Blade Runner (computer game, 1997)
| Blade runner | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Westwood Studios | ||
| Publisher | Virgin Interactive | ||
| Senior Developer | Louis J. Castle | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1997 | ||
| platform | Microsoft Windows | ||
| genre | Point-and-click adventure | ||
| Subject | Cyberpunk | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse | ||
| medium | CD-ROM , DVD | ||
| language | German English | ||
| Age rating |
|
||
Blade Runner is a computer game from 1997 by the game developer Westwood Studios and their last title before it was acquired by Electronic Arts . The point-and-click adventure has its own plot, but is thematically and optically based on the film of the same name . The main character is the replicant hunter Ray McCoy. It is the second software implementation of the Blade Runner theme; in 1985, CRL Group PLC published a shoot 'em up of the same name for home computers that were common at the time .
action
The game is based on the specifications of Blade Runner , Ridley Scott's film adaptation of the science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick , which is thematically assigned to the genre of cyberpunk . The focus is on the question of what characterizes humans compared to other species or machines and where being human begins. The action of the game takes place in 2019, coinciding with the action of the film. There are allusions to the movie as well as the locations known from the film, for example in the form of a photo to be examined in which the protagonist of the film, Deckard, is in the background of a fishmonger's inquiries about an animal scale. The narrative is otherwise independent.
The focus is on the young blade runner Ray McCoy, the plot itself is a typical detective story. Like his colleague Deckard, it's McCoy's job to track down and eliminate replicants. These artificially created people, who are visually indistinguishable from biological people and who are not allowed to enter cities on earth, hide in the city or try to lead a normal life undetected among people. In order to avoid exposure, which would be synonymous with killing or - depending on your point of view - destruction, they are ready to go to extremes. The distribution of roles in the game is not always the same, which makes it more difficult for the player. Instead, the program determines which of the recurring characters are replicants each time the game is started. In order to expose this, he uses the gadgets known from film and books (e.g. Voight-Kampff test, Esper image analysis).
The plot extends over five acts and varies depending on the actions of the player. This also leads to different game outcomes, which can range from the annihilation of all replicants to McCoy's fraternization with the mechanical beings.
Game principle and technology
Blade Runner is a point-and-click adventure with a non-linear sequence. A built-in random number generator ensures that the game conditions are slightly different with each restart, so that a total of up to twelve different end sequences can be achieved. Ultimately, however, the player doesn't feel much of this feature, and the game plays for the most part as linearly as other representatives of the genre. There is a 13th ending sequence that cannot be reached from within the game. According to the developers, it was classified as not dramatically relevant.
The player controls the McCoy character with the help of the mouse and a point-and-click surface from an observer's perspective through the pre-rendered background scenery. Predefined interaction points exist on the cards, but unlike usual in the genre, the player does not have an inventory to pick up objects, examine them or combine them with other objects / objects. Instead, a main component of the game consists in questioning the various characters who, however, do not stay in the same place all the time, but move within the game world similar to The Last Express . The player also has only limited influence on the questions. The course of the conversation is based on the information McCoy has previously gathered. The information is collected in the form of recordings, notes or photos in a computer called the Knowledge Integration Assistant (KIA) and can be viewed there at any time. In the background, the possible dialogues with NPCs are managed in a database which, based on the course of the game, determines which topics might interest the player at the time of the query. Another peculiarity of the game are the action sequences in which McCoy is attacked by replicants, for example, and he has to hit certain targets with his weapon within a short period of time. If he fails, McCoy dies and a game over occurs .
Production notes
The game runs on Windows . In addition to the detailed, pre-rendered background graphics that were usual for this time, the game uses a voxel technique to depict the characters and dynamic objects in the game world. This compare also the Voxeltechnik in Westwood's Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun . In addition, the game used an innovative technique to calculate the voice output from individual sentence fragments. In addition to the game graphics mentioned above, elaborately rendered full-motion video clips determine a large part of the course of the game.
The game was originally released on four PC CD-ROMs. The limited storage capacity of the data carriers forced the developers to significantly reduce the number of polygons of numerous supporting characters in order to avoid frequent CD changes during the game. Later versions of the game were also released on DVD.
reception
| ||||||||||
Blade Runner received mostly positive reviews. The GameRankings review database aggregates 16 reviews to a mean of 77%. The US game magazine Computer Gaming World gave the game 4.5 out of 5 points. Tester Allen Greenberg praised the graphic quality, speaker quality and background sound, which adheres closely to the original film. The real-time elements would also give the game an exceptionally tactical aspect, especially since the replicants are significantly more malicious than in the film and thus form a permanent threatening backdrop:
“It is this element of action and timing - not any puzzles - that makes Blade Runner truly challenging. For this reason, and for the incredible re-creation of the mood and atmosphere of the 1982 film, newcomers and experienced adventurers alike will find the game a compelling and unique experience. "
“It's that combination of action and timing - not the puzzles - that makes Blade Runner really challenging. Because of this, and because it brings the mood and atmosphere of the 1982 film back to life in an incredible way, beginners and seasoned adventurers alike will find the game a compelling and unique experience. "
At the ceremony the Interactive Achievement Awards 1998, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences was Blade Runner awarded "Best Adventure Game". It was also nominated in the categories “Interactive Game of the Year”, “Outstanding Achievements in Art Design / Graphics” and “Outstanding Achievements in Software Engineering”.
Although the game was released during a period when the adventure genre was popularly known as "dead," the game sold over a million copies.
Web links
- Blade Runner at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Allen Greenberg: Sharp as a Blade . (Article scan) In: Computer Gaming World . 03/1998, No. 164, March 1998, pp. 155-158.
- ↑ Point & Click Adventures . In: Retro Gamer . No. 3, 2015, p. 28.
- ↑ Gloria Stern: Interview with Louis Castle About Westwood's Blade Runner ( English ) In: Gamasutra . United Business Media. February 20, 1998. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ↑ a b GameRankings.com: Blade Runner. Retrieved January 1, 2019 .
- ^ Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences : 1998 Awards Winner . Official website. Last accessed on March 27, 2012.
- ↑ Chris Woodard: E3 Workshop: The Inner Game: What Goes Into The Industry's Best-Selling Titles ( English ) In: Gamasutra . United Business Media. May 12, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2012.