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.
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 consciousness begins overwriting V’s own, the two must work together to separate and save V’s life.
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, Stadia, 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, 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.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role-playing game[2] played from a first-person perspective as V,[3] a mercenary whose voice,[4] face, hairstyle, body type and modifications, background, and clothing are customisable. There are also five attributes (Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical, and Cool) that can be customized to suit the player’s gameplay style.
The gameplay is flexible: the three primary play styles are Netrunner (hacking), Techie (machinery), and Solo (combat). V has a number of maneuvers to reposition in combat, including sprinting, taking cover, double-jumping, and sliding;[5][6] many of these abilities can be unlocked or upgraded through cyberware implants installed by a “ripperdoc”.[7] Weapon use increases accuracy and reloading speed, which are reflected in character animations.[8] Equipment, such as weapons and armor, is governed by a coloured tier system[9] and is split into melee and ranged options. Melee strikes can be dealt with close-combat weapons.[10][11] There are three types of ranged weapons, all of which can be customised and modified—Power (with ricocheting bullets), Tech (which penetrates walls and enemies), and Smart (with homing bullets).[12][13] The game has four types of damage that can be inflicted and resisted—Physical, Thermal, Electric, and Chemical.[14][15][16] The game can be completed without killing anyone,[17] with non-lethal options for weapons and cyberware.[18]
The open world metropolis of Night City consists of six regions: the corporate City Centre, immigrant-inhabited Watson, luxurious Westbrook, suburban Heywood, gang-infested Pacifica, and industrial Santo Domingo. Its surrounding area, the Badlands, can also be explored. V navigates these locations on foot (in first-person view) and in vehicles (in either a third- or first-person view).[7] V owns an apartment and a garage, and can purchase additional apartments throughout the city.[10] There is a full day-night cycle and dynamic weather, which affects the way non-player characters (NPCs) behave.[12][19] Depending on the location, law enforcement may be alerted if V commits a crime.[20] Pedestrians are vulnerable to vehicular collisions.[13] [21] Radio stations are available to listen to.[22] [23] Night City features many non-English-speaking characters, whose languages can be translated with special implants.[24] V also periodically uses a “Braindance,” a device that allows one to undergo other people’s experiences.[25][26]
Branching dialogues enable interaction with NPCs and actions in quests[27] and the player’s in-game choices can lead to different endings.[26] Experience points are obtained from main quests and used to upgrade stats; side quests yield “street cred”, unlocking skills, vendors, places, and additional quests.[9][12][13][28] Quests are acquired from characters known as Fixers.[13] Throughout the game, V is aided by various companions.[10] Consumables, such as food, drinks, and drugs, are used for healing and temporary enhancements, and objects can be inspected in V’s inventory.[6] Minigames include hacking, boxing, auto racing,[29] martial arts, and shooting ranges.[