More and more Cyberpunk 2077 news is emerging as we are approaching the release date of long-awaited CD Project Red’s open-world RPG, which will launch on April 16th, 2020. The hype was progressively building up in the gaming community ever since the 2013 teaser trailer release. This is quite interesting because 2013 is also the year in which the first edition of Mike Pondsmith’s 1988 table-top Cyberpunk game is set. At the same time, CD Project Red’s RPG will be released in 2020 which matches the setting of Cyberpunk’s table-top game, set in 2020 as well. This brings us to the question: what exactly do we need to know in advance about the setting of Cyberpunk 2077 as we get into it?
The Night City
Those who were following Cyberpunk 2077 news should be aware of the fact that the game is set in the fictional city on the west coast of the United States, located between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The place is called the Night City, and according to the 2018 E3 trailer of Cyberpunk 2077, the Night City is widely considered to be the worst place in America due to sky-rocketing crime rates and social inequality.
Based on the lore, the construction of Night City was financed by various corporations but due to the socio-economic collapse of society at the beginning of 21st century some Night City districts like Pacifica were completely neglected and became hubs for criminal gangs. Cyberpunk 2077 news have revealed that Night City will have 6 districts in total: the already mentioned Pacifica, which was originally a tourist hotspot that turned into gang-infested warzone; the social hub that is the City Center; Heywood – home to our protagonist V; industrial district of Santo Domingo; a market heavy Watson district and the hub of the wealthy elite – Westbrook.
Travel and transportation in Cyberpunk 2077
Just like CD Project Red’s Witcher 3 had different regions, so will the Cyberpunk 2077. However, in this game different zones will not be separated by loading screens. Players will be able to traverse between the districts seamlessly and without any interruptions. Cars and bikes so far are the only vehicles confirmed to be in Cyberpunk 2077. News regarding areal transport has yet to be revealed by the developers, though official gameplay footage does show NPCs like the armed paramedic squad using an armored flying ambulance. Considering the importance of hacking in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 and the fact that vehicles can be stolen, we are left with the possibility that maybe some form of areal travel will be possible – we have yet to witness this.
Vehicle mode
Even if flying turns out to be impossible, we should have an awesome experience with the vehicles that were already confirmed for Cyberpunk 2077. News about things such as the car autopilot, details like the ability to start a conversation with NPCs without the necessity to exit your vehicle, vehicle mode that can be switched between a first and third person as well as chaotic car chases across the highways of Night City sure make us feel excited!
Since the science-fiction genre of cyberpunk, as a whole, started in the 1980s, we can expect to see the aesthetic of this time period mirrored in the vehicle design. The red bike revealed with Cyberpunk 2077 news, such as the official gameplay footage, has a strong resemblance to Shotaro Kaneda’s bike from 1988s anime as well as cyberpunk movie classic Akira – while the car design sure does ring bells to those who remember the DeLorean from 1985 film Back to the Future.
A multitude of roles based on different gameplay classes
Will we be able to venture beyond the Night City with our vehicles? In the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, the roads are ruled by the Nomads. In the original table-top game Nomads were a class option defined by the currier profession which turns out to be extremely dangerous due to the collapsed infrastructure of this dystopian sci-fi future.
Cyberpunk 2077 news sources confirm that various old classes will return to the new game. At the same time, CD Project Red’s quest designer for Cyberpunk 2077 Powel Sasko has stated that there will be missions that will involve venturing beyond the Night City, but the exact extent of this sandbox freedom is yet to be revealed.
The Mad Max-type road warriors, Nomads, won’t be the only class in this massive game. To be precise, the player will not be locked to any single specific class. Rather, the protagonist V will be developed by mixing various elements of distinct gameplay class categories, some of which are based on the classes from the original table-top game.
Most Cyberpunk 2077 news so far have circled around two roles, which are generally encountered throughout cyberpunk video games. Firstly, we have the Solo. This character type will be familiar to any FPS fan. Solo’s cybernetic implants are military-grade so players of this role will concentrate on run ‘n gun fighting.
Solos will have enhanced agility, powerful melee attacks, superhuman stamina and will be able to rip-off enemy turrets with bare hands and then proceed using them in gunfights. Netrunners are your typical cyberpunk hackers who rely on stealth, digital warfare and use of the local networks to diminish their targets.
Only scratching the surface
The latest CD Project Red’s title will simply be massive and as more Cyberpunk 2077 news will be revealed throughout the upcoming months, we should learn additional information about such factions and classes like the Techies who concentrate on cybernetic body augmentations, Corporates who represent the plutocratic international companies, Fixers that are known for broad social connections, and of course – the Rockerboys!
Amongst the latest, you’ll also meet such figures as Johnny Silverhand (the character played by Keanu Reeves), the leader of the Samurai rock band. The latter group serves not only as entertainers but mostly as social activists who stand up for the lower classes and act as the only true force of good in this dark, cynical, dystopian vision of the future.
More Cyberpunk 2077 news is coming, and we’ll surely keep you updated! Already hooked on this thrilling sci-fi rodeo? We can help, order Cyberpunk 2077 pre-order on our store and prepare for what lies ahead!
