How Cyberpunk 2077 Fumbles the Genre That Inspired It

Few games in recent memory have been able to create such a fully realized earth with so much visual flair and potential as CD Projekt Cherry-red's Cyberpunk 2077. A handful of its characters such as Judy Alvarez are beacons of what this story and the world tin can be at its best. Only 1 of the biggest missed opportunities lies within the game's own Deoxyribonucleic acid. While it'due south namesake and overall influences may exist inspired by the cyberpunk genre, it frequently feels equally though information technology never truly commits to the deeper implications of the world it'south creating or the weighty ideas it hints at within its narrative.

Cyberpunk is inherently political and rife with social commentary. While Cyberpunk 2077, unfortunately, opts to mainly introduce potentially big philosophical ideas, these ideas simply feel every bit if they become afterthoughts presently later on. With that being said, the genre itself leaves a lot of room for interpretation so not every single piece of media necessarily has to be a deep and incisive deconstruction of societal issues and the man condition

The cyberpunk genre has existed in some capacity for nearly as long as science fiction itself has existed. Although the term itself didn't become a staple until the 1980s, many earlier examples are present throughout media that predate the terminology. The works of scientific discipline fiction writers Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, to name a few, were some of the earliest examples of what would eventually be considered cyberpunk. Their stories often existed on the fringes of science fiction and delved into topics regarding bogus intelligence, government omnipotence, corporate corruption also as the nature of consciousness, and what it ways to be human in a technological world.

The cyberpunk genre has become every bit ubiquitous as other sub-categories within science fiction such as space opera and alien invasion stories.

Anime has as well been a major actor when it comes to the growing popularity in those early years. Major releases like Akira, Appleseed, and Ghost in the Shell have all become staples over the years in numerous science fiction stories within the cyberpunk genre at large.

Over the last few decades, cyberpunk has become even more widespread and has gained recognition in mainstream media. Films similar Blade Runner , The Matrix Trilogy, Alita: Boxing Angel and even Her to name a few accept been strong examples of how the genre has become a mainstay in Hollywood culture. All of which are films that I adore. This is actually just the tip of the iceberg as at that place are constantly new cyberpunk stories being brought to life every few months. The cyberpunk genre has become as ubiquitous as other sub-categories within science fiction such as space opera and conflicting invasion stories.

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Video games take had just as many prolific entries as Hollywood and anime have. There are far too many to fifty-fifty mention offhand, only there are numerous that have become classics on par with the best that the genre has to offer. Titles like Deus Ex, Organization Shock, and of course Final Fantasy VII are just a fraction of the presence of cyberpunk inside the gaming world. Players have often taken to immersing themselves in these stories and worlds.

Cyberpunk 2077 is truly no dissimilar in that regard. The number of stories that utilise the staples of a striking visual style and themes that are oftentimes presented in the genre is literally limitless. Players, besides as developers, take e'er taken to cyberpunk. Information technology truly is open to so many dissimilar interpretations which makes its uses limitless.

As narratively different as all of the stories I've mentioned may be, they all accept something in mutual. They all strike a balance between striking visuals and stories that have something to say. Those 2 points are often the hallmarks of the best cyberpunk media. They are oft a happy medium of that visual style, including, but not limited to neon-drenched cityscapes, transhumanist aesthetics such equally body modification, and the mixture of corporate propaganda and dark dingy city slums. Those are just some of the broadest strokes of what a lot of these worlds comprise within them, but they are often very prevalent.

As far as the stories get, all of the aforementioned narratives have themes that are non foreign to this genre. Themes including corporate corruption, the revolution of the lower classes, artificial intelligence, and the significant of consciousness are all some of the most usually touched on topics.

The number of stories that apply the staples of a striking visual style and themes that are oft presented in the genre is literally limitless.

So how does this circumvolve back to Cyberpunk 2077? Cyberpunk hands falls into the genre that information technology gains its namesake from. That much is immediately apparent. From a visual standpoint, it ticks all of those boxes. You lot've got your neon city aesthetic and your ever-prevalent trunk modifications equally a visual motif likewise as a gameplay mechanic. All things that are absolutely cool as hell. I retrieve everyone can appreciate that at its best, Cyberpunk 2077 nails that fashion. But it falters in other aspects that brand cyberpunk a genre that resonates with people so well. It may accept that signature visual flourish, but it often feels like it's lacking in its story.

