Blade Runner

I first played this as a kid and have revisited it every few years (in the past having to fumble with tricks to get it installed). Even now, over twenty years later, this game stands the test of time and is a must play for any fans of blade runner. The expansion of the film’s universe is executed so skilfully, and the atmosphere is captured perfectly. Now that it’s as simple as paying $9.99 on GoG, there is little to no excuse to not experience this masterpiece.

Great experience! Replayability only goes up as you playthrough more saves. Random replicant keeps the story interesting. And the game is beyond beautiful for it's time. I wish that more games from the era could've been rendered like this one.

The existence of this game has always been a kind of small miracle to me. When it first came out in late 1997, games based on movies were usually bad by default, point-and-click adventures had increasingly fallen out of favor and noir stories in any medium were not exactly crowd-pullers to begin with. Yet, Westwood Studios had somehow managed to create an almost perfect game in the "Blade Runner" universe. Not only does the game tie in neatly with the 1982 movie while still standing on its own, it also captures the movie's strongest elements, namely the dystopian look of the world, the atmospheric Vangelis soundtrack, numerous gorgeous set pieces, as well as the complex philosophical themes of the story. On top of all that, "Blade Runner" simply is a top-notch point-and-click adventure title, in which even the action and RNG elements aren't just gimmicks for additional replay value, but a means to highlight the philosophical sci-fi premise of the original source material. Thank you, GOG & Co. for bringing this absolute gem back!

The Blade Runner aesthetic comes to life with the impressive pre-rendered backdrops and cut scenes. Your choices and actions drive the game to one of over a dozen endings. At first glance, the game seems like a simplified point and click adventure game. You cannot even use items like in other games; it's mostly a pixel hunt. But beyond that simplicity is a compelling story and a world that really pulls you in. The closet modern parallels would be games like Heavy Rain and Detroit from Quantic Dream. The style of gameplay works well for the detective main character. Be sure to save often - your character can be killed or arrested if you make mistakes!

The game ties-in and borrows much from the original movie while still remaining its own story in the Blade Runner universe; feels somewhat like a prequel. There are multiple endings, and the player could find themselves a replicant, a Blade Runner, or just a criminal on the lam; with or without a companion. Non-enhanced game ran fine on windows 10. Some parts of the game are a bit confusing where it's not apparent what one has to do to progress and could result in wandering around the map locations clicking on everything to discover what has been missed; I had to consult a walkthrough a few times. Purchased the game when discounted in a weekend sale and clocked just under 17hours to see all 4 alternate endings.