Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red, and published by CD Projekt, and based on Mike Pondsmith's Cyberpunk tabletop game series. The plot is set in the fictional metropolis of Night City, California, within the dystopian Cyberpunk universe. The player assumes the role of V (voiced by Gavin Drea/Cherami Leigh), a mercenary who accidentally gets imbued with a cybernetic "bio-chip" containing an engram of legendary rockstar and terrorist Johnny Silverhand (voiced by Keanu Reeves). As Johnny’s behavioral template and memories begin overwriting V’s own, the two must work together to separate from each other and save V's life.
Cyberpunk 2077
- Adam Badowski
- Konrad Tomaszkiewicz
- Gabriel Amatangelo
- Konrad Tomaszkiewicz
- Jędrzej Mróz
- Przemysław Wójcik
- Michał Stec
- Grzegorz Mocarski
- Mateusz Kanik
- Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz
- Paweł Sasko
- Piotr Tomsiński
- Kacper Kościeński
- Marcin Blacha
- Tomasz Marchewka
- P. T. Adamczyk
- Marcin Przybyłowicz
- Paul Leonard-Morgan
- Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia
- 10 December 2020
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- 15 February 2022
The game's development began following the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine (2016). The game was developed by a team of around 500 people using the REDengine 4 game engine. CD Projekt launched a new division in Wrocław, Poland, and partnered with Digital Scapes, Nvidia, QLOC, and Jali Research to aid the production. Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith was a consultant, and actor Keanu Reeves had a starring role. The original score was led by Marcin Przybyłowicz, and featured the contributions of several licensed artists. After years of anticipation, CD Projekt released Cyberpunk 2077 for PlayStation 4, Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox One on 10 December 2020, followed by PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on 15 February 2022.
Cyberpunk 2077 received praise from critics for its narrative, setting, and graphics. However, some of its gameplay elements received mixed responses while its themes and representation of transgender characters received some criticism. It was also widely criticized for bugs, particularly in the console versions which suffered from performance problems. Sony removed it from the PlayStation Store from December 2020 to June 2021 while CD Projekt rectified some of the problems. CD Projekt became subject to investigations and class-action lawsuits for their perceived attempts at downplaying the severity of the technical problems before release; these were ultimately cleared with a settlement of US$1.85 million. By October 2023, the game had sold over 25 million units. An expansion, Phantom Liberty, released for PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 26 September 2023, which sold 5 million units in 2023.[1] Its total cost to develop and market (including updates and DLC) is reportedly over $436 million, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop. A sequel, codenamed "Project Orion", was announced in October 2022.
Related media[edit]
The World of Cyberpunk 2077, a 192-page art book,[141] was published by Dark Horse Books on 29 July 2020.[142]
On 9 September, Dark Horse Comics brought out the first issue of a comic book series called Cyberpunk 2077: Trauma Team with writer Cullen Bunn and illustrator Miguel Valderrama.[143] A number of other comic series in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 have also been published by Dark Horse Comics, including Cyberpunk 2077: Big City Dreams (2022), and Cyberpunk 2077: Blackout (2022).
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, an anime spin-off collaboration co-produced by CD Projekt Red and Trigger, premiered on 13 September 2022 on Netflix.[144]
A card game created alongside publisher CMON Limited, Cyberpunk 2077 – Afterlife: The Card Game, was slated for 2020 but has yet to be released; no updating announcements have been made and the card game's future remains uncertain.[145]
Reception[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
The game was highly anticipated before its release.[146] It won over one hundred awards at E3 2018,[147] including Best Game, Best Xbox One Game, Best PC Game,[148] Best RPG,[149] and People's Choice at IGN,[150] Best Role-Playing Game and Game of the Show at Game Informer,[151] Best of E3 at PC Gamer,[152] and Game of the Show at GamesRadar+.[153] The second trailer was considered one of the best at the expo,[154][155][156][157] although writer William Gibson, credited with pioneering the cyberpunk subgenre, described it as "GTA skinned-over with a generic 80s retro-future".[158] Gibson later responded more positively to the first gameplay demo.[159] The first-person perspective, in contrast with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's third-person, was subject to criticism.[160][161] Cyberpunk 2077 was the most widely discussed game of E3 2019,[162] where it was presented awards for Best of E3 at GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, and Ars Technica,[163][164][165][166] and Best Game, People's Choice, Best PS4 Game, Best Xbox One Game, Best PC Game, and Best RPG at IGN.[167] The third trailer was lauded with emphasis on Reeves' reveal.[168][169]
Liana Ruppert, a journalist for Game Informer who has photosensitive epilepsy, experienced a grand mal seizure while reviewing the game days before its release. The seizure was triggered by the game's "braindance" sequence, which contains red and white flashing lights that reportedly resemble the patterns produced by medical devices used to intentionally trigger seizures.[170] In response, CD Projekt Red made a public statement and reached out to Ruppert.[171][172] The company then released a patch to add a warning, and issued a later patch on 11 December to reduce the risk of inducing epileptic symptoms.[173]
Prior to the release of the game, CD Projekt Red provided review copies of Cyberpunk to several major outlets. CD Projekt Red issued strict review embargo terms on these review copies, requiring reviewers to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA) and only allowing for footage provided by the company to be shown in reviews; according to Wired Magazine (which did not receive a reviewer copy), violating the NDA could cost around $27,000 per violation.[174] Concern also arose over the fact review copies were issued for the PC version of the game, ensuring that all pre-release reviews related to the PC version of the game, excluding consoles. As a result, this eroded trust from some consumers.[175]
Sequel[edit]
A sequel, codenamed "Project Orion", was announced in October 2022. It is being developed by CD Projekt North America, which has studios in both Vancouver and Boston. By February 2024, the game was in early development,[271][272][273] with key members of the development team being moved to Boston.[274] The game is being directed by Gabe Amatangelo, who previously directed the Phantom Liberty expansion. The game is being developed on Unreal Engine 5.[275]
