We are all excited about the next big release of the RPG by CD Projekt Red which is none other than Cyberpunk 2077. The name itself is enough to describe how huge this game would be. While we have been luring over on the fact that Keanu Reeves is going to be in the game, there are a lot of other aspects that have been revealed about this upcoming hit of 2020 in the past few months. The eagerness is boiling up to an extent that it is hard to keep a record of everything that we have known from different sources up till now about the game. Hence, we have combined a list of everything you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077. Additionally, it doesn’t really matter if you’ve played it before or not since after going through these headings, you will be completely prepared to take in whatever is being offered by the game in order to face it with a clear mind when it is finally available!
Before moving on to the significant aspects, watch this teaser trailer that was released way earlier in order to refresh your memory so that we can go in somewhat chronological order!
Release Date of Cyberpunk 2077:
Well, before diving into the details, for those of you who are still wondering, cyberpunk 2077 will be officially released on 16th April 2020.
We confirm about the date now because none other than our favorite actor Keanu Reeves revealed it in the Flesh at E3 2019. The entry that he made was utterly phenomenal and the reactions we received are also worth talking about (will be discussed further in the article).
The game will be available on PC, PS4, XBOX 1 and Google Stadia. Hence whatever mode you would be using to have the first experience of the game, you can decide it now and plan according to it. Another thing which all the fans must know is that the pre-orders of the game have already started so if you haven’t still placed your order, go do it now!!
What is Cyberpunk?
This part is mainly for people who are not aware of cyberpunk but are interested in knowing it more closely. Hence those of you who have been following and reading up on cyberpunk for a long time can probably skip this heading. However, this might serve as a refresher to those who know cyberpunk well but haven’t interacted with it in a long while so go through it and have an amazing memory come back to you just before finally jumping in the world of Cyberpunk 2077:
While answering this question is certainly not a piece of cake, there are several aspects that could be defined in order to have a better understanding of both the literal and the metaphorical meanings of this word and the implications that it has had throughout this time period since it was first introduced.
The word cyberpunk is basically made up from the two obvious words Cyber which is usually associated with internet and high tech and Punk which has a negative connotation attached to it. Hence, understanding the literal meaning of the word is not much of an endeavor. Although, there are a lot of other aspects that weave in to finally make cyberpunk what it is right now.
Normally, cyberpunk is treated as a sub-genre of science fiction and is studied in various aspects. While the history of cyberpunk can go way back, we are more interested in its origins as an RPG (Role Playing Game). Mike Pondsmith is said to be the first person who created cyberpunk as a tabletop RPG. If you search a bit about this guy, you will get an idea of how famous he is for his board games, and more specifically the role-playing games that are now available both as tabletop and as video games. Luckily, Pondsmith didn’t just introduce it and left but has also been working with the team for the upcoming version of the game. This just makes cyberpunk 2077 even more interesting as it will now have a flavor of the original idea!
While the above information is helpful to understand the background, before playing the game itself, you need to know about the setting and the concept as well in order to fit in, after all, it is a 2077 game; how can you possibly enter that world without knowing anything?
- The setting of Cyberpunk:
As we just saw that the name itself defines how technology is very much integrated in the concept of the game, we can now see the setting of the game in this same light. The reason behind saying it is the fact that one cannot understand the game without actually getting to know the heights of technology reached through this game.
One of the necessary aspects of high tech used in the game is to understand the fact that it is not always positive, especially because the game is a combination of high tech and low life. While there are a good use of technology and highly secured ways of reducing crime in the city, the crime rate is still very high because of the easy access. Technology is not something that is accessible only to the elites but to every other person living that life. Hence it is said that the setting of cyberpunk is in a dystopian future.
The reason why this dystopian world view is pertinent to the game is that when tech is available to everyone, destruction is a given. We will discuss the aspect of violence with regards to cyberpunk 2077 specifically in more detail after a while but it is first necessary to understand that this setting has been in place since cyberpunk was first introduced.
Another reason why the setting has a dystopian world view is the fact that it has always been in the future and the world that we live in tends to believe that with each passing year, our earth is becoming more and more dangerous, thanks to artificial intelligence and other cybernetics which have increased the chance of violence to a great extent! This is why when in 1988, cyberpunk 2013 was released, it still had such high tech involved which we don’t have in real life even in 2020, but that was not the point of the game anyhow, it was to let people know how they tend to see a future world, an alternative reality which leads us to the next crucial sub-heading when it comes to the world of cyberpunk:
- Alternate Future:
The concept of alternate future reality is not a new one. However, the reason why it holds significance when it comes to cyberpunk is the fact that it is unique in its own way. Firstly, whenever we think of alternative reality, the first thought that comes to mind is of a utopian world where everything is perfect and exactly according to your imagination of a literal dream world, the one where no one kills anyone and where everyone can live in peace. While thinking about a utopian world view seems satisfying, it is at the same time an extremely hopeless view when you look at the reality.
