Supermassive Games was working on a Blade Runner game but it’s been canceled. The game, called Blade Runner: Time To Live was supposed to come out in 2027 on current and next-gen consoles. It was in pre-production last September. For fans of cyberpunk and story-driven games this is a big loss.
Cyberpunk: A Genre With Few True Classics
Cyberpunk is an interesting genre but there aren't many works that show its full potential. The Matrix Blade Runner and Akira are the best movies from the genre but each only shows a small part of what cyberpunk can be.
Blade Runner sets the right mood. but its detective story is not very exciting. Akira looks amazing. but it doesn't feel much like cyberpunk especially with its creature-filled ending. The Matrix is an exciting action film but it lacks the cityscapes that define the genre. It's like blind men feeling parts of an elephant we get pieces of the picture but never the whole thing.
I have the same complaint about games in this genre. Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City looks amazing. but there are too many locked doors to make exploring fun. In Final Fantasy 7 the game only spends a few hours in Midgar and even in the Remake it spends too much time in similar green and gray halls missing the bright colorful feel of cyberpunk.
Whenever a new cyberpunk game comes out. I get my hopes up. I expect a lot from these games because they already have a strong aesthetic. This is especially true if the game uses the Blade Runner IP or is made by the team behind Until Dawn one of the best horror games ever.
Until Dawn: Deckard Edition A New Twist on the Classic
Cyberpunk is one of the most cinematic genres. It has everything that looks amazing on screen: smoke, fog, rain, neon lights, huge cities, shiny metal and cars. If you made a list of the top ten most cinematic things most of these would be on it. Supermassive known for making cinematic games with famous actors like Will Poulter and Jessie Buckley would be a perfect fit. With a bigger budget especially if they got the Blade Runner IP they could have made something great. While their previous game Man of Medan wasn’t a big hit. it could have been much better with more polish.
When Supermassive is at its best the results are amazing. Until Dawn is a great horror game inspired by 80s and 90s slasher films. It’s fun cheesy and perfect for playing with friends. You can easily picture the studio bringing to life the world created by Philip K. Dick Ridley Scott and Denis Villeneuve. As someone who enjoys games for their atmosphere. I think it would be an incredible place to explore.
Supermassive is very productive so I’m sure the team is already working on something new. But it’s still disappointing that all those quick-time events in beautiful neon-lit cityscapes are gone.
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