The 1997 ‘Blade Runner’ PC game is now on GOG

Blade Runner, Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi noire, has had a complicated history. The production was plagued with setbacks, it bombed in theaters, multiple versions of the movie exist and fans can't agree on whether or not the protagonist is an android. The point-and-click PC game adaptation fared a bit better, until the source code was lost. This meant that the release of a digital download version of the title was extremely unlikely. Fans intervened, though, and together with GOG.com they've reconstructed the game, which is available for less than $10.

ScummVM is a program that lets users launch certain games on platforms that they weren't designed for. Fans used this as a way to get Blade Runner working on modern computers, but it wasn't a simple procedure. They spent about eight years analyzing the game's code and reassembling it into its current form. Earlier in the year, ScummVM added support for Blade Runner, but it required that players still have the game files in order to launch the game. This downloadable version from GOG.com runs on its own and doesn't require any other files.

In Blade Runner, the player assumes the role of detective Ray McCoy, who is tasked with hunting down replicants at the same time as Rick Deckard, the movie's protagonist. McCoy has to uncover clues, interrogate witnesses, search for suspects and ultimately "retire" the rogue androids. The game progresses in real-time (as opposed to waiting for the player to trigger certain events), which is pretty unique for a point-and-click adventure. It also borrows many of the characters, locations and music from the movie, so fans of the film will likely want to check it out. You can download it today from GOG.com for $8.99 -- the price will go up to $9.99 after the launch period, though it's not clear how long that is.