Hence, having the complete opposite is quite what we need at this point in time. Yes, you heard it right; when the optimistic approach doesn’t work, what one should try is to have a pessimistic one by creating a dystopian world. The sole reason behind saying this is the fact that this will help in formulating a different approach. When you play games like cyberpunk where technology is literally destroying everything and anything because it is now much more powerful than humans or any other creature, you get much more hopeful about the time period you are living in. This for me is one of the benefits of playing cyberpunk; while looking at the destructions caused by the characters and players in there, I can analyze how we are still breathing in a better place. Furthermore, while there is increased crime, there is also ways to control it. Hence, one can say with surety that good is always present in some way or the other wherever it is bad in this world.
Lastly, having a dystopian reality in a video game-like cyberpunk just gives the player so much authority that you feel more powerful in real life as well, which I am sure all of us want to happen. Before moving further, have a look at this video if you are still unsure about what exactly is cyberpunk:
Special Outfits:
Another interesting thing that you should know about cyberpunk 2077 is the unusual yet extremely fascinating outfits used throughout the game. We can be sure that this will be one of the aspects which you will enjoy throughout the game and which has made all the characters so much more interesting than they already were.
From Johnny Silverhand to V, almost all the costumes that have been revealed about these characters are now available online for the fans. People can plan their cosplay costumes in advance and have them even before the initial release now. This is not all, even if you don’t plan on buying them before actually playing the game yourself, I am quite sure you would want to have them right after your first game because let’s be honest, who would really want to miss a chance to look like Keanu Reeves and that too in cyberpunk 2077!!
Just to give a final touch to this particular subject, you should know that the costume and design team at the back of this game has worked so hard and for so long just so that you can customize your player to the fullest that not appreciating it just doesn’t feel right.
How to prepare yourself for Cyberpunk 2077?
Well if you haven’t been active enough in the dystopian world of video games, you probably need to be pumped up before you finally start playing cyberpunk 2077. There are multiple ways of doing it but the most appropriate one which we will be sharing with you now is to play other such games before the final release. Whether it is a tabletop pen and paper RPG or in a video game, you need to familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of this sci-fi genre in order to be open to any surprises that come your way when you finally start playing cyberpunk 2077.
However, before jumping to the list of video games that can be played in order to prepare yourself, we would recommend that you also go through some of the movies from this genre if you are completely new to this world or wish to have some theoretical experience before practical hands-on experience. Hence, we are sharing some movies and then games with you which will completely prepare you for the ultimate game of this decade!
Movies:
The list of movies can start off with RoboCop which was released way back in 1987 because of the setting it displayed which was obviously of a dystopian world that is full of criminal activities. Although, if we move forward, we have examples that are more relevant to video games like the film eXistenZ from 1999. This movie not only includes video games in the story but also incorporates the idea of people actually becoming a part of the video game that they are playing. Did this give a Jumanji vibe? Well, the tagline may be the same but the story is quite different due to the use of technology and how it is quite ahead of its time! Skip almost a decade and you get a movie like Dredd from 2012 which was again way ahead of its time and portrayed such a cyberpunk setting that not including it in this list is just not possible. Some other prominent names would include, the anime called ghost in the shell, Strange Days, The Terminator, Akira (Anime), The Matrix and finally Blade Runner! Check out the video below to get a gist of all these movies in order to pick the ones you would want to see before cyberpunk 2077:
Games:
Now that you know the movies, one can move on to the games that should definitely be played in order to be pumped up for the upcoming release. We will start off with the most obvious one, i.e. cyberpunk 2020. You might say that it is not even needed to say that you should familiarize yourself with this first but for the newcomers to our world, who may not know that there have been more cyberpunk games in the series, this one is quite important. Once you are done with this one, we have a bunch of other games that may help you in understanding the dystopian world view when it comes to games. Again it doesn’t matter if you are indulged in a pen and paper game for several hours or if you don’t have access to the pack and so are playing it online, you just need to make yourself familiar with the way. Other notable names in the series would include: Shadowrun, Syndicate, Anachronox, Mankind Divided, Perfect Dark, Deus Ex and finally The Witcher 3 (this one will help much more in understanding cyberpunk 2077 than the actual setting) Again, if you certainly cannot play all of these, you can pick and choose by taking a brief overview from the video below and choosing which one to go with:
Other Significant details:
Understanding a game like cyberpunk 2077 is not an easy task. Hence, to better understand the game itself, you need to know what happens at the back. This part of the article will deal with four extremely significant aspects of the game due to which cyberpunk is what it is today. Understanding and analyzing these aspects of the game will help you in building a better understanding of the game and a different level of appreciation for the people working behind the screens. These four aspects include Cinematic details, music history of the game, script details and a bit about character formation. So without further ado, let’s dive into these important elements of cyberpunk 2077:
- Cinematic Effects:
The behind the scenes which will be shared at the end of this part describes how difficult the cinematography is when it comes to a video game. All the characters, how they need to act in order to give a certain image, and how that image would be changed into a game is just such a complex process that without understanding it, it would be impossible to appreciate the game in its full capacity.
