Westwood Studios’ classic adventure game Blade Runner is set to receive an enhanced port. Called Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, the new version of the point-and-click title will release later this year on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Handling the port will be Nightdive Studios, which has re-released many classic PC titles and is currently working on System Shock. Rather than an adaptation of the 1982 film or a sequel to the story, the 1997 title tells a side-story that takes place during the same time as the original.
The release will use the developer’s KEX game engine, which they previously used for several other video game restorations including Turok, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Blood, and Forsaken Remastered. New to Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition are a number of graphical improvements. The port will feature updated character models and animations, upscaled cutscenes, and support for widescreen resolutions. Players will also be able to customize the in-game controls on either keyboards or controllers.
“Blade Runner is still a jaw-dropping achievement on every level,” says Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick. “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. 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.”
The classic game had been locked up in legal matters that were only recently resolved. This saw the release of the original Blade Runner on GOG in December 2019. Nightdive Studios credits Joe LeFavi of Genuine Entertainment for help getting this deal done with the Alcon Interactive Group.
