhanced Edition, this PC gem is once again in the cultural zeitgeist. Old and new fans alike love examining how it contributes to the iconic cyberpunk world. Such additions may affect how they view not onlythe original classic, butalso its sequels.
8Parallel Plot
The game is set in 2019, the same year as the originalBlade Runnermovie. In fact,it begins shortly after the start of said movie, involving several familiar characters and locales. Examples include Tyrell, Holden, and the Yukon Hotel. Rick Deckard doesn’t physically appear, but hedoesget a few references. Instead, players take the role of Ray McCoy, who’s also a Blade Runner yet not as experienced. That sums up the game in a nutshell.
It builds on the same world to create a similar experience. The sights, sounds, and terms are instantly recognizable. Because it associates so closely with the original tale, any events serve to deepen those seen before. These can manifest as surface-level nods like Tyrell commenting on Deckard talking to him before McCoy. However, the tie-ins can also be more thematically engaging. The life-extending plot for replicants, for instance, adds acruel irony to Roy Batty’s desire to live. All in all, it’s a familiar technique used in works likeThe Lion King 1 1/2,Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, andRogue One:A Star Wars Story. That said, it’s handled deftly here.
7Lengthening Replicant Lifespan
The movie makes it clear that the replicants have a short lifespan. Tyrell explains that the Nexus-6 models have expiration times of about four years. Clovis, the main villain of the game, seeks to change that.
He plans to piece together the DNA of that replicant model. This can potentially unlock the secret to lengthening Nexus-6 lives. What’s more is that the player can help him do that by making the right choices and speaking to the right people. Perhaps this lays the foundation for later replicants inBlade Runner 2049andBlack Lotus.
6Terra
In theBlade Runnerfuture, humans have colonized Mars and other planets. You wouldn’t know it by watching the films;they always seem to stay in Los Angeles. However, interplanetary travel is actually a key reason for replicants, as humans use them for slave labor.
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To acknowledge people’s presence on other planets and the otherworldly status quo, the book uses an old term for Earth: “Terra.” This isn’t present in the movies. Instead, the characters simply refer to Earth by its familiar name. The game brings back the “Terra” moniker, showing its use within some circles of this society.
5Specials
Not everyone is privileged enough to settle on other planets. One such group is known as “the specials.” The higher-ups don’t allow these people to leave the confines of Terra. This is due to mental defects caused by radioactivity. Presumably, they only want the best and brightest to migrate and start anew.
The movie makes no mention of these individuals, but the game does. McCoy even runs into a few of them in the sewer, which is probably the only place they’re not ostracized. That said, it makes little sense given some of the weirdos walking the streets.
4Bone Marrow Test
The movies never go into the contrasting anatomy of humans and replicants. Granted, downplaying the physical differences strengthens the existential themes, but it doesn’t make much sense from a practical perspective. That’s somethingthat Phillip K. Dick understood when writing the book.
He explains that one can identify dead replicants by a bone marrow test. The game also brings this up as a potential method of investigation. It makes you wonderwhy people rely on the Voight-Kampff test, as it seems far less accurate.
3Animals
You don’t see many animals inBlade Runner. After all, they’re nearly extinct. The movie passes it off as another dystopian aspect of the world, but it’s a focal point of the game. The plot involves animal killings committed by replicants. Because they’re so rare, the city treats them with similar severity as human murder. Sure, the department sends a rookie Blade Runner, but it’s still an official police matter.
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This means it also warrants high prices. Emil Runciter runs a seedy shop purported to sell real animals. Apparently, animals in this world are akin to jewels, drugs, and other expensive goods. Like those other industries, buyers have to watch our for fakes. Half of Runciter’s specimens are artificial. What a shame. He seemed so trustworthy.
2Training Course
It goes without saying that being a Blade Runner has special requirements. Details are vague, but it’s clearly a prestigious branch of the police force. Even the most capable cops may not get in, as seen with Alani Davis inBlack Lotus. Those who qualify have to keep their skills sharp.
That’s why the game introduces a training course. Standard police departments have firearm training, but this seems to have a bigger budget. Participants trek through labyrinthine alleys and shoot at the simulated hostiles that pop up.It’s akin toWild GunmanorDuck Hunton a grander scale. If only Blade Runners knew they could achieve the same effect by going to an arcade, then they could save a ton of money in the defense fund.
1Multiple Outcomes
The game presents a branching story with numerous outcomes for each scenario. Much of this depends on player choice and how certain situations play out. Some paths, though, diverge before fans even start playing.
Every time you start a new game,it randomizes several narrative elements. Some characters might be replicants in one playthrough and humans in another. If any future writers attempt to build on the events in this game, they’ll have to pick one of these outcomes and establish it as the official canon.
Blade Runner Enhanced Editionis available now for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
