Written by: Rik
Date posted: January 1, 2004

Blade Runner is, of course, based upon the film of the same name, starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer. Ford plays the title role as Deckard, a retired super-cop recalled to action to deal with a group of illegal androids (‘replicants’) led by Roy Batty (Hauer), determined to meet their maker in the hope of extending their life-span.

The film was itself based on a novel by sci-fi author Philip K. Dick entitled ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?‘. However, the script differs significantly from the book in numerous areas and the film is generally perceived to be the creation of its director, Ridley Scott and the scriptwriters as much as Dick himself. Released in 1982, it was generally branded as a flop by critics and cinema-goers alike, something that owed much to the problems surrounding the film’s development. It went well over budget, director and leading man did not see eye-to-eye, and studio directors, puzzled by the film’s less-than-clear-cut story, ordered the inclusion of a voice-over narrative by Ford and a sappy end-sequence to clarify things.

By the time the director’s cut appeared (1991), removing what had been unnecessarily added, the film had already built up a large cult following, and it has continued to grow. Lingering hopes of a sequel remain, although it seems unlikely that one will ever be made.

The game is set around the same time as the film but features a completely different story and numerous different characters and locations. The few film characters that do appear only really have cameo roles, and Deckard himself is not mentioned in the dialogue, only appearing once in the background. The series of Blade Runner novels continue more closely along the film’s lines than the game, which is really more of a spin-off product that is occasionally found lacking in authenticity.