Furthermore, the graphics are one of the most significant parts of this game. The reason behind it is that the game doesn’t feel or look like an anime but then it is still characters. Hence, having these actors work in a manner that the graphics could be shown as real as possible while also giving the character feel is a difficult job to do. There are also a number of motion captures in order to make it look even lively.
Lastly, another thing that has been focused by the cinematic effects is the expressions. When you look at this behind the scenes video, you will be able to identify how the actors portrayed their expressions and how it was copied in the final outcome. Even from the trailer, all the expressions that you can possibly gather are almost as real as possible. Hence, one can say that facial animation has been given great deal of significance in order to make the characters look as apt as possible. Plus, once you start customizing your characters for the game, you will be able to better understand the details and intricacies that have been used in the making process. Take a look at this behind the scenes clip and notice for yourself!
- Music Background:
The environment and setting of the game is what we have already discussed but the music is something that completes the feel. I am not saying it just by looking at the above video but also after listening to the tracks produced by this team which has fascinated the infinite number of viewers and given a more legitimate sense of how the game will feel once it is started.
As stated by the musicians themselves, the music of a dystopian future is everything from rap to edgy and rough sounds, to electronic and hyped up tensed music, while also in a minute way soothing and climax reaching as well. Below is a video of one of our most favorite tracks from the game up till now. Enjoy the music while moving forward with the details.
- Script Details:
As always, the script could be one of the defining factors which tell us how this game is designed for adults only. Even the trailers on YouTube gives us a fair idea of how the language used is not appropriate for kids.
However, the only reason here is not just swearing but also the kind of jokes that have been incorporated in the game. Hence, you might just enjoy it a bit too much but playing it in front of a kid is probably not a good idea. We will be sharing the game demo at the end of this part so that you can see for yourself what kind of language has been incorporated in the game and decide for yourself.
While there is a lot of cursing involved, after watching this demo you will realize how necessary it is to have the same feeling that is being given through all the other aspects of the game. The rationale behind it is simple; you can possibly not think of a crime infected city where technology is much more powerful than humans and is completely controlling human activities where people would be kind enough to not curse twice or even more than that in every other sentence. Expecting this would be to expect that the scriptwriters would totally screw up the script just so that the moral compass could be met! Hence, one can say with certainty that the dialogue writers have done their job well in order to meet the setting of the game and even complement it in order to make it better. Take a look at this demo and get even more prepared for the game:
- Character Details:
The most interesting thing about the characters that you would have noticed in the first few minutes of the above game reveals as well is the attention to detail. When you choose a character in this game, you can have anything and everything customized. However, when finalizing the details of your character, you need to be very cautious.
The reason behind it is that whatever you choose at the start of the game will determine what abilities your character will have afterward.
The details that you can choose include firstly and most importantly the back story of your character because it is an RPG, you need to have a back story with intimate details like maybe your sister dies when you were young and reason behind you being in the night city. This and several other details will be the defining steps of your character through which it will proceed further. Apart from that you can obviously select other minor details as well, like skin tone, hair color, tattoos, body type make-up and much more.
What’s more? Well, physical attributes are obviously important but not enough. Hence, cyberpunk 2077 also allows you to pick up your initial attributes which will define your character. Furthermore, the class has been kept fluid so that you can modify it throughout the game. What else can a person ask for?
