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Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition revealed by Nightdive Studios, set for late 2020

The classic 1997 adventure game from Westwood Studios is getting new life with a fully enhanced version from Nighdive Studios coming to PC and consoles later this year.

TJ Denzer

March 12, 2020 9:01 AM

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In December 2019 a miracle in gaming happened. The 1997 Westwood Studios adventure game adaptation of Blade Runner appeared on GOG.com as a result of several teams of developers reverse engineering the game’s lost code from various discs. Now, a few months later, the Blade Runner game is being revitalized even further by Nightdive Studios, who is working on Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition for launch on PC and consoles in late 2020 in partnership with Alcon Entertainment.

Nightdive Studios revealed Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition on March 12, 2020 in a press release. The studio is working on polishing every single part of the game. Character models and animations will be updated, cutscenes will be upscaled, and keyboard, controller, and widescreen support are just a few among a number of additions coming to Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition. Reportedly, it’s Nightdive Studios’ KEX Engine at the core of the project, which has been used in restoration projects like System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, and more.

If you’re not interested in a Blade Runner game becoming something completely separate of the original experience, you’re not alone. Although Blade Runner is currently available in the restored form on GOG.com, Nightdive is still striving to faithfully keep the feelings and gameplay of the original experience intact in every way they can.

“Blade Runner is still a jaw-dropping achievement on every level, so while we’re using KEX to upgrade the graphics and respectfully elevate the gaming experience in a way you’ve never seen before, we’re still preserving Westwood’s vision and gameplay in all its glory,” said Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick. “While you can enjoy the benefits of playing the game on modern hardware, the game should look and feel not as it was, but as glorious as you remember it being.”

It’s safe to say that if you’re enjoying seeing Blade Runner make a resurgence, there’s more on the way. Nightdive’s Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch sometime in late 2020, a lovely classic addition to the 2020 video game calendar.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.