Annapurna Announce Bladerunner 2033: Labyrinth!

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Annapurna Interactive are well-established in the indie game industry. They’ve put out several stellar titles such as Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Stray. However, up until this point, they’ve just been a publishing company working with other indie developers. However, during today’s showcase (June 29th, 2023) they announced their debut in-house project… Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth.

The trailer was frustratingly short, leaving plenty to the imagination. Players will have to wait and see what’s in store in terms of gameplay, but the trailer did at least reveal several important details.

Firstly, this is going to be a phenomenal game when it comes to the visuals. The graphics look like that of a triple A company, with exquisite attention having been paid to the details. The ambient background noises coming from outside also help add to the intense atmosphere that’s set by the trailer.

Blade Runner is a popular franchise with a cult following, and Annapurna Interactive have taken on an impressive task. There will be plenty of hardcore fans who will expect a lot from this game, and it’s going to be their job to deliver. It’ll be available on both PC and console, so they’ll have a wide range of gamers to appease.

The basic premise of the Blade Runner series is that it’s set in a futuristic world where androids are rebelling against the humans who created them. It’s up to the Blade Runners (essentially bounty hunters) to decommission the deadly androids before they become too much of a threat.

What Can We Expect From the Gameplay?

It seems you’ll be playing as a disgraced LAPD detective who’s been invited back after having previously lost his job. It’s evident from the voiceover that this is a guy who thrives in the shadows, perhaps reflecting a morally-gray personality?

There are no actual clips of gameplay, nor any idea of how far into development they are. It’s likely that it’s still in the early stages, and it didn’t even say ‘coming soon’, so I expect we won’t see it until late 2024 at the very earliest. Nevertheless, it’s an intriguing premise, and if I were to speculate on the content, I feel like a puzzle-adventure game seems likely.

Blade Runner 2033
The lighting adds to the dark overall vibe.

The clips in the trailer seemed to predominantly feature detective work as well as a vast dystopian cityscape. I can imagine that the game could potentially involve you traversing the environment, collecting items, and uncovering clues to solve whichever mystery resulted in your character’s job being reinstated.

If you enjoy darker games, check out some of Indie Game Culture’s other reviews:

  • Disco Elysium – Regular listeners of the IGC podcast will know that JT can’t stop raving about this one. Set in a war-torn world, you have to slowly regain your own memories of the environment you’ve found yourself in.
  • Killer Frequency – This walking simulator set in the 80s is reminiscent of old slasher movies, and earned a review score of 8 from our typically-hard-to-please Callum Marshall.
  • Shadows of Doubt – This unique detective mystery is procedurally generated, making for a completely new experience from anything you’ll have played before. Piece together the clues in this very replayable game that was inspired by Blade Runner.
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