Keanu Reeves Character:
We all know the excitement of having Keanu Reeves as one of the characters in cyberpunk 2077. However, the bigger surprise was the fact that his character is that of Johnny Silverhand. Having a celebrity like Keanu is itself a very big thing for a video game, but since it is an RPG, this was quite possible. But the expectation might would have been of having a celebrity actor for a smaller role in which they don’t have to invest much of their time. This is the main reason why Keanu playing the main character was a big reveal which left people in shock and made them hundred times more excited about the game.
The character Johnny Silverhand is said to be dead in this game and it is his ghost that is luring around. This makes it even more interesting as now the character can have different connotations than that in the first-ever cyberpunk game from 1988. Seeing a digital ghost is just as surprising and engaging a concept as one can think of. Hence, this Silverhand character is what we are looking forward to.
While in the initial cyberpunk game, the character was given more of a Rocker boy image and the one who acted like a dungeon, the present character in 2077 version has a more rough kind of feeling. However, one thing that will remain common is obviously the iconic cybernetic arm that is the true symbol of Johnny’s character! Before moving further, let’s watch this entry of Keanu Reeves one more time if you have already watched it before because who would want to miss this:
Additionally, it would be quite unfair to not mention and show you the reactions of people for this above entry of Keanu. Hence here is a glance at the compilation of different reactions that people had when they first saw Keanu Reeves entering at E3 2019 after the trailer:
Cyberpunk Game Series:
As we all know, the very first cyberpunk game which was called cyberpunk 2013 was released back in 1988, after which the second addition called cyberpunk 2020 was then released in 1990. Now the third one in the series is being released in 2020 and is called cyberpunk 2077. Repeating this basic information is just necessary to recall the cyberpunk games that definitely has a connection. This connection includes both similarities that have bound them together and differences that helps in moving on. These can be defined as the following:
- Similarities:
The first and foremost similarity between these games is that all of them are role playing games. Hence, the setting, dialogue delivery, character build-up resonates with each other. Apart from that, another thing that we mentioned earlier as well while discussing Johnny’s character is the fact that while the faces and appearance can change along with the attributes, the characters still remain the same (at least the main characters like Johnny Silverhand) This shows how much the game remembers the roots. Last but most important similarity is the fact that the creator of previous cyberpunk games, Pondsmith is still on board and so we will definitely have a number of nostalgic moments from the game.
- Differences:
As stated above, the whole series of cyberpunk games are RPGs. However, the first two were tabletop pen and paper RPGs while the upcoming cyberpunk 2077 is a video game. No matter how much we try to say that the game is still a role play one, the difference of being a tabletop and a video role-play game is huge and you will eventually analyze it once the game is out. Another point of difference is the fact that these games have not just changed the number of the year which it is set in but a lot of other things as well. While the game itself is enhancing in terms of the features it possesses, it has also progressed in the way players can experience it. The kind of open hand that you will have in cyberpunk 2077 is not so common in the 2013 and 2020 versions. The liberty that you will have over your character and the amount of responsibility that you will have in terms of the abilities your character possess are rare in other RPGs.
Comparison with “The Witcher 3”
Since The Witcher 3 was one of the latest big hit of CD Projekt Red, it is obviously interesting to see how it can be compared to another big project by CDPR that we are much more interested in, i.e. cyberpunk 2077.
The very first thing that can be compared is the team working on any project. For a big project like The Witcher 3, almost 250 people were working which is definitely a huge number. Although, after having an estimate, it could be said that the team working on cyberpunk 2077 is of around 400 people. Having this much amount of people working on a single project for so long itself speaks for the amount of valuable work being put in for the making of the game.
Comparison is not always about differences and so we would now like to point out an aspect of The Witcher 3 which is very much similar to that of cyberpunk 2077. We are talking about having authority over your moral decisions. Both the games allowed and actually encourages the players to make a moral decision, for example to play and challenge someone’s abilities instead of killing them right away. Hence it is completely in your hands whether you would want to make the game interesting by playing with your opponent and their abilities or to just kill them right away!
Another similarity could be the fact that they are both mature-rated games and it is not really a good idea to play it in front of a 10-year-old kid! A large amount of swearing and cursing is common and jokes related to concepts that only adults can identify with like masturbation. Plus nudity and other such aspects are also present especially in cyberpunk 2077 to give it a real feel of the dystopian future that we might end up in!
Violence Aspect of Cyberpunk 2077:
As we have stated earlier, where the crime rate is higher, law enforcement is also practically much more advanced. Obviously when tech is easily accessible to even poor people, it will be available to people who are responsible for policing as well. Hence, the violence aspect of cyberpunk 2077 is a bit more complexed than one might imagine.
Firstly, it is not like violence is appreciated, even in the crime city, not at least when someone’s life is at stake. Hence, the team behind the game changed most of the tools into something which can be used for other purposes to confuse your opponent rather than just shooting them. Through this way, now players will have the option to either shoot or use other tactics from the same tool like hitting on head, choking, making them sleep for quite a long time etc. this feature is mainly for people who prefer to see as less blood as possible, even in a game.
Secondly, for those who just do want to kill someone should know that there are places even inside the night city (which are obviously not considered as part of it) where you can shoot someone and no one will ever know that it was your character. However, if you do it in the middle of the city, the law enforcement company will get you caught and you wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, except from running from the situation, which we all do at one point or the other.
Element of Romance:
When you think of guns, shooting, swearing and cursing and to top it all, blood everywhere, it is quite hard to think about romance. However, when we are talking about night city, everything could happen and romance can still exist! The reason why we are so sure about it is due to two reasons:
- Since you can customize almost every detail of your character, even the back story, you can definitely make the character a romantic one which will eventually tweak the dialogues as well. Through this you can be sure that at least your character would be a romantic one. Plus while there is a lot of cursing, there is also a lot of nudity. Hence, it can be inferred that this nudity probably have some connotation or meaning attached to it. It has also been confirmed that there will be one night stands which may not sound romantic to all but we would still want to count it as such because there is a physical act involved. And let’s be honest, its night city; what else do you expect?
- Another aspect is one of the most crucial elements of this game which is being unbiased in terms of gender. Hence, the game not only supports female characters as opposed to males but also has a space for people who identify their sexuality as gay/ bi and of course hetero-sexual people. This means that the game would allow you to have these attributes selected as well in one way or the other so that you can make your character according to your personal preferences, both in terms of gender and sexuality which will result in added romance.
How is Night City?
Night city is the fictional city which is assumed to be paced between Los Angeles and San Francisco. While the setting of a dystopian future is quite obvious through this lens, one should know that it is a bustling city which is up all the time. The voices of people walking on the street, talking fighting and even just existing are just some of the features of a normal road in the night city.
An important aspect of the city is the fact that the city is huge! If you try to walk in it like any other real city, you would probably get lost, because there are a total of 6 district (as revealed up till now) and so you travel in vehicles which you can drive. Obviously, when technology has advanced to this extent, why would you walk your way through streets?
For us however, it is not just the city but the name as well. The feel of entering the night city itself is so strong and the words penetrate the same energy that we have been talking about throughout this article. Maybe, if it were called something else, cyberpunk 2077 would lose its charm. Hence, it can be declared that the night city holds such significance that it cannot and should not be compared to anything else.
Is it a First Person Shooter (FPS) Game?
This is a very complex question with regards to cyberpunk 2077. Since the game is a role-playing game, an RPG, it has a setting which allows you to be first person shooter. However, during the course of the game it may shift to third-person narrative as well. This means that primarily the game will remain in first person shooter mode but can sometimes go to third person as well (for example when driving, this may occur) so you need to be prepared for whatever comes your way.
Additionally, it has now been officially declared the game can be played in multiplayer as well. For all those who were waiting for this to happen, you can now celebrate it without any doubts!
Possibilities for Story Expansion:
When a story ends, you still have the urge to know what will happen next or what would have happened had the game been continued. For those of you who have played The Witcher 3 would know that this urge of expanding a story is very real. While that game also provided some arena for story expansion, in cyberpunk 2077, you will get enough chances to expand the story and that too in a way that would complement your thinking for the game. This means that there is yet another benefit for the players when it comes to expanding the story according to your own ease.
However, we do think that you would have to be careful about how much do you stretch it and does it makes sense. The rationale behind saying it is the fact that when you have almost all the authorities, things can go in the wrong direction as well a bit which you need to prevent it from!
Are you excited?
We are extremely pumped up about the release of cyberpunk 2077 and hope that you are too! Through this article, we have covered all the aspects of the upcoming video game that we are so psyched about. Hence, we would like to end it one the cinematic trailer of the game which we have watched for infinite times and would happily watch again, because it is that cool! Enjoy the trailer and let’s wait for the final release so that we can indulge in it completely every weekend or even on a daily basis (really depends though!)
Hope that this article will be of some help for you to catch up on everything you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077; the CD Projekt’s 2020 RPG!