Don't go me wrong, the story isn't bad. It was honestly a fairly enjoyable experience that offered a scattering of hours to become lost in. The outcome I establish was the way information technology adult and hinted at some heavier ideas and social commentaries before more than or less abandoning them. That wouldn't necessarily be an issue had the game'southward narrative not played with some of these themes and fix these potential plot points. Now not every cyberpunk story is a deep deconstruction of our times, and nor does every story in the genre need to be. The effect more so arises when these ideas are brought to the forefront and then pushed aside.

We're going to get into a few spoilers for some of the major plot points of Cyberpunk 2077 so proceed at your own risk.

The implications of a mega-corporation with its hands in constabulary enforcement lonely should arise its own slew of upstanding questions. But in the game's world and story, it'due south more than of an afterthought.

Night City itself is very much controlled by mega-corporations that take largely free rein to do as they delight exterior of the police force. In the early hours of Cyberpunk 2077, you're immediately brought into a plot revolving around corporate corruption and a trigger-happy hostile takeover. In one of the opening missions, your avatar, V witnesses the murder of the head of the Arasaka Corporation. This upshot serves every bit the goad to nearly of what comes beyond that point in the story.

The company has its hands in nigh every industry imaginable. Weapons manufacturing, banking, also as financing its own sectionalisation of Night City's own police force department. All of these coupled together are constant obstacles and causes for business organization for V, and nearly of the people of Night City. The implications of a mega-corporation with its easily in constabulary enforcement solitary should arise its own slew of upstanding questions. Only in the game's world and story, it's more of an reconsideration.

This could take been an opportunity to pose some serious questions virtually corporations meddling in industries that could be a conflict of involvement. Instead is just kind of a known quantity in the plot that feels as if it's merely in that location to cause headaches for the protagonist. I would have appreciated seeing more than of this explored equally opposed to it being abandoned for less intriguing plot lines.

The ethical implications of a program that could more than or less erase a person's consciousness from their torso are vast. You would recall that it would exist a much bigger topic of debate. Instead, Cyberpunk 2077 only tells you this is unethical without e'er effectively diving deeper into it.

I believe the most disappointing aspect of Cyberpunk 2077'due south narrative is the story revolving around Keanu Reeves' character of Johnny Silverhand. Silverhand and his involvement with Soulkiller —the game's main McGuffin— are total of massive cyberpunk themes that are non fully explored. Soulkiller essentially is a device that can exist used to create a backup of a person's consciousness. The technology is considered to be extremely unethical as information technology non only can house a consciousness within it, but it essentially renders the host trunk lifeless. Thus the aptly chosen name of Soulkiller.

As the events of the story unfold, Johnny Silverhand'due south consciousness becomes trapped within Five's own encephalon via a damaged biochip implant. Based on player choice, the catastrophe you see could unfold in a few dissimilar means. V could concede to Johnny and let him to essentially remove their consciousness from the torso leaving Johnny in command. Alternatively, V could likewise continue in command of the body merely only for that body to deteriorate over time.

The upstanding implications of a program that could more or less erase a person's consciousness from their body are vast. You would think that it would be a much bigger topic of contend. Instead, Cyberpunk 2077 only tells you this is unethical without ever effectively diving deeper into it. And therein lies the problem with a lot of the game's narrative. These ideas are oft brought up and teased as major plot lines only for them to just be afterthoughts in favor of activity ready pieces.

As I said previously, this wouldn't be equally much of an outcome if the narrative chose a direction to stick with. You can have your large fun bombastic cyberpunk adventure and yet explore the philosophical aspects. Merely these philosophical themes would accept been better left on the cutting room floor as opposed to being teased and not explored more than closely.

A film with a very similar idea is Upgrade. The story in that location follows Grey later he is implanted with an AI that is ultimately vying to take command of his trunk. I couldn't assistance but be reminded of that motion-picture show while experiencing Cyberpunk 2077. Both stories touch on the nature of consciousness and implanted personas. Upgrade merely happens to handle it with a more than nuanced and incisive hand. Information technology does this while still managing to exist an entertaining techno-thriller, and it left me feeling the way I had hoped Cyberpunk would leave me feeling.

When it's all said and done, Cyberpunk 2077 proved to be a fun sci-fi romp. But it could have been more. At times it fifty-fifty tried to be. Unfortunately, it merely could not stick the landing when it came to those themes. Instead, it opted to be a kind of mindless activity thriller which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The story is marred by what could have been and the potential that information technology sadly squanders. It's in no way a bad story but information technology is not every bit imaginative or as deep every bit it could take been.

And the issue there is that sometimes information technology thinks it's being deeper and edgier than it actually is. With more story well on the way in future patches, nosotros could see a turnaround. And that's something I am honestly looking forrad to seeing. I'm still excited to see more of this globe and how the future could change the fate of Night City.

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