| Developer | CD Projekt Red |
| Publisher | CD Projekt Red |
| Platform(s) | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X & S, Stadia |
| Genre | Open World RPG |
| Release Date | December 10th, 2020 |
Ever since it was originally announced in 2012, Cyberpunk 2077 has generated a monumental amount of hype around the world. Adapted by the famous Polish developer CD Projekt Red, who also adapted The Witcher series, Cyberpunk 2077 is a single-player open-world RPG that promises to have incredible depth and freedom. It is actually an adaptation of a tabletop board game from 1988, and the original creator is working with CD Projekt Red to deliver an experience that is truer to the initial vision.
You start off as V, a gun-for-hire with a cybernetically enhanced body that is out to find success in Night City. You will meet tons of characters, use many different types of weapons and equipment, explore the city, and most of all, become the kind of V you want to be in Cyberpunk 2077. Here are 10 things you need to know about Cyberpunk 2077 before you get started.
1. Night City Comes Alive
Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in Night City, a fictional metropolis scarred by corporate greed and routine violence. It will be divided into 7 districts: City Center, Watson, Westbrook, Heywood, Pacifica, Outskirts and Santo Domingo. Each one of these offer a unique flavour of the Cyberpunk world. Pacifica is a huge tourist attraction, which has been abandoned and taken over by gangs. Westbrook is a happening place, where the rich go to spend and party. The Outskirts are abandoned and dangerous, filled with derelict buildings, raiders, and a lot of sand. Each area features a different crowd and style.
In a Facebook message with a fan, CD Projekt Red said that the map will be smaller than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but will be much more densely packed. The Facebook messages which were posted on Reddit have since been taken down, but are quoted in this article. The polish company explains that Cyberpunk 2077’s map will be explorable upwards and downwards as skyscrapers and underground areas will be filled with activities. There won’t be as many wide open spaces as there was in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and there will be a constant barrage of corporate advertising and other things to see everywhere in Night City. There is a whole website dedicated to Night City here.
2. Lifepaths Change The Course Of The Game
Cyberpunk 2077 is based in Night City, a bustling metropolis filled with all kinds of people, and you start in different locations depending on the life path you choose. There are 3 different origins to choose from: street kid, nomad and corporate. They will affect how your story begins, change how people treat you and spawn you in different areas. The Lifepath trailer gives us a hint at all three paths and shows a lot of potential for multiple playthroughs.
These backgrounds offer different advantages and disadvantages, but most of all a different flavour and experience. Corporates will meet powerful people and start off in a shiny suit, while street kids might be able to talk their way out of sticky situations. Nomads, on the other hand, are different and give off more of a Mad Max vibe, starting you in the deserted outskirts of the city. No matter what you choose, the main storyline will be more or less the same, though it will affect how you move through the game, what characters you meet and how you shape your character.
3. Adaptive Weapons and Armor
Gear is to an RPG what milk is to cereal, and it gets pretty dry without it. Cyberpunk 2077 is no exception, and they came in hot and heavy with an impressive arsenal of weapons and wardrobe of armor to choose from. Weapons and armor can be bought and scavenged, and they are color coded by rarity.
There are 5 different weapon classes: Cyber, Smart, Tech, Power and Melee. Among the most interesting and unique of these is the Cyber class. These are enhancements built into the body which can take all sorts of shapes. In the Tools of Destruction video, we get a quick glimpse of the Mantis Blades, Gorilla Arms and projectile launch system, which are all built into V’s arms. The other 4 classes are a bit more conventional: Smart weapons fire tracking rounds, Tech weapons are futuristic and fire laser beams, the Power class includes shotguns and explosive ammo, and Melee speaks for itself. These weapons are also heavily customizable; players can change the attachments such as stocks, barrels and sights as well as install software mods that will give weapons different perks.
Armor in Cyberpunk 2077 adapts to its futuristic setting by turning clothing into armor, meaning that many kinds of clothing will give you similar benefits to actual armor. After all, it would be a little odd for a city dweller to be wearing a huge set of armor instead of a sweet jacket or shirt. Armor will also give you Street Cred, a stat that will make NPCs treat you like a badass. Players will often have to decide between using armor that looks cool and gives Street Cred, or that’s better suited for a heavier fighting.
4. Different Styles Make Night City Even More Vivid
Cyberpunk not only includes incredibly detailed areas, vehicles and weapons, but also characterizes all of those with unique art styles. Each one of the 4 styles (Kitsch, Entropism, Neo Militarism and Neo-Kitsch) comes with its own identity and history that is outlined in this video. They are meant to make Night City feel like a living, breathing world where players can rock whatever look they want.
Kitsch is attention-grabbing, colourful and prioritizes style over substance. It’s for the player who doesn’t mind taking more damage, as long as they look dapper while doing it. Entropism is a look rocked by the nomads and is all about necessity and not caring about looks, only survival. Neo Militarism is sleek, cold and dark and is the signature style of the power-hungry corporations that control Night City. Finally, Neo-Kitsch is by far the most expensive style money can buy. It is described as “Style and Substance” and is most likely going to be an exotic endgame line of gear that will look awesome and have great stats.
5. A Deep Well of Character Customization and Skill Points
We got a quick look at attributes and character customization in Cyberpunk 2077, and it’s looking pretty awesome. Players can customize regular stuff like skin tone, eye colour, facial hair and scars as well as adjust face shape. You can also adjust body type, voice type, background information and even their junk, but that’s not all.
On top of choosing one of three starting lifepaths, V’s backstory can also be completely personalized to one’s liking. CD Projekt Red have created an incredibly in-depth character creation system that not only allows players to choose the look, sound and story of V, but continue to customize them throughout the game.
Additionally, stats will be a lot like other RPGs and let players choose their starting stats to shape their playstyles. There are five attributes: Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical Ability and Cool which will all lead to different trees and skills that focus on different aspects of the game. For example, the Cool stat leads to stealth and sniper skills, while Body gives you perks that can double carrying capacity or regenerate health during combat. There are even body modifications like robotic eyes that help you aim better or translator chips that teach a whole new language instantly.
6. Vehicles Get You Around in (Sometimes) Style
Big trucks, sleek rides and tin cans are some of the options for getting around in Night City. They fall into the same art style categories as districts and clothing, depending on the type of people that use them and inhibit the futuristic appearance present in the game while keeping a familiar feel to real-life cars. CD Projekt Red’s Rides of the Dark Future video shows us a lot of these, and breaks down the seven different classes that they belong to.
The first class is Economy, which are the cheap tin cans I mentioned and perfect for the player that just wants to get from point A to point B without any flash or utility, much like my car. Trucks, armoured vehicles and tanks all belong to the Heavy Duty division. The Sport class are fast cars that sacrifice durability for speed. The Executive class is part of the signature look of the corporations, which give off a vibe of power inside a dark and sleek look. Last but definitely not least, Hypercars are the most expensive available and offer speed, power and style.
If you’re more a fan of riding on two wheels, don’t worry because there are motorcycles. Keanu Reeves is even working with CD Projekt Red and his company ARCH Motorcycle to implement one into the game. At the end of the video we also see a Porsche, confirming bonus exclusive vehicles that will also be available.
7. Keanu, Johnny and The Story
You start out as V, a cybernetically enhanced mercenary whose story can be adjusted in the character creation section at the start of the game. You are then tasked to steal the “Chip of Immortality”, which is a data chip that contains the “soul” of Johnny Silverhand, legendary guitarist. He will appear and speak to you, and even take over your body.
You will also seemingly relive some of Johnny’s memories and learn more about his story and motives along the way. Although the story centers much around this chip, players will undoubtedly have a lot of freedom when it comes to playing the game how they want and creating their own path through Cyberpunk 2077.
8. Grow Relationships With Factions
Among the factions in Cyberpunk 2077 are a multitude of gangs and corporations that basically run Night City. You can create relationships with them and their members, giving you powerful allies or enemies depending on which way it goes. In the Gangs of Night City video, we get a good glimpse at a few of them.
The Animals are bodybuilding hired muscle who don’t need cybernetic enhancements to kick ass. Maelstrom are a band of cyber enhanced lunatics, who have grown more fond of upgrading their bodies than caring for other humans. The Voodoo Boys are a high-profile, tight-knit gang who specialize in viruses that can shut down neural networks. Many other gangs roam the streets of Night City, such the Valentinos, 6th Street, Tiger Claws and The Mox.
Aside from the gangs that mostly just run amok, Corporations are the real power in the city. They call the shots and have more power than the government. One of the most powerful of these is the Arasaka Corporation, who makes weapons and defence systems.
9. Side Quests? It’s Got Them
In Cyberpunk 2077, there are around 75 “street stories” which are each handcrafted by a team that is five times larger than the development team that worked on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. These are side quests, ranging from small to large, that have a linear storyline. They also provide insight into the world of Cyberpunk 2077 and introduce a range of characters, on top of just being a great way to earn loot and experience. It is also apparently possible to beat the game doing only sidequests, which sounds like a fun rabbit hole to explore.
Aside from the street stories, there are also random events like crimes that take place on the streets. Somewhat like Spider-Man’s crime system, you can intervene and get a bounty from the police as a reward for your valuable time as a cyber mercenary.
10. DLC/Editions
Cyberpunk 2077 will have a standard edition ($60 USD) as well as a collector’s edition ($250 USD) available for purchase. The collector’s edition is going to include a ton of stuff, such as: a statue of V, artbook, steelbook, keychain, wallpaper and a lot more, but it’ll cost you a pretty penny and CD Projekt Red are only selling a limited amount. It’s definitely a good deal for superfans of Cyberpunk, and I would definitely purchase it if I wasn’t so broke.
Although CD Projekt Red has delayed the DLC reveal to post-launch, we do know that there will be free DLC as well as paid expansions later on. There will also be a multiplayer DLC supposedly coming next year, but with the Polish company’s muddy track record of delays, we can probably expect it in 2024.
Cyberpunk 2077 is set to be released on December 10th,2020 (fingers crossed) for Google Stadia, Xbox One, PS4, PC as well as the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. There will also be a free next-gen upgrade sometime in 2021 to take full advantage of the new consoles’ hardware.
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