Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition
Image: Nightdive Studios

While Blade Runner fans recently got the movie sequel they'd been praying for in the shape of Blade Runner 2049, back in the '90s the next best thing was Westwood Studio's superb point-and-click adventure for the PC.

Simply titled 'Blade Runner', it focused on replicant bounty hunter Roy McCoy and was set during the events of Ridley Scott's original 1982 film. While it told a new story in a nonlinear fashion, it tied itself in with the movie by including some of the same characters, with Sean Young, James Hong, Joe Turkel, Brion James and William Sanderson reprising their roles from the film.

The game was praised for its storytelling and gameplay, but was also released at a time before 3D acceleration hardware on computers was the norm. Westwood designed its own software-based renderer using voxel technology to create a convincing 3D world; a feat which remains impressive even today.

Why are we giving you this history lesson? Well, it has been announced that Nightdive Studios and Alcon Entertainment are working together to remaster the game for modern platforms, including the Xbox One.

Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition has been reverse-engineered due to the original source code being lost, and uses Nightdive's proprietary KEX engine, as seen on other remaster projects. This means it will feature updated character models, animations and cutscenes.

Night Dive CEO Stephen Kick had this to say about the news:

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. 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.

Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is expected to launch later this year.