Blade Runner

Moby ID: 341

Windows version

Do Adventure Gamers Dream of Electric Sheep?

The Good
Blade Runner is probably one of the most misunderstood and undervalued science fiction films. It failed to generate big box office success in 1982, only to slowly become a cult classic, decades later. This point n' click, graphic adventure game, loosely based on the film, seems to have suffered the same fate. The film's dark, dystopian look and mood is wonderfully recreated in the game, which features amazing animation, graphics, music and sound effects that help to capture the look and feel of the feature film. The voice talents are, for the most part, equally impressive and the game takes great pains to avoid being trapped in linear game play. The game features several different possible endings, depending on the choices that you make at key points in the game. The game unfolds in a real time format and is set in the same time frame as the film, but shortly after its events begin to unfold, thus weaving in plenty of settings and characters that are both familiar and new.

The Bad
The game does feature several fast paced, arcade action sequences within its vast point n' click, adventure gaming format, which needed to mastered to win. While the control is smooth (allowing you to easily run, walk, pull out and aim your weapon) the sequences can be a bit tricky for traditional adventure gamers who might not excel in area of arcade action, may have to spend some quality time at the police shooting range. The philosophical-political themes in the film have been, slightly, watered down in the game as has the mature sexual content. Some of the technology needed to advance in the game, i.e. the ESPER photo-enhancement machine, will take some trial and error before you fully appreciate them. Last, but not least, while the game does not need any special 3D graphics card, it does need a pretty fast computer to work. Getting it to work on Windows XP or Vista may be a challenge.

The Bottom Line
Blade Runner is an amazing graphic adventure computer game, which like the film that it is based on, has become a cult classic. It helped to redefined what was thought to be possible and if you can find a computer that will run the game, then you are in for a real treat.

by ETJB (428) on February 24, 2010

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