Nerds That Geek Gaming Flashback: ‘Blade Runner’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The movie tie-in video game is a genre of gaming that is often lamented by so many, for simple and understandable reasons. For often times these types of games are nothing more than an outright cash grab. Which means that the quality of the game is sub-par at best and that is quite the turn off for prospective players. Because the fact of the matter is; they have a certain ideal in mind when it comes to tie-in games. Specifically, if they’re going to invest money and time in a digital version of a movie or TV series that they love, then they want said game to offer up an immersive and enriching experience from beginning to end. A feat that some gaming studios have managed to pull off throughout the years. 

But while it is nice to enjoy a game that has the look and feel of one’s favorite franchise, the ones that truly matter in this vein, are the ones that went above and beyond in their creations. For these are the games that feature a breathtaking experience, one that leaves you in awe when it comes to the depth and care that went into recreating a famous fictional world. And back in 1997 Westwood Studios pulled off that particular feat when it released, Blade Runner. A game set in Los Angeles, November 2019, where you take control of an LAPD Blade Runner known as Ray McCoy, who is of course on the hunt for a group of Replicants that have landed in the big city and are up to no good. 

Which at first glance makes it sound as though this game is no different than any other cash grab tie-in, since that plot feel like a re-hash of the 1982 movie. But that simple and familiar plot is designed to put the end user at ease when they settle in to play and it doesn’t take long for the player to realize that this game is so much more than a re-tread. For it is a deep dive into the world of a Blade Runner, and all of the detailed work that goes into replicant detection is present in this game since you’re required to use clues and the incredibly mysterious and invasive Voight-Kampff Test to uncover the replicants in your stead. And as an added bonus, you get to travel to important landmarks from the original film and interact with original cast members in your journey, and who knows… you might spot Rick Deckard along the way. 

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But while those elements are supremely cool and intoxicating in their own right, they pale in comparison to what matters most in this game, it’s story. Because this particular adventure offers up an enriching tale where every decision you make matters and has consequences. Because those all-important choices will guide the story to one of several endings, and that just makes for an outright unique and incredible gaming experience. Because it makes the game feel realistic and organic and it also ups the replay value of this adventure as well. For no two journeys through the game are ever the same and that definitely keeps you coming back for more, since you’re eager to see how the game is going to surprise you this next time around.

Yet while we’ve talked at length about how wonderful this game is, it does have some minor flaws. For at times, the control interface can be quite clunky and that can frustrate the player to no end, especially in the middle of a firefight. But minor issues such as that, and the sometimes-repetitive nature of the game play, can be easily overlooked. Because once you’re enjoying the enriching story or standing in Eldon Tyrell’s grand boardroom with the golden sun glittering through the filter, or just outright firing up the Voight-Kampff test, you’re immediately lost in this rich universe and enjoying the mystery of who is human and who is not as you wander a fascinating world that offers a feast for your eyes.

​So, if you’re suddenly intrigued and pondering upon how to experience this incredible game, there are thankfully, options available to you. For starters it is available now at GOG for a reasonable price, but if you can wait a little longer, it is also arriving on console as an Enhanced Edition later this year. Which means it won’t be long before this incredible game is in the headlines again and truly, it is going to be a delight to play this one once more. For it truly harkens back to a golden era of gaming where story and experience mattered above all else.

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