Blade Runner

"A worthwhile experience, blending exploration and some action with excellent atmosphere and detail."

This game is something of an oldie now, released in the latter half of the 90s. It's a PC adventure game (a.k.a. point 'n' click) where you play Ray McCoy, a relatively new recruit to the Blade Runner unit: an elite squad within the Los Angeles Police Department of 2019 charged with hunting down and assassinating replicants. Replicants are robots with four year lifespans that look and act as though they are human, and are often used off-world for various hazardous tasks. After a first assignment, you receive word that a ship carry a host of reps has crash landed just outside the city limits, and you're tasked with helping to track them down.

The bulk of the game has you performing detective work: exploring different locations around the rain-soaked city, speaking to characters both important and incidental, finding clues, examining evidence and shooting replicants. If any of this sounds remotely fun, interesting or intriguing to you, then I would strongly suggest checking the game out. Since it's nearly 15 years after the original release date, you should be able to find it relatively cheaply.

One thing I am unable to provide as a reviewer is how this game sits within its genre. As far as I understand it, adventure games practically died out in the first half of the 1990s, and I haven't played many other examples of the genre. The only relative experience I bring to the table is a brief flirt with Beneath a Steel Sky and the Zork series of games. Other reviews I have read on Blade Runner suggest that the mix of action and puzzle solving is not balanced enough, and that what puzzles there are, aren't interesting or "puzzley" enough. Certainly, there are no "combine item A with B" or "tap in the correct security code" puzzles to speak of. You gather clues, visit locations and the fairly linear plot unfolds. It makes for difficult evaluation because these criticisms can be upheld; but what I personally enjoyed about the game was the atmosphere, the voice acting and dialogue with characters, the plot lines and the locations. I suppose the game ends up being more of an "interactive movie," even though I hate buzzwords, because you never really have to piece disparate pieces of evidence together for yourself. You just have to decide where to go and who to talk to next - don't expect a cerebral workout.

The plot has something of a twist around two-thirds of the way through and there are (according to Wikipedia) some 19 different endings to be seen. I have managed about 4 of those so far, and all of them depend on subtle exchanges and decisions you make during the course of play. Not all of them are hugely obvious, and to get one of them I had to consult a walk through, but generally they are suitable and entertaining.

Controls are almost exclusively mouse-bound, which is no bad thing. The cursors you use will alter depending on the whereabouts of the mouse: green for interaction with characters, the world, or to pick up an item, blue to exit the screen you're in for a new one, and a three or five prong shape for shooting your gun. The KIA (a personal clue database, like a PDA) keeps track of everything you've found in addition to significant chunks of conversation or narration McCoy provides on a topic. Should you get stuck, the KIA can provide a handy reminder of who you've spoken to and what you've found so far - sometimes you have to re-visit locations to speak to characters armed with new information or will be able to access a different part of the area upon return. Again, this is no bad thing, since it's never overdone to the point of tedium. Across the 4 CDs this game spans, I only ever became seriously stuck twice or thrice.

Graphics-wise all of the environments look fairly good by 2009 standards because they are generally still backgrounds with minor animated effects. However, the character models now look extremely rough around the edges, so you'll have to use your imagination for some of them. The sound design is very good, and the few occasions where music plays is fitting (and matches the style of the film.)

My best piece of advice (since there's no option to get hold of a demo) would be to get onto YouTube and check out some of the walk through videos - even if only for the first 5 minutes. It won't spoil too much and you can decide whether you like the look of the gameplay on offer, as there are no huge changes in the 3 other discs aside from plot developments. I first played this game at the age of 13 and I'm still returning to it 10 years on. If that particular piece of information influences you, then so be it. I enjoyed it, perhaps you will too.

Lastly, I would also advise you to check out Ridley Scott's film version - you'll be astounded at just how precise Westwood were at capturing the distinctive atmosphere in terms of sights and sounds. That, plus Philip K. Dick's original book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It's just a shame that both Westwood and Dick are no longer around to keep providing entertainment for the masses.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/03/09

Game Release: Blade Runner (US, 10/31/97)