Blade Runner Point-and-Click Adventure Game Review: A classic slowly becoming lost in time

Released in 1997 and developed by the popular development studio Westwood Studios -- which later became victim to EA's grasp, leading to its eventual liquidation -- Blade Runner is a late 90's, narrative-focused point-and-click adventure game

While having the Blade Runner name, the game doesn't necessarily follow the narrative of the movie, like most games that use a film title in their name. Although, it does focus on the aspect of being a 'Blade Runner', a gun for hire with the target forever being awol Replicants down on Earth.

With Replicants turning up to a store that sells authentic animals for a high price, killing the animals and leaving the shop-owner alive, it's your job to discover the truth behind the attack; and to find out who did it, and where they could be now. As with a point-and-click game, there's a lot of picking up the pieces, lots of characters to approach and talk to in order to squeeze every potential hint out of them.

Sticking to the famous universe of the Blade Runner movie, many of the settings are familiar: Chinatown, the towering Police Station, and even your humming apartment with a balcony that overlooks that tightly-hugged buildings and their neon tones. Everything within the game wants you to believe that you are a Blade Runner, stuck within familiar settings, but exploring a completely different narrative.

Fittingly, the art direction and quality of the music feels wonderfully dated. But in this rare case, the way in which everything feels dated only adds onto the noir-esque nature of both the film, and the atmosphere of the game. A low quality rendition of Vangelis' Blade Runner Blues accompanies you throughout moments, and it makes you want to never leave.

There's something about this game that just sticks with you. It's an unforgettable experience, even when you're hopelessly running around the world in search for additional clues that could have been left behind, previously unknown to you. Even the use of your gun holds meaning, as you're reminded constantly that it should never be fired at anyone other than Replicants; to hit a human would render you jobless. Finished as a Blade Runner.

Unfortunately, Blade Runner is an incredibly rare game to find. It's been facing a losing battle against the test of time, if you're hoping to find a physical, affordable version of the game. While some internet archiving sites have saved it and allowed people to download it digitally, it's also a game that many don't realise exists. It's a shame, but once again, another fitting end to Blade Runner. Appreciated by those willing to understand its beautiful nature.