Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition (Switch)

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Matchstick
Posts: 977
Joined: October 26th, 2017, 6:45 am

Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition (Switch)

Postby Matchstick » June 27th, 2022, 5:24 pm

Been anticipating this one for a while. I missed out on the BR PC game back in the day, and by the time I tracked down a copy, I had difficulty playing it on a modern version of Windows. I was happy to hear a re-release was in order for consoles, but I was also wary at how the gameplay would translate.

My first session with this game was fantastic! I played it at night in a darkened room, with a warm cup of coffee. I loved the atmosphere (taken directly from the film universe) and was pleasantly surprised by the storyline and character interactions. Though the game is a bit dated visually, and the "enhancements" seem iffy, it doesn't detract from the experience. At its heart, it's still a point-and-click adventure.

I felt I was making great progress after my first session, but the next night, faults in the gameplay started to become more pronounced. The biggest issue is, for a game that puts you in the shoes of a Blade Runner, you just don't feel much like one!

Even when I come across characters that I *know* are Replicants, I can't give them the VK test unless it pops up as an option in the dialogue menu. I also can't "retire" Replicants whenever I choose - I can draw my gun and point, but the game won't let me actually shoot. Typically, there has to be some sort of cutscene where the Replicant blatantly attacks me or runs away before I'm allowed to blast them. Laaaaaaame!

Also, the game has no sort of digital manual to explain the menus and options, and no controller layout screen explaining the buttons, either. Imagine my surprise when I found myself interrogating someone, only to push the wrong button and accidentally draw my gun on them! And, of course, after that, they were no longer willing to answer my questions or cooperate.

There's plenty of characters from the film making appearances - all voiced by their respective actors - but the interactions with them have been fairly limited. Snippets of the film score play at certain intervals, too. The game pretty much nails the film's setting and atmosphere, but just doesn't give me the freedom to let me play how I want. I like the game, but there is definitely a limit to the amount of direct control you have over it.

For $10, I think it's worth the download for fans of the film or point-and-click adventure gamers. Everyone else can probably wait for a sale - or skip it entirely. It's getting a Limited Run release at some point down the line, but, by their standards, it seems pretty bare-bones. Let's just say I will not be giving them my $35 for it.

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BlasteroidAli
Posts: 1594
Joined: April 9th, 2015, 7:50 pm

Re: Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition (Switch)

Postby BlasteroidAli » June 28th, 2022, 4:02 pm

thanks for the review. I might get it cheap. I love Blade runner